First Rebreather Questions

[davehicks]

Just for disconnecting the dil from the BOV when not diving. How do you do it?

This is a KISS Spirit right?

Mine has an offboard connector with a QD to the diluent bottle on the frame. This connects via a splitter to the ADV, Wing, and the BOV. So the BOV is always connected to the frame with an LP regulator hose. Easy enough to remove when needed, but i only do this to service or rebuild the BOV once in a while.

 

[Wibble]

Why do want a disconnect to your BOV? I don't see the utility or need for it.

Lots of very good reasons to disconnect a BOV:

• Swapping cylinders in extremis
• Removing the cylinder underwater to portage through a chamber
• Pushing the cylinder though a restriction
• Swapping to different gas such as deco gas if bailed out
• etc.

 

[inquis]

Lots of very good reasons to disconnect a BOV:

OP is running a dilout setup, and your list has great reasons to connect the dilout (from both the entire loop and the BOV). I think the question was why disconnect *just* the BOV in a dilout configuration, which doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

 

[flymolo]

OP is running a dilout setup, and your list has great reasons to connect the dilout (from both the entire loop and the BOV). I think the question was why disconnect *just* the BOV in a dilout configuration, which doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Switching dil or running off-board?

 

[inquis]

Switching dil or running off-board?

Both of those have the QC between cylinder and the entire CCR (loop and BOV), and yes, excellent reasons. However, OP wants the QC further along, just before the BOV. I can see that on a dedicated BO bottle, but not on a dilout config. The ones I've seen have a distribution mechanism or passthrough, so the QC feeds both the loop and BOV.

That said, I don't dive a Spirit, so I could be totally off base.

 

[rjack321]

OP is running a dilout setup, and your list has great reasons to connect the dilout (from both the entire loop and the BOV). I think the question was why disconnect *just* the BOV in a dilout configuration, which doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Sadly its a flaw in the single SM bottle of dil/out that if that reg fails (or one of it's several LP hoses) it takes out A LOT of systems. Primary buoyancy, dil and BO typically. It's kinda "not good"

 

[JackZwykle]

Hello,

I want to use this thread to ask questions as they arise before purchasing my first unit. I realize a lot of this is opinionated and beat to death.

The unit is the Kiss Spirit. The idea is for diving deeper wrecks in Lake Michigan. No caves in forecast.

My current issue is the DSV/BOV. The LDS rebreather divers, including instructor, use DSV, I feel like I would prefer a BOV. KISS website lists the Poseidon and Hollis as an option, my research leads me to the Poseidon. Is this BOV compatible with the KISS?

The Poseidon has an ADV built into the BOV. Will the impact the ADV on the kiss unit itself? @tbone1004

Thanks

Poseidon Se7en+ diver here.
Apologies if this was mentioned already, but I couldn't read through all 16 pages of discussions.
Cursory scanning didn't show anything on the detail I want to add:

I dive Se7en+ with original BOV. I also have another CCR (SF2) with Golem BOV and dived several other CCRs so I have SOME comparison even being a relative beginner.

1. That BOV is absolutely the best. Tiny, lightweight and with loop directional deflection improving FOV and head movements. And looks cool.

2. The ADV integrated in it was driving me and my wife bonkers. It fires whenever you look down or even low enough. What I ended up doing is a shutoff on it from Highlander, with reverse direction, so the action of grabbing the BOV lever opens the shutoff (if you forget). Without that shutoff the long scenic dives were an exercise in bouyancy and anger management.
It's not that there's anything wrong with the ADV itself, it works well and BOVs great, the problem is the placement in the mouth. With OTS CL you create negative pressure immediately when looking down-ish. With a shutoff that problem goes away.

 

[dahab boris]

Hello,

I want to use this thread to ask questions as they arise before purchasing my first unit. I realize a lot of this is opinionated and beat to death.

The unit is the Kiss Spirit. The idea is for diving deeper wrecks in Lake Michigan. No caves in forecast.

My current issue is the DSV/BOV. The LDS rebreather divers, including instructor, use DSV, I feel like I would prefer a BOV. KISS website lists the Poseidon and Hollis as an option, my research leads me to the Poseidon. Is this BOV compatible with the KISS?

The Poseidon has an ADV built into the BOV. Will the impact the ADV on the kiss unit itself? @tbone1004

Thanks

Speak to a good instructor, try varied units

 

[EricSm]

Hello,

I want to use this thread to ask questions as they arise before purchasing my first unit. I realize a lot of this is opinionated and beat to death.

The unit is the Kiss Spirit. The idea is for diving deeper wrecks in Lake Michigan. No caves in forecast.

My current issue is the DSV/BOV. The LDS rebreather divers, including instructor, use DSV, I feel like I would prefer a BOV. KISS website lists the Poseidon and Hollis as an option, my research leads me to the Poseidon. Is this BOV compatible with the KISS?

The Poseidon has an ADV built into the BOV. Will the impact the ADV on the kiss unit itself? @tbone1004

Thanks

I have a Hollis P2 ordered with the BOV. It worked fine for a couple dives then started leaking gas continuously. I sent it back, dove it and it leaked again. Other's have also had bad experience with the BOV so if you want a BOV, go for a different one. My Hollis BOV was... not good.

Since you said you are new to a rebreather, the instructor will (or should) require you to cert on it in its designed configuration without extra shutoffs or quick connects so your choice would be simply with a DSV or with a BOV.

I ditched the Hollis BOV and went with a basic DSV and my bailout G260 regulator on a necklace. The regulator is "right there" like a BOV except I have 80 cuft of bailout gas to breath not 23 cuft (for a 3 liter dil tank). My G260 regulator is far better and more reliable than a BOV. Bailing out on a BOV with a 3 liter tank just gets you a few breaths when you are at depth, so you have to bailout to an offboard regulator anyway - quickly.

The one big drawback is if in a panic you forget to shut off the DSV in real-life or in a bailout drill you'll flood your loop. That makes the rebreather negatively buoyant and you can't get back on it, but you are safely bailed-out to something that isn't a stopgap. Bailing out to a regulator on a necklace allows you to work on what's next on your plan to surface instead of a 2 step bailout process.

 

[davehicks]

I have a Hollis P2 ordered with the BOV. It worked fine for a couple dives then started leaking gas continuously. I sent it back, dove it and it leaked again. Other's have also had bad experience with the BOV so if you want a BOV, go for a different one. My Hollis BOV was... not good.

Leaked how? You mean the 2nd stage bubbled? Or it was taking in water?

In either case it just needs a little attention and care. The nice thing about the Hollis BOV is that it has a dead simple unbalanced regulator. It has a seat, a spring, lever, and orifice. Extremely easy to tune if leaking. Adjust the orifice or flip the seat. Done, no more bubbles.

If it is taking in water or not holding pos/neg then you just need to take apart the BOV and clean and lube the orings. Expect to do this every 50 hours on any BOV or DSV.

If you can't do these things then you need more training or experience to be a self sufficient CCR diver. The return to factory option is not always available.