chadly1
Registered
I recently completed my rebreather crossover course a couple of weeks ago, and it was fantastic! Instructors Gio, Kelvin with third dimension ran the class for just three of us, Charlie was also there and walked us through the build and cell behavior as well as the fathom app, making it a highly focused and engaging experience. The course was not only super fun but also incredibly informative. We worked through building the units brushing up on skills and tackled real-time problem-solving scenarios on the rebreathers. They used a bubble gun to simulate issues, forcing us to react quickly—shutting off valves, re-tightening stages, and turning them back on, also drills on managing high/low PO2 and mismatched PO2 situations. It was intense! I wish I’d been a more experienced diver to absorb even more, but the course pushed me to my limits and was an absolute blast. Most ascents were free with just a deployed smb in open water—brutal but rewarding maintaining buoyancy and trim while on a new unit.
I’m absolutely in love with the MK3 rebreather! I expected it to feel heavy, but its surprisingly manageable felt like twin 100’s. I only need 4 lbs of lead with my drysuit and forth element Arctic undergarments. Getting into it is as easy as slipping into doubles. Just connect the drysuit, slide into the harness, fasten the waistband, route the long hose, and you’re set! The work of breathing is fantastic, too. I struggled with “chipmunk cheeks” on other unit I had used before the choptima, but the MK3 is super comfortable. The needle valve is a game-changer—just set it, give an occasional squirt of O2, and you’re good to go. When ascending over a rock, you can let the PO2 drop slightly and descend without needing to second-guess the unit’s behavior. It’s such a joy to dive!
The lack of chest clutter and the ease of getting in and out of the unit are huge pluses. The craftsmanship is unreal—this thing is built like a tank and feels absolutely bulletproof. I also appreciate the 3L O2 cylinder, which makes fills easier and gives me more confidence with gas availability.
Overall, I’m thrilled with the MK3 and the course. It’s an incredible piece of kit, and the training was top-notch. Highly recommend it to anyone considering a rebreather!
Before switching to the MK3, I was diving with the Choptima rebreather. It’s a fantastic unit, especially for its compact size, but it had some drawbacks for me. The work of breathing was a struggle—even with minimal loop volume and decent trim, I felt like I had “chipmunk cheeks.” By the end of a long dive, my jaw was often sore. I also wasn’t a fan of the electronic control system. Ascending slightly would drop the PO2, triggering an O2 injection that could cause further ascent and spiral out of control unless you closely monitored the unit. With the electronic control, I felt like I was always thinking ahead of the rebreather. Flying it manually wasn’t much better—it felt like I was constantly managing the O2.
The biggest downside for me was the gearing-up process. Strapping on the Choptima after getting into my other gear and making all the connections felt like extra hassle. The chest clutter also bugged me. That said, the Choptima has plenty of strengths. It’s incredibly compact, easy to build, and boasts outstanding quality and flood resistance. It’s also versatile, working in pretty much any configuration. Despite these positives, the gearing-up process and other issues made it not the right rebreather for me, and why I switched to the MK 3
My 2 cents on the two units. Both awesome but the MK 3 I am super happy with!! Maybe if I start to do some more traveling in the future I may get another choptima or probably what I would end up doing is getting a Gemini as they looked super well made and extremely light. And if I was traveling would probably to be start to do some cave diving.
Chad
I’m absolutely in love with the MK3 rebreather! I expected it to feel heavy, but its surprisingly manageable felt like twin 100’s. I only need 4 lbs of lead with my drysuit and forth element Arctic undergarments. Getting into it is as easy as slipping into doubles. Just connect the drysuit, slide into the harness, fasten the waistband, route the long hose, and you’re set! The work of breathing is fantastic, too. I struggled with “chipmunk cheeks” on other unit I had used before the choptima, but the MK3 is super comfortable. The needle valve is a game-changer—just set it, give an occasional squirt of O2, and you’re good to go. When ascending over a rock, you can let the PO2 drop slightly and descend without needing to second-guess the unit’s behavior. It’s such a joy to dive!
The lack of chest clutter and the ease of getting in and out of the unit are huge pluses. The craftsmanship is unreal—this thing is built like a tank and feels absolutely bulletproof. I also appreciate the 3L O2 cylinder, which makes fills easier and gives me more confidence with gas availability.
Overall, I’m thrilled with the MK3 and the course. It’s an incredible piece of kit, and the training was top-notch. Highly recommend it to anyone considering a rebreather!
Before switching to the MK3, I was diving with the Choptima rebreather. It’s a fantastic unit, especially for its compact size, but it had some drawbacks for me. The work of breathing was a struggle—even with minimal loop volume and decent trim, I felt like I had “chipmunk cheeks.” By the end of a long dive, my jaw was often sore. I also wasn’t a fan of the electronic control system. Ascending slightly would drop the PO2, triggering an O2 injection that could cause further ascent and spiral out of control unless you closely monitored the unit. With the electronic control, I felt like I was always thinking ahead of the rebreather. Flying it manually wasn’t much better—it felt like I was constantly managing the O2.
The biggest downside for me was the gearing-up process. Strapping on the Choptima after getting into my other gear and making all the connections felt like extra hassle. The chest clutter also bugged me. That said, the Choptima has plenty of strengths. It’s incredibly compact, easy to build, and boasts outstanding quality and flood resistance. It’s also versatile, working in pretty much any configuration. Despite these positives, the gearing-up process and other issues made it not the right rebreather for me, and why I switched to the MK 3
My 2 cents on the two units. Both awesome but the MK 3 I am super happy with!! Maybe if I start to do some more traveling in the future I may get another choptima or probably what I would end up doing is getting a Gemini as they looked super well made and extremely light. And if I was traveling would probably to be start to do some cave diving.
Chad
