Azimuth Rebreather

[FloridaDiver]

Anyone out there with first hand experience on the Azimuth SCR? It looks like a great unit, and seems to have some distinct advantages over the Dolphin. I'm impressed with OMG's attention to detail and, while I haven't seen one up close, it appears to be a well made and thought out RB.

Any comments pro or con would be appreciated. My main use would be recreational diving generally above 100' - looking for a basically bubble free system for photography and "getting close to nature".

 

[madmole]

Yep, Done 3 dives with one now. Not bad little unit. Nicer on the dive than the Dolphin

Good points
Style
Stand
Flip lid
Streamline
Simple to learn and dive
Lovely tool kit

Bad Points
Hoses are cable tied on and fall off (Replace with SS jubilee clips)
Build quality
Breathing resistance is high
Lot of setting up to get it dive ready (my Inspiration takes far less time to pre dive check)
Settings change between dives. You must reset rates and pressure Every dive)
Not that much cheaper than an Inspiration and far less capable

You also MUST add the price of an PPO2 meter as well in my opinion. Diving the Dolphin or Azimuth without one (or any SCR) is promoting yourself as a Darwin award candidate
. Too many ways the O2 can drop and without a meter you wont know

 

[FloridaDiver]

Thanks for the info Madmole. My main reasons for leaning towards the Azimuth are:

Simplicity vs. CCR - While there's nothing about a CCR that I feel I can't handle, this is my first rebreather and I prefer to keep it simple at the beginning.

Close similarity with the Dolphin - I dive liveaboards where Dolphins are rented. I have enough photo gear to lug around and would prefer to rent my RB on the boat. I plan on getting certified on both units - using the Dolphin on the liveaboards. I originally planned on buying a Dolphin - the Azimuth seems a better unit to own.

I currently don't need the capabilities of a CCR - while I understand the benefits, I'm not looking for hours of BT or increased depth capabilities - I just want a nearly bubble free, quiet dive. As a photographer, I tend to stay above 100' where the pretty fishies are and the light still shines. I generally shoot a roll or two in less than an hour and need to reload anyway.


I'm a little surprised about your negative comment regarding build quality - what is it about the quality that wasn't good? "Diver Dave" at nobubblediving.com seemed to think the unit was well made and thought out. His photos seemed to support this, but never having seen a unit up close, I'm not in a position to argue this point.

I also wouldn't dive any RB without a PPO2 monitor - that would be asking for an early grave IMHO.

Thanks again for your comments.

-Tony

 

[madmole]

Moulding quality of the plastic main structuire is terrible, not finished at all. Looked like it was finished off by a 3 year old with a blunt stick. Locking fittings are all just tie downs and buckles (thin ones at that) and the lid doesn't seem to want to shut fully on the backpack

Glad to hear your already sold on a PPO2 monitor. Does sound like the Az would be a good unit fopr you, although personally I think the Insp is a simple to use, setup and dive

 

[caveseeker7]

Here are some Azimuth links:

http://www.divesafe.net/

Divesafe is the US importer, the guy in charge (& IANTD instructor for the
Azimuth) is Mauricio Di Fendi. Nice guy, met him at DEMA. He gave me a link to
the Azimuth AF

http://www.rebreather-azimuth.com/inglese/indexaf.htm

which is the two mix (trimix & nitrox) version of the unit. Larger and heavier,
with two 10 ltr. bottles onboard and steel plate for strengthening, might as well follow mole into CCRs ...

http://www.nobubblediving.com/azimuth.main.htm

is a teardown of the unit, with detailed pictures & description.

Also in Florida is Millenium Divers, which sell and train on the Azimuth,
Drägers, Inspiration and Megalodon

http://millenniumdivers.com/

Hope those help
Stefan

 

[Fabart]

FloridaDiver once bubbled...
Anyone out there with first hand experience on the Azimuth SCR? It looks like a great unit, and seems to have some distinct advantages over the Dolphin. I'm impressed with OMG's attention to detail and, while I haven't seen one up close, it appears to be a well made and thought out RB.

