What do you love and what do you hate about your unit?

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Dude, 9 sets? You've got a problem. :p

If you're ever in the St Pete area, I'll have to have you stop by to look at my garage. It's got more stock than most of the shops in cave country. I've actaualy got way too many rebreather bottles. We used the 3L and liked them so I got us both two sets (good deal on used ones). We rarely do more than 2 days of diving in a row, so we were set up so that I can do all the fills at home and not have to stop on our dive weekends. Then I used al30s and we both fell in love with those. So there may be some 3L tanks and some brackets going up for sale eventually.

Actually I've got two problem: First is I love to collect tanks and then not sell them when I don't need them, and Second is I've got a wife who doesn't complain or tell me to quit buying stuff (she knows I'm a lost cause).
 
The second one isn't really a problem. Think of the toys you can get and be happy! :)

Yeah, it's not truly a problem but it would be nice to have someone to pump the brakes when my excitement for new toys kicks in. Then again I know alot of people who's wives won't let them spend a penny frivolously without yelling. So I really can't complain.
 
I've got an o2ptima and love it. But like everyone here who loves their rebreather, there are pros and cons.

Pros
OTS lung MAVs are just drysuit inflator valves, easy to replace if necessary.

Same head can be used with OTS lungs, BMCL, or with cho2ptima.

Kydex cover reduces damage to the stuff on the back, and looks a lot better than the older fabric one.

ADV breathes great, and is easy to adjust to how you want it to fire. Also easy to move to exhale lung if desired. On off is easy to find so it's easy to shut it off when you want it off.

To some the cartridge is a big plus. For me, the ability to use sorb is a big plus.


Cons
Electronics pods. They flop around when storage. Stock, the HUD is on the right, but the pod is also on the right. I flipped HUD to the left for viewfinder use and cross the cables over the back, much better routing.

The Dive Can plug connections are great, and it's not an o2ptima specific cable, but I do wish that the screw on things to keep them connected, came with one extra male side to protect the pins better in storage.

Bottle connections. The cam bands are high quality, easy to use, hold stuff securely, but I always have this nagging feeling that something like the kent tooling quick disconnects would be easier. I don't see how these could be added easily to the existing setup but if someone out there has done it, I would love to hear about it.

O2 tube from the head is annoying. You could remove it for storage, but that's just inviting you to lose it. I have trimmed mine down so it enters the tube but doesn't run the full length.

I wish someone sold a cover that would help me keep dust out of the head for storage, and another one that would let me pressurize the head for linearity checks at home. Both would be easy to mill out, but probably not cheap.

The design mostly precludes this, but I do wish you could increase the sorb capacity. I know people who push the sorb out and are doing long dives on the o2ptima, considering that the last hours are deco with low exertion, but sorb is cheap and my life is not. The only way to do this would be to make the system wider--which it could go wider but at the expense of more drag, unlike vertical canister designs. Or, convert your head to mCCR with a needle valve and trim the head depth, to allow a longer (wider) canister without additional width. But at that point, you might as well just buy a rebreather with a vertical can.

I don't hate the o2 connection, some use a regulator quick disconnect, but a locking one would be way safer.

The carry handle is black fabric, and now I have the electronics crossing right by it. I wish it was a red fabric so it was easier to see.

Overall I'm very happy. I've never had any issues with water in the head, the counter lugs and water trap do a great job. Modifying for offboard dil was easy. Changing the stand height to use different size tanks was easy. The stand does a good job of holding the unit. It's a very easy size, with great work of breathing.
 
About 4 years ago I determined I wanted a rebreather. Did all the online research I could find. Got a lucky break when the local shop hired me just in time for DEMA. I went through and looked at everything. Several things intrigued me. Then I started asking questions like tear down and build up procedures. The number of connections (failure points). How finikey the connections are. Bulk. There were some models that I was nearly ready to drop cash on before the show but after seeing them in person, wasn't interested in. Great build quality, overly complex. Some were very intricate to put together.

In the end I preferred back mounted counterlungs. Not because they breath better, but less claustrophobia. Some of the big over the shoulder counterlungs felt like I was riding a roller coaster with the big shoulder bars. Eventually picked the rEvo. It has been good. The tear down and build up are quick and easy. Drying the counterlungs is a piece of cake. The ADV has never satisfied me. I know others who just disable it. Travels great, wear it as a carry on and toss it in the overhead. The wing and harness I am not sure about, thinking of trying something else. I understand the logic for the 5 cells, but would rather have fewer, really adds to the yearly expense. The double scrubber is nice, typically just change one at a time and do the cycle thing. Always have plenty of fresh scrubber. Don't like the non-user serviceable counterlung, but I am fairly sure I could service it when need be. Can't comment on the dreams as I ordered with a NERD. I'm also thinking of doing a stand or a butt plate, not happy with positioning of the bail outs. But I need to watch it as I still want it to fit in the overhead bin. Overall I mostly like it. Enough simplicity, not overengineered. The engineering just works. But does have flaws, so far nothing to hate it for.
 
About 4 years ago I determined I wanted a rebreather. Did all the online research I could find. Got a lucky break when the local shop hired me just in time for DEMA. I went through and looked at everything. Several things intrigued me. Then I started asking questions like tear down and build up procedures. The number of connections (failure points). How finikey the connections are. Bulk. There were some models that I was nearly ready to drop cash on before the show but after seeing them in person, wasn't interested in. Great build quality, overly complex. Some were very intricate to put together.

In the end I preferred back mounted counterlungs. Not because they breath better, but less claustrophobia. Some of the big over the shoulder counterlungs felt like I was riding a roller coaster with the big shoulder bars. Eventually picked the rEvo. It has been good. The tear down and build up are quick and easy. Drying the counterlungs is a piece of cake. The ADV has never satisfied me. I know others who just disable it. Travels great, wear it as a carry on and toss it in the overhead. The wing and harness I am not sure about, thinking of trying something else. I understand the logic for the 5 cells, but would rather have fewer, really adds to the yearly expense. The double scrubber is nice, typically just change one at a time and do the cycle thing. Always have plenty of fresh scrubber. Don't like the non-user serviceable counterlung, but I am fairly sure I could service it when need be. Can't comment on the dreams as I ordered with a NERD. I'm also thinking of doing a stand or a butt plate, not happy with positioning of the bail outs. But I need to watch it as I still want it to fit in the overhead bin. Overall I mostly like it. Enough simplicity, not overengineered. The engineering just works. But does have flaws, so far nothing to hate it for.
You might consider the LightMonkey BAS (or sew your own).
 
Nice thread.
Will refresh it a little.

Tres Presidentes

Pros
- Simple as ABC
- Solid workmanship
- all delrin
- Can be almost fully disassembled just by bare hands as all main parts including bellows are on threads and bayonets
- bayonets on both ends of the loop hoses
- scrubber is inside the unit, so have no contact with water (4C water all year round)


Cons
- it is a pSCR =)))
so big gas consumption (compared to my eCCR buddies)
- triggers are loaded with springs - had to modify them to exclude springs
- poor WOB dependent on the position
- weight - my rig is 65 kg (143 lbs)
 
Cool. I've got a Satori that I'm in the process (one day) of closing


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But this is my fave no cons

BUM. Breathing Underwater Machine


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I built it I dive it I like it
 

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