Review Diving the Avelo System

[lowwall]

$150 for some training, rental of a very expensive set of equipment, and a dive seems reasonable enough to me. I might try it if I can get to one of their sites before they go out of business.

 

[Wibble]

Wow, what a prices for something to try out and later try to sell. We have sometimes here try out dives for drysuit. Costs nothing and if you haven't ever dived a drysuit, there is an instructor available. 150 dollar for only 1 dive, that is probably more than 2 dollar per minute as I guess that the dive will not last 75 minutes. With 8 breaths a minute, calculate what 1 breath costs.

I am still very sceptic about the 'need' or market for the system. A normal bcd does the work, a bp+wing does the work if you want to dive a little more 'DIR', then there are bigger tanks available if needed, 300 bar is not available everywhere. And 200 bars does the job (but does not with avelo if you need a bigger tank than 10 liter 200 bar)

No extra servicecosts, only the regs, bcd and pressuretests for the tank and service the valves. Servicing of regs and valves and bcd can done by a lot of divers themselves. The avelo system is something like a ccr that must be done by factory approved people? Are recreational divers willing to pay for this extra costs?

But I am also very sceptic about the 'need' of a course.
I see an Avelo course something that can be usefull, but not needed for every diver. Is is also way toooo expensive in my eyes. For 150 you can do the whole course as 1 dive and some explaination is way more than enough for experienced divers with tons of dives. Maybe an ow needs more dives, but then make a course optional with also optional an extra day of training. This makes more sense in my eyes. And make it better for all divers. The same as drysuit or sidemount. Can be usefull, but can also learned the autodidactical way or with a buddy that explains you. And in all cases the insurance will pay here.

You are already a (very experienced) diver. you know how to set up a bp+wing. You know how to setup the equipment, this is already written online and the photos are clear enough. So a good diver that is interested in the system is already informed when renting it for a trydive. If you go in the water from shore and feel in knee deep water if the weighting is ok, then go to 2-3m for bouyancy checks, there is nothing that can go wrong for experienced divers. It is still oc. Of course you don't jump in from a boat and go to 20m if you don't know if the weighting is right.
Maybe an big smb or other type of liftbag is not an bad idea, but of course know how it works. I read this is required, good. So know how to use it then.

But 1 thing that is also important for me:
What if you don't get enough bouyancy at surface in waves or at dephts of 40m+ with a thicker wetsuit that looses bouyancy due to depth as weighting is very critical, this is something you will find out later, probably after a course (this is the thing I am most worried about.).
I write 40m+, as remember, the cmas recreational limit is 60m. And I have for example a cmas 3* single tank to 60m on air cert which is also a dm cert. With a wetsuit and single tank this depths are no problem to get enough bouyancy to get back to surface with a normal bcd (I don't talk about the safety of the single tank at 60m and the air breathting, that is another discussion, but with a normal bcd at least you can take an 18 liter steel to do this dive). This means the avelo as recreational system must also work to the recreational depths of a cert. And then the amount of gas is very limited, even if you start with 300 bar in a 10 liter, there is with the gaslaw less than 3000 liter in the tank. So less than an 15 liter. For a dive to 50m in France you take a 15 liter or an 18liter. Yes, this kind of recreational dives are still done there on quite a regular base.
Remember stay within your certification level means for some divers the 60m on air single tank. So they will do. So it is important to know if the system can still bring you up. The amount of gas is user error as this can also be done with a normal bcd, but the bcd at least has enough lift.

And what about solodiving with the avelo? Can the system hold a stage for redundancy? This is also important as recreational divers also can be solodivers. Then you have with an ali80 a few kg's negative. So you must be able to compensate. Also you must be able to compensate if you drain that ali80. The redundant solo equipment also makes it to a 'twinset' for longer solodives for recreational divers. All things I have questions about. But all things that are important for a recreational bcd set.
This is something I also want to figure out if I do a trydive with the system as I take an extra cylinder with me on Bonaire or Curacao for my solo recreational dives. And use both cylinders then.

We all know it is a well funded technological solution to a non problem. Training is required as the novel technology has limitations and relies on a basic dive industry flaw: people diving overweighted struggle with buoyancy.

The main limitation is the Avelo’s small buoyancy range of a very few kilos/pounds (circa 4kg/9lbs) where an overweighted diver will easily exceed the system’s buoyancy; i.e. they will sink. All standard BCDs have considerable buoyancy in the 10kg/22lbs to 20kg/44lbs range which will hold the diver’s head above the water and will facilitate rescue scenarios.

If only the dive industry would promote proper weighting, there wouldn’t be a “problem” to solve.