Any comments pro or con would be appreciated. My main use would be recreational diving generally above 100' - looking for a basically bubble free system for photography and "getting close to nature".

It's the best designed and integrated SCCR, with bailout bottle that can be insert into the doser as reservoir, a new scrubber flow concept. The doser can supply any flow in order to choice any Nitrox mixture. A Trimix version is available too
Look at:
http://www.rebreathers.it/pagina_fa...tipo=titolo_sccr.gif&fam=Azimuth&nome=azimuth
It will keep some time to be downloaded there are many pictures everyone with high resolution version too..
(english version will be on line whitin few weeks)
And
http://www.rebreather-azimuth.com/
Regards
Fabio Bartolucci

 

[Fabart]

caveseeker7 once bubbled...
Here are some Azimuth links:

http://www.divesafe.net/

Divesafe is the US importer, the guy in charge (& IANTD instructor for the
Azimuth) is Mauricio Di Fendi. Nice guy, met him at DEMA. He gave me a link to
the Azimuth AF

http://www.rebreather-azimuth.com/inglese/indexaf.htm

which is the two mix (trimix & nitrox) version of the unit. Larger and heavier,
with two 10 ltr. bottles onboard and steel plate for strengthening, might as well follow mole into CCRs ...

http://www.nobubblediving.com/azimuth.main.htm

is a teardown of the unit, with detailed pictures & description.

Also in Florida is Millenium Divers, which sell and train on the Azimuth,
Drägers, Inspiration and Megalodon

http://millenniumdivers.com/

Hope those help
Stefan

There is a complete teardown here:
http://www.rebreathers.it/pagina_fa...tipo=titolo_sccr.gif&fam=Azimuth&nome=azimuth
( english version will came within few weeks)
Regards
Fabio Bartolucci
http://www.rebreathers.it

 

[Fabart]

madmole once bubbled...
Yep, Done 3 dives with one now. Not bad little unit. Nicer on the dive than the Dolphin

Good points
Style
Stand
Flip lid
Streamline
Simple to learn and dive
Lovely tool kit

Bad Points
Hoses are cable tied on and fall off (Replace with SS jubilee clips)
Build quality

??? Have you seen the inox-TIG welded scrubber canister for instance?
Look at:
http://www.rebreathers.it/pagina_fa...tipo=titolo_sccr.gif&fam=Azimuth&nome=azimuth

Breathing resistance is high

I did' fell that, the W.O.B. was accurately tested

Lot of setting up to get it dive ready (my Inspiration takes far less time to pre dive check) (?)


I'll read the Inspiration manual again...

Settings change between dives. You must reset rates and pressure Every dive)
Not that much cheaper than an Inspiration and far less capable

Wow! What does they cost in U.S.A.?

You also MUST add the price of an PPO2 meter as well in my opinion. Diving the Dolphin or Azimuth without one (or any SCR) is promoting yourself as a Darwin award candidate

Daeger FGT for NATO hasn't PpO2 meter (anyway I did fit oxygauge on mine..)

. Too many ways the O2 can drop and without a meter you wont know

And what about cells and batteries and CPU? Not to speak about accidents reports.
Every rebreather has its own Advantages and disvantages, of course CCR rebreathers' performances are the best, but if you dive only Nitrox a SCR is good, anyway. No excuse to dive O.C. !
Regards
Fabio Bartolucci
http://www.rebreathers.it

 

[caveseeker7]

... I pretty much agree with Stephen on good and bad points. Agree with you it's a good thing to have the ability to use the 2nd in the loop rather than blowing it OC. But to the bad points I add size and weight, there are smaller, lighter and more capaple CCRs on the (US) market. Evolution will come one of these days.

The tig-welded scrubber is a beauty. Perfect for the fireplace mantle. Scrubber duration depends among other factors on temperature, and steel is a bad isolator. Not good if you dive cold waters (though in FL that's probably less of a problem than in CA).

