Question First CCR question

[gordonscuba]

Just to get clear the inspo use dual proprietary controllers: the vision system

Thanks for the correction! Edited my post.

 

[aElliott]

It depends largely on the type of diving you'll be doing. For shallower cave diving, a big scrubber is only going to get in the way. If you are doing deeper wreck dives, then you may want to consider going backmount

 

[jont2]

I'm considering my first CCR whether is it BM or CM (choptima). My question is the scrubber size I see the choptima is 2.2kg and some BM units have bigger size. Does size matters? I can imagine it's related to the duration. What else? Tks

I'll give you some advise that I hope will guide your choice. I'm certified on 10+ rebreathers and dove many more. Here's my list of things to consider:

1) There are a lot of good choices out there. If anyone pushed you towards one specific unit and says "its the best" ...walk away, the unit may me good but "the best" simply doesn't exist. You don't want an instructor/advisor with that mindset.

2) Whenever someone spends a lot of hard earned money on anything theres an inherent need to justify that purchase. We all have egos and we all want to feel we made the best choice possible. Reality is far from that. I know someone that claims the P2 is the best RB ever made and they would NEVER dive anything else......Ummm...it's not and they should. There are much better choices out there.

3) Understand what you need in a RB and then what you want. Is SM needed or wanted? Are you going to do 10+ hour dives down the road? These facts will alter your choice. The Choptima has been a successful unit (I never dove one but I have dove chest mounted units) and chest mounted units are attractive for a number of reasons, they are light, GREAT WOB, short gas path, easy to ditch but all of this comes at the price of dive duration, scrubbers are small.

4) Touch, feel and dive as many units possible. Don't let anything or anyone push you in a direction and take your time.

5) Choose an instructor that can teach more that one unit and has experience on more than that. I remember asking an instructor: How do you like that SF2.....the answer with typical tech diver arrogance was "It's all I dive".....LOL. Well it turns out this person was given a unit and incentivized to sell and teach that unit......hardly an opinion that can be trusted. Today that instructor no longer dives that unit.

Become educated first and then pull the trigger.

 

[wayne miller]

Sorry, but diving a CM CCR (Triton), I will agree to disagree. I'd say carrying my rebreather is easier than any BM unit, just like a handbag, even on a inflatable boat, cluttered with diving equipment, I can keep it in my lap, without getting angry stares from buddies (try that with an AP Inspiration or a Revo). As far as clutter is concerned, I find dividing equipment between back and chest is must more convenient and comfortable.

Many readers are probably jumping out of their skin while reading this, I know. This just proves that choosing a CCR is a HIGHLY personal matter. I've been diving my Triton for 3 years now, but I've been diving among CCR buddies for more than 10 years. In my experience, a guy diving an Inspiration won't dive a Revo, or any other rig and the reverse is true also. I'd say there're no bad CCR on the market right now, but all have their advantages and drawbacks. One good example, since that world record in Font Estramar, the XCCR is all the rage on French forums, but I'm not sure it's the right choice for everyone. I fear it's rather complicated to operate and a lack of proficiency with your rig is highly hazardous.

My advice to the original poster :

- try several CCR to make your own opinion (that's not because the Triton is the right one for me, than it's for you. There're plenty of things to consider : spare parts availability, sending it abroad or not to have the rig serviced when needed...)
- make a list of what you need or want to do with your CCR

And before buying one, be sure it's the one fit for you, because considering the price (training + CCR), if you're wrong it's an expansive mistake.

I have to reluctantly agree with you Carrying my Triton onto a boat is a simple walk in the park without breaking into a sweat or groaning in comparison to humping my beast of a Meg15 around sounding like I am about to keel over in exhaustion however the tradeoff is reliability and frankly trust in my unit. My Triton is like a naughty feeble little skinny kid being a tw@t in the playground whereas my ISC Meg15 is big brother, massive amounts of trust and simply dependent.

 

[JMBL]

I have to reluctantly agree with you Carrying my Triton onto a boat is a simple walk in the park without breaking into a sweat or groaning in comparison to humping my beast of a Meg15 around sounding like I am about to keel over in exhaustion however the tradeoff is reliability and frankly trust in my unit. My Triton is like a naughty feeble little skinny kid being a tw@t in the playground whereas my ISC Meg15 is big brother, massive amounts of trust and simply dependent.

