Divesoft Liberty - would appreciate the thoughts of those that dive/have dived one

[justinthedeeps]

The full DIR heavy rig would be too heavy for me to contemplate, even though I am currently designing my own dive charter boat with lift! To me the full DIR rebreather configuration seems to me to be something that was created by a group that wanted to convince the world that they were the Mensa of the diving world - to me it is just too damn heavy for most people's spines etc.

To be fair to the 'heavy' config, it can make sense to move all deepest bailout onto the back. One less stage cylinder. Good for repeated dives at similar depth, and busy boats. Clean approach for the incredible hulks. My back says no. Carry bailout to shore separately.

'Heavy' mode can get stuck with two large cylinders of just one trimix blend, which isn't ideal for variable target depths. Easier to keep inventory of different mixes in 3L cylinders.

Adding a manifold seems over-engineered. I don't think it applies much (if ever). But the GUE does twinset valve drills like their daily prayers

People now asking questions about mini-'heavy' with like 2x 3L or 2x S30's for non-tech diving. Probably not, just side clip the S40 of air/nitrox.

Twin carbon fiber dil cylinders don't fix the 'heavy' config either. Still need more lead to sink.

The other argument about BOV's I've heard is that the BOV is fed off the diluent cylinder and so will be the wrong gas if they have to use the BOV on a hypoxic trimix dive where they are using offboard dil for their bottom gas.

I have always had the leanest of my gases as my onboard diluent, e.g. 8/70, while the offboard bailout can be like 10/70. Can connect BOV directly to large offboard via QC6 connectors.

Care must be taken to avoid breathing hypoxic gas while shallow. I like to keep the offboard hypoxic tank valve closed (or nearly closed to prevent water intrusion), until stopping at 10 metres to re-open the valve. I have the BOV plugged to this offboard cylinder. Depending on the BOV, a full vacuum in its supply line may cause the collapse/separation/leaking of the regulator membrane. So leave the valve barely cracked, keeps the BOV happy but not enough for full breathing. Fully open the valve during 10 metre descent check (or while bailing out if you forgot )

 

[RedSeaDiver2]

rEvo, JJ, XCCR, are worth trying, don’t compare anything to a Poseidon rebreather as they are awful, inspo we’re ok 20yrs ago ,, and even then I thought they were gas hungry. After the above mentioned your on exotics, which are really for people that live and breathe CCR’s your wanting nothing to convoluted to dive that’s dependable, easy to have serviced, and has proven itself.
If I did it all again or reigned myself in I’d have one of the first 3 units I mentioned, east to look after, proved themselves and all have dependable electrics in the form of shearwater..
I know guys that have had all of the first 3 past 200m and that’s in cold water not with wetsuits,

Just trying to give sound advice,

XCCR I have ruled out due to the overly fragile ADV diaphragm leading to too many full floods of the unit - even on units where the diaphragm has been recently replaced with a new one as part of a full service.

 

[RedSeaDiver2]

To be fair to the 'heavy' config, it can make sense to move all deepest bailout onto the back. One less stage cylinder. Good for repeated dives at similar depth, and busy boats. Clean approach for the incredible hulks. My back says no. Carry bailout to shore separately.

'Heavy' mode can get stuck with two large cylinders of just one trimix blend, which isn't ideal for variable target depths. Easier to keep inventory of different mixes in 3L cylinders.

Adding a manifold seems over-engineered. I don't think it applies much (if ever). But the GUE does twinset valve drills like their daily prayers

People now asking questions about mini-'heavy' with like 2x 3L or 2x S30's for non-tech diving. Probably not, just side clip the S40 of air/nitrox.

Twin carbon fiber dil cylinders don't fix the 'heavy' config either. Still need more lead to sink.

I have always had the leanest of my gases as my onboard diluent, e.g. 8/70, while the offboard bailout can be like 10/70. Can connect BOV directly to large offboard via QC6 connectors.

Care must be taken to avoid breathing hypoxic gas while shallow. I like to keep the offboard hypoxic tank valve closed (or nearly closed to prevent water intrusion), until stopping at 10 metres to re-open the valve. I have the BOV plugged to this offboard cylinder. Depending on the BOV, a full vacuum in its supply line may cause the collapse/separation/leaking of the regulator membrane. So leave the valve barely cracked, keeps the BOV happy but not enough for full breathing. Fully open the valve during 10 metre descent check (or while bailing out if you forgot )

Agree with all the things you said above. If I wanted more back dil then I would increase the dil cylinder to a 5 litre 300 bar one instead of 2x 3L etc etc.

A friend of mine was clinically dead due to bailing out to a hypoxic dil when things went FUBAR at the start of a dive but was saved due to the incredible amount of medical knowledge that was on that boat at the time - I doubt a dive boat anywhere since has ever had the amount of medical knowledge that was on that boat that day.

 

[Wibble]

Which BOV was it? How was the hose routing? I found the supply hose routing itself can be more of a problem than the BOV itself. Wants to pull or restrict the loop if it's not the right length/orientation/direction.

It’s a Revo BOV. Works well and is smaller than most BOVs.

I put a female QC6 on the 120cm/5ft hose, routing it along the LH loop hose below the loop cover, through a bungee loop attached to the unit and back to meet the deep bailout QC6. Was neat and simple to connect when donning the bailout cylinders.

Seemed OK as a regulator. Easy to switch with a lever similar to the DSV.

Definitely prefer a DSV as it’s much lighter and the loop is more flexible without the hose on one side.