Idealy there would be a Dräger Azimuth: Small, lightweight Dräger shell, Azimuth bags, hoses/connectors, DSV (or better yet OC/DSV like Bob's),
dosing unit w/ tank supply switch to the small 13cf Dräger bailout .....
... smaller, lighter, no more mix-jets, RB bailout gas ...
And of course that nice Azimuth tool kit. The bc/shell combo would still need some work, but I'd like that one better than either available one.

Pricewise, in the US the Azimuth costs about $ 1700 less than the inspiration. Training is also less expensive, between half and third of the CCR, but with about a many fewer hours in the water. You get what you pay for ...

For me to dive the Azimuth would mean adding both the Uwatec Aladin CO2/OXY2 combo by use of an adapter as well as an Oxygauge. The actual mix is just too unpredictable, I would not dive any active addition SCR without redundant O2 fuel cells. That's about as expensive as either a VR3 or HS Explorer with O2 integration.

And yes, the CCR is probably a bit more expensive to maintain, as you need to replace the batteries. As for the O2 cells, it would only be one less, we're talking about $70/year ... I can manage that.

 

[Fabart]

caveseeker7 once bubbled...
... I pretty much agree with Stephen on good and bad points. Agree with you it's a good thing to have the ability to use the 2nd in the loop rather than blowing it OC. But to the bad points I add size and weight, there are smaller, lighter and more capaple CCRs on the (US) market. Evolution will come one of these days.

Of couse the CCR performances are not to be compared with SCR ones, but are two different "worlds" with advatages and disvantages

The tig-welded scrubber is a beauty. Perfect for the fireplace mantle. Scrubber duration depends among other factors on temperature, and steel is a bad isolator. Not good if you dive cold waters (though in FL that's probably less of a problem than in CA).


The scrubber has been tested for cold waters at 2,6°C with a continous flow of CO2 1,6 llt/min, that is related to a VO2 of about 1,6 lt/mi, pratically an heavy extended workload; A breathing simulator supply a WOB of 5x1,6 lt/min breaths. At scrubber exit the % CO2 is checked each minute:
after 1 hour we have 0,38% di CO2, after 90 minuti jump to 1,62%, after 120 min 3,92%. 5% limit is reached at 136 min
As a diver cannot mantain this workload for a so extended period the result of the test can be considered as a remarkable performance, also why in cold wather the scrubber efiicence can drop to 50%.
Anyway is very easy to insulate the canister ( for instance with a neoprene cover)


Idealy there would be a Dräger Azimuth: Small, lightweight Dräger shell, Azimuth bags, hoses/connectors, DSV (or better yet OC/DSV like Bob's),
dosing unit w/ tank supply switch to the small 13cf Dräger bailout .....
... smaller, lighter, no more mix-jets, RB bailout gas ...
And of course that nice Azimuth tool kit. The bc/shell combo would still need some work, but I'd like that one better than either available one.

Pricewise, in the US the Azimuth costs about $ 1700 less than the inspiration. Training is also less expensive, between half and third of the CCR, but with about a many fewer hours in the water. You get what you pay for ...

I don't know the Inspiration cost in USA, but it cost more than Twice Azimuth into Italy, That's the matter. Furthermore the training cost of Inspiration (the whole trainig cost a bit less than.... an Azimuth apparatus) is far to be compared with Azimuth ones.
(Anyway is like to try to compare a sport car with a Jeep)

For me to dive the Azimuth would mean adding both the Uwatec Aladin CO2/OXY2 combo by use of an adapter as well as an Oxygauge. The actual mix is just too unpredictable, I would not dive any active addition SCR without redundant O2 fuel cells. That's about as expensive as either a VR3 or HS Explorer with O2 integration.

Anyway you need a Decomputer, so you can buy an appropriate one with PpO2 monitoring.

And yes, the CCR is probably a bit more expensive to maintain, as you need to replace the batteries. As for the O2 cells, it would only be one less, we're talking about $70/year ... I can manage that.

Me too, I did fit an oxygauge on my FGT but I pay $70 for one sensor. you pay it for three?