Well, each rig has its pros and cons, we have to make do with them. Still, the Triton is the perfect rig, for me at least.

Remember some years back when the Meg was all the rage in French cave country, a fabulous machine I must admit, but many people (owners included) had nicknamed it : "le menhir" (standing stone) alluding to a famous French comic character...

That's him carrying a menhir !

 

[wayne miller]

Well, each rig has its pros and cons, we have to make do with them. Still, the Triton is the perfect rig, for me at least.

Remember some years back when the Meg was all the rage in French cave country, a fabulous machine I must admit, but many people (owners included) had nicknamed it : "le menhir" (standing stone) alluding to a famous French comic character...

View attachment 858104That's him carrying a menhir !

Lol.. you speak many wise words!! If I remember.. this guys name is Obelix? I used to love reading those comics. The Meg is without doubt one of the heaviest out there. A factor that I did not consider before knowing that I would be traveling the world with it. No doubt it is solid, trustworthy, unfaltering and well.. considering Leon's background and his primary target audience you would come to the conclusion that weight of the unit was and is not a factor in his design I was going to sell mine after buying the Triton and I am just glad that I did not. I have decided that I am going to modify my Triton and get it to where I can trust it like I do my meg starting off with trashing the monox and then moving right along to the inhale counterlung and moving that damned cell holder away from the orifice from the loop hose and install a water trap and dual o-rings. I think I will enjoy taking a really nice lightweight CCR and putting my own tweaks to it to make it more desirable for me.

 

[Wibble]

Lol.. you speak many wise words!! If I remember.. this guys name is Obelix? I used to love reading those comics. The Meg is without doubt one of the heaviest out there. A factor that I did not consider before knowing that I would be traveling the world with it. No doubt it is solid, trustworthy, unfaltering and well.. considering Leon's background and his primary target audience you would come to the conclusion that weight of the unit was and is not a factor in his design I was going to sell mine after buying the Triton and I am just glad that I did not. I have decided that I am going to modify my Triton and get it to where I can trust it like I do my meg starting off with trashing the monox and then moving right along to the inhale counterlung and moving that damned cell holder away from the orifice from the loop hose and install a water trap and dual o-rings. I think I will enjoy taking a really nice lightweight CCR and putting my own tweaks to it to make it more desirable for me.

Am sure there’s plenty of people interested in your project

I’d also add the ability for the unit to run in SCR mode, for example if there’s no 100% available

 

[jale]

Am sure there’s plenty of people interested in your project

I’d also add the ability for the unit to run in SCR mode, for example if there’s no 100% available

Yes I agree that plenty of people would be interested.
But frankly, like all units, the Triton has some flaws but it is not that a problem. I just don't really understand @wayne miller obsession with these. Maybe Wayne should get a Chop
As for running in SCR, I don't see that kind of mod do you need; it is just a skill to apply, isn't it?! Or you want a special mouthpiece like with the GEM?

 

[Wibble]

Yes I agree that plenty of people would be interested.
But frankly, like all units, the Triton has some flaws but it is not that a problem. I just don't really understand @wayne miller obsession with these. Maybe Wayne should get a Chop
As for running in SCR, I don't see that kind of mod do you need; it is just a skill to apply, isn't it?! Or you want a special mouthpiece like with the GEM?

The great thing about the Triton is its simplicity; manual CCR with an orifice and without a solenoid. The ChOptima is a full eCCR with a solenoid and without an orifice; and not CE approved.

It is nice that the Triton could be modified to make it better; e.g. Shearwater electronics, in which case the Monex monitor's not needed. And the holy grail of solid-state cells.


As for SCR, of course any rebreather can be connected to a nitrox source, such as offboarding/bailing out to the deco gas if the oxygen's not available. In that case close monitoring of the PPO2 as it'll be much lower is essential, as would be a lot more manual "oxygen" (nitrox) addition.
Of course a GEM mouthpiece would be a luxury; wonder if they're both available and would work with a Triton

 

[Gone for diving]

Where can you get a gem mouthpiece?