 

[scubadada]

...And what about solodiving with the avelo? Can the system hold a stage for redundancy? This is also important as recreational divers also can be solodivers....

I also do a considerable amount of solo diving. The Jetpack is a backplate and harness with D-rings. I see no reason that a cylinder for redundant gas could not be carried normally. I use an AL19 for my solo diving. It is only about 1 lb. negative when full and near neutral if used. I don't use this extra gas for my dives. I would probably take off a pound if I were going to carry a pony with Avelo gear.

To date, I've only done 7 dives on Avelo gear, including my 2 cert dives. I will do another 6-9 dives on this visit to Bonaire and will see if I can borrow a pony to try it out

 

[Germie]

I also do a considerable amount of solo diving. The Jetpack is a backplate and harness with D-rings. I see no reason that a cylinder for redundant gas could not be carried normally. I use an AL19 for my solo diving. It is only about 1 lb. negative when full and near neutral if used. I don't use this extra gas for my dives. I would probably take off a pound if I were going to carry a pony with Avelo gear.

To date, I've only done 7 dives on Avelo gear, including my 2 cert dives. I will do another 6-9 dives on this visit to Bonaire and will see if I can borrow a pony to try it out

My pony's for solodiving are ali80's as I don't have others. On Curacao it was a 12liter ali. No small stuff, also because I can do longer dives and turn the 2 cylinders more or less into a twinset. My single tank wing has enough lift capacity to hold this. So if you have the chance to try a an ali80, let us know your experiences.

 

[scubadada]

This is a follow up to the initial review I posted on Jan 2, 2024

Review - Diving the Avelo System

The Avelo System is innovative diving equipment that allows you to dive differently than with traditional gear. The Avelo System consists of the Jetpack and the Hydrotank. The Jetpack is a backplate, harness, battery, and pump. The Hydrotank consists of a flexible bladder holding the gas and a...

scubaboard.com

My wife and I returned to Bonaire for two weeks, October 16-October 30. I rented Avelo gear for 2 days and did 6 more dives. I have somewhat limited mobility of my right shoulder and had some difficulty reaching the pump button on the Jetpack. Avelo supplied me with a modified Jetpack that was very easy for me to use. It moved the button about 4 1/2 inches to the side and about 1 1/2 inches higher. I downloaded the Avelo Mode to my Shearwater Teric prior to the trip and had that to use for my dives. I used my own 300 bar DIN regulator for these dives, Scubapro MK25/S600/C370/Oceanic MH8A transmitter. Rental at Dive Friends cost $110 per day for 3 dives. Dive Friends offers the Jetpack for $3,750. The Hydrotank will be available later this year.

So, achieving and maintaining neutral buoyancy was a piece of cake. I made a single pump at the beginning of the dive and a partial pump once into the dive. Buoyancy was depth independent. Here are the graphs from the SW Teric and the Avelo website. The Shearwater graph shows depth, buoyancy, and workforce (RMV). The Avelo graph shows workforce (RMV) and buoyancy within the desired zone. It is disappointing that SW does not offer an average recorded RMV like it does for SAC in the normal mode. I have requested that they add it.

My 6 dives on this trip had the same RMV as my dives in traditional gear, an improvement over my dives last year. I had to make manual calculations. My 6 dives in Avelo gear averaged 0.32 cu ft/min whereas my other 30 dives in traditional gear averaged 0.31 cu ft/min. Dives in Bonaire are so easy!

My Avelo gear weighed 15 lbs less than traditional gear, not quite the weight savings on the Avelo website.

Gas availability depends on fill pressure. It takes about a 3300 psi fill for the Avelo 10L tank to equal the fill for an AL80 at 3000 psi. My fills were just a little below that.

With the modified Jetpack, I look forward to trying out the Avelo System in my home turf of SE Florida.

 

[therookie]

This is a follow up to the initial review I posted on Jan 2, 2024

Review - Diving the Avelo System

The Avelo System is innovative diving equipment that allows you to dive differently than with traditional gear. The Avelo System consists of the Jetpack and the Hydrotank. The Jetpack is a backplate, harness, battery, and pump. The Hydrotank consists of a flexible bladder holding the gas and a...

scubaboard.com

My wife and I returned to Bonaire for two weeks, October 16-October 30. I rented Avelo gear for 2 days and did 6 more dives. I have somewhat limited mobility of my right shoulder and had some difficulty reaching the pump button on the Jetpack. Avelo supplied me with a modified Jetpack that was very easy for me to use. It moved the button about 4 1/2 inches to the side and about 1 1/2 inches higher. I downloaded the Avelo Mode to my Shearwater Teric prior to the trip and had that to use for my dives. I used my own 300 DIN regulator for these dives, Scubapro MK25/S600/C370/Oceanic MH8A transmitter. Rental at Dive Friends cost $110 per day for 3 dives. Dive Friends offers the Jetpack for $3,750. The Hydrotank will be available later this year.

