Review Diving the Avelo System

[SouthernSharktoothDiver]

We are saying that Avelo is Simply Better Scuba.

I think this slogan, much like GRU's "Doing it right" is somewhat asking for trouble. Especially when critically analyzed. Avelo, whatever it's merits, is not "simple" or even "simpler than standard." You're using the weird pressure percents or Avelo mode, you're introduce several new components--batteries and pumps and bladders--you're adding in the relatively narrow weight range that requires more precise weighting to function (which, while good in terms of skills and safety, is definitely not "simpler" than just tossing on 16 lbs and using your bladder to compensate). Compare all of that to the brute simplicity of "I have a waterproof bag. When I wanna go up I fill it with air, when I wanna go down I let the air out."

Similarly, the claim of "better" is an extremely loaded word. Better how? In what way? For who? My diving usually requires me to be very negative and have lots of lift available. Avelo's not better for me. Other people want gear that's easy to travel with, or that they can use anywhere, or that costs as little as safely possible. Avelo's not better for them. Still for others, they want a rig they can customize and mix and match components to suit their needs--one day dive an AL 80, the next day adding a pony, the day after using a steel 117. Avelo's not better for them.

Avelo is "better" in the sense that it offer more stable buoyancy, but there's more to diving than that, and I think you can see why many divers find a system that's hard to travel with, only works with a DIN reg, requires proprietary computer software to use, and only works with one of two tank sizes, both of which require high pressure fills to get a full load of air and neither of which are available everywhere, as the al 80 is, to not be "simply better scuba" no matter the buoyancy gains.

Avelo seems like its good for what its good for, but I don't think it gets to claim being "simply better scuba" than standard OC BCD systems, any more than a rebreather gets to claim the same. I would recommend the slogan "Simply better buoyancy" or even "Brilliantly better buoyancy" but I suspect it's too late for a marketing change on that one.

 

[EdMcNeill09]

What I am looking for, as an occasional recreational warm-water vacation diver, is "Simply Fun Scuba" - regardless of the gear I am diving with. "Fun" is as subjective as "Better", of course - what's fun for me may not be for someone else.

What stands out to me from the original review from the OP (a diver with decades of experience), and his second review the following year, was that he had fun with Avelo. Clearly @EdMcNeill09 (another experienced diver) has great fun diving this system too - that is obvious from his descriptions of diving it.

Two other posters in this thread it seems did not have as much fun with the system - back around post 84-ish I think. Looks like they didn't click well with their instructor (that's not Avelo's fault - that happens with OW instructors too) and then the weather turned on them so they couldn't do more dives to get a better feel for it.

A couple of other reviews here on SB and that I read from other sources have also been positive - the reviewers seem to have had fun. And a few others found offsite have been "Yeah, it's kinda cool, but... meh"

For a certainty if Avelo finds its way to where I dive (Roatan) so that I can put it to my personal "fun test" at a price point similar to or lower than the PADI DSD, I'm all in - as I think would be my two usual dive buddies when they come to dive there. And from there, we see how it goes...

There are a lot of Dive Shops on Roatan. Hopefully one or more will sign up with Avelo.

 

[scubadada]

The Avelo Mode is available on the Shearwater Teric, Peregrine TX, Perdix 2, and Tern TX, as well as the Scubapro G2 console. In the February Shearwater Cloud update 2.12.3, an Avelo connect feature was included, making it extremely easy to connect your dives directly to the Avelo dive analysis tool.

This is a simple out and back dive in Bonaire on Bari Reef. The maximum depth was 66 feet, average depth 42 feet, 67 minutes, surfacing GF 61. The Shearwater graph shows depth (white), buoyancy (dark blue), workload/RMV (light blue), and GF99 (orange). Imperial or metric units can be displayed.

When using the Avelo Mode, there is a new tab in the summary section with all Avelo related data, including average workload/RMV.

The Avelo dive analysis tool graph shows depth (dark blue), buoyancy (black), workload/RMV (light blue), and a range considered optimal buoyancy.

The graphs and data presented above are available on my PC and on my Android phone.