Dive Talk Go Rebreather

[piranhaman00]

Did you dive Go? If so - brave.

Do people have a problem with all KISS rebreathers or just the GO specifically?

 

[rddvet]

Do people have a problem with all KISS rebreathers or just the GO specifically?

Alot of people love KISS units. They historically are not the most well-built or quality-built units on the market. I do not have first hand diving any other than the sidewinder.
I personally hate the sidewinder for many reasons such as crappy WOB, zero flood tolerance, horrific ADVs, cheap loop hose connections, and just general cheap build quality. I liken them to the Harbor Freight of CCRs. They'll get the job done, but eventually you'll want something better and eventually it will break. All CCRs can break, but using poor quality materials is part of the reason KISS units break.
I took the sidewinder class and after day 2 I wish I wasn't in the class. I just knew I didn't want to spend my money on such a cheaply built unit. On the final day of class I took an undeserved CO2 hit on the unit and decided I would definitely not be buying one. I am now considering eventually moving to a Gemini. It's almost the same unit, but with the build quality and safety features that should have been in the sidweinder.
The SW 2 is being built by a compeltely different group and hopefully it'll be an upgrade, but personally I won't buy anything KISS. I would rather spend more for quality.

 

[rjack321]

Do people have a problem with all KISS rebreathers or just the GO specifically?

The classic was pretty dang decent for its era, Gordon developed that in the 1990s. But time marches on and while it's still serviceable it has its issues. Pretty much every model is plagued with weak plastic, dubious machining, questionable QC, wiring corrosion over time, and limited or non-existent flood tolerance. Hence the proliferation of aftermarket fixes and options offered. Everything from light monkey delrin locking loop towers to warp proof stainless steel ADV covers.

I'm happy enough with my sidewinder but it's not a "high end" CCR and the Fathom genesis is a better product. It's kind of like comparing a DiveX blacktip to a seacraft.

 

[LFMarm]

The SW 2 is being built by a compeltely different group and hopefully it'll be an upgrade, but personally I won't buy anything KISS. I would rather spend more for quality.

Instructor friend who dives a SW1 and has been able to see a SW2 in the flesh confirmed me that they do not look anything alike in terms of build quality. Looking forward to seeing one myself.

 

[Tracy]

Did you dive Go? If so - brave.

I did not. It wasn't offered. I fixed it a couple of times.
I would have dove it if offered. I like to try everything at least once.

 

[Tracy]

Do people have a problem with all KISS rebreathers or just the GO specifically?

Really just the go. The rest of the line all have issues, but all rebreathers have some issues.
The classic is what it is, a cheap capable rebreather. At least it used to be. These days a Kiss costs as much as a nice rebreather. I don't know why people are still buying them.

 

[PEDiver]

Instructor friend who dives a SW1 and has been able to see a SW2 in the flesh confirmed me that they do not look anything alike in terms of build quality. Looking forward to seeing one myself.

I hope with XDeep being behind the SW2 the build quality would be miles ahead of the SW1. But XDeep has also had their share of manufacturing issues so who knows. I love the SW design as a unit for SM cave diving but I don't want to enter an overhead environment with a unit I can't trust the build quality of. That's how you get yourself in trouble.

 

[rjack321]

Instructor friend who dives a SW1 and has been able to see a SW2 in the flesh confirmed me that they do not look anything alike in terms of build quality. Looking forward to seeing one myself.

Except the SW2 has been "pending" for years now. The only less produced sidemount unit is ISC's competing vaporware

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

I don't know why people are still buying them.

Heh--I do.

 

[crofrog]

Alot of people love KISS units. They historically are not the most well-built or quality-built units on the market. I do not have first hand diving any other than the sidewinder.
I personally hate the sidewinder for many reasons such as crappy WOB, zero flood tolerance, horrific ADVs, cheap loop hose connections, and just general cheap build quality. I liken them to the Harbor Freight of CCRs. They'll get the job done, but eventually you'll want something better and eventually it will break. All CCRs can break, but using poor quality materials is part of the reason KISS units break.
I took the sidewinder class and after day 2 I wish I wasn't in the class. I just knew I didn't want to spend my money on such a cheaply built unit. On the final day of class I took an undeserved CO2 hit on the unit and decided I would definitely not be buying one. I am now considering eventually moving to a Gemini. It's almost the same unit, but with the build quality and safety features that should have been in the sidweinder.
The SW 2 is being built by a compeltely different group and hopefully it'll be an upgrade, but personally I won't buy anything KISS. I would rather spend more for quality.

Let's be clear though, Kiss is no longer owned by Mike Young and is now owned by the Darkwater Group which also owns X-Deep and Seal drysuits.