So, achieving and maintaining neutral buoyancy was a piece of cake. I made a single pump at the beginning of the dive and a partial pump once into the dive. Buoyancy was depth independent. Here are the graphs from the SW Teric and the Avelo website. The Shearwater graph shows depth, buoyancy, and workforce (RMV). The Avelo graph shows workforce (RMV) and buoyancy within the desired zone. It is disappointing that SW does not offer an average recorded RMV like it does for SAC in the normal mode.

View attachment 870633

View attachment 870635

My 6 dives on this trip had the same RMV as my dives in traditional gear, an improvement over my dives last year. I had to make manual calculations. My 6 dives in Avelo gear averaged 0.32 cu ft/min whereas my other 30 dives in traditional gear averaged 0.31 cu ft/min. Dives in Bonaire are so easy!

My Avelo gear weighed 15 lbs less than traditional gear, not quite the weight savings on the Avelo website.

Gas availability depends on fill pressure. It takes about a 3300 psi fill for the Avelo 10L tank to equal the fill for an AL80 at 3000 psi. My fills were just a little below that.

With the modified Jetpack, I look forward to trying out the Avelo System in my home turf of SE Florida.

Thank you for the update @scubadada - after reading through this (somewhat controversial ) thread I was very interested in how your next trip would go. I appreciate your pioneering it for me (although of course I know you didn't do it for me specifically...)

 

[lowwall]

This is a follow up to the initial review I posted on Jan 2, 2024

Review - Diving the Avelo System

The Avelo System is innovative diving equipment that allows you to dive differently than with traditional gear. The Avelo System consists of the Jetpack and the Hydrotank. The Jetpack is a backplate, harness, battery, and pump. The Hydrotank consists of a flexible bladder holding the gas and a...

scubaboard.com

My wife and I returned to Bonaire for two weeks, October 16-October 30. I rented Avelo gear for 2 days and did 6 more dives. I have somewhat limited mobility of my right shoulder and had some difficulty reaching the pump button on the Jetpack. Avelo supplied me with a modified Jetpack that was very easy for me to use. It moved the button about 4 1/2 inches to the side and about 1 1/2 inches higher. I downloaded the Avelo Mode to my Shearwater Teric prior to the trip and had that to use for my dives. I used my own 300 DIN regulator for these dives, Scubapro MK25/S600/C370/Oceanic MH8A transmitter. Rental at Dive Friends cost $110 per day for 3 dives. Dive Friends offers the Jetpack for $3,750. The Hydrotank will be available later this year.

So, achieving and maintaining neutral buoyancy was a piece of cake. I made a single pump at the beginning of the dive and a partial pump once into the dive. Buoyancy was depth independent. Here are the graphs from the SW Teric and the Avelo website. The Shearwater graph shows depth, buoyancy, and workforce (RMV). The Avelo graph shows workforce (RMV) and buoyancy within the desired zone. It is disappointing that SW does not offer an average recorded RMV like it does for SAC in the normal mode.

View attachment 870633

View attachment 870635

My 6 dives on this trip had the same RMV as my dives in traditional gear, an improvement over my dives last year. I had to make manual calculations. My 6 dives in Avelo gear averaged 0.32 cu ft/min whereas my other 30 dives in traditional gear averaged 0.31 cu ft/min. Dives in Bonaire are so easy!

My Avelo gear weighed 15 lbs less than traditional gear, not quite the weight savings on the Avelo website.

Gas availability depends on fill pressure. It takes about a 3300 psi fill for the Avelo 10L tank to equal the fill for an AL80 at 3000 psi. My fills were just a little below that.

With the modified Jetpack, I look forward to trying out the Avelo System in my home turf of SE Florida.

Now that you are used to it, how does it feel in the water compared to your standard gear? Is it a great leap forward, an incremental improvement, or something else? How was it on the surface? What does your wife think of it?

 

[SouthernSharktoothDiver]

I'm intrigued by the fact they had a modified version suited for people with limited shoulder mobility just sitting around. Was that made specifically for such cases, was it an easy fix (ie, was the relocated component designed to be easy to move), or did it have some other use and was just convenient for your issue? Whatever my other doubts about the system may be, it says a lot about Avelo as a company if they're this on top of making their gear accessible and user friendly.

 

[Wibble]

I don't understand the second image; the purple line that increases with time. What does that show?

 

[Still Kicking]

I don't understand the second image; the purple line that increases with time. What does that show?

Buoyancy. It increases as air is breathed. It decreases when ballast (water) is added.