Help in locating a RB?

[undah20]

Okay, don't flame me too fast....

SCR, CCR. Why the heck do they have to be so heavy?

I'm interested in owning a Dolphin or Ray simply because of weight. Yeah, yeah, save the Inspiration horn blowing and consider my weight issue. I want a RB that can be handled easily for traveling. Will the airlines let you take your tanks, 80lbs of RB, and all the rest of your gear - not without headaches and fees.

So what to do? I want a RB to be able to go to a depth of 60meters or less, and I don't care about 4 hour bottom times. 2 hours is fine (I can make an 80cAL last 1-2hrs) - I'm not saying 2 hours at 60m, I mean the average length of the entire dive. But the lightest units I find out there (and the drager dolphin and ray seem to be the lightest -unless I'm mistake or the RB is a pureO2 unit for shallow military use), don't do those depths.

So, am I left to a do-it-in-your garage modification for a SCR, or does someone out there know of a unit around 30lbs (give or take) that can do waht I want?

And can the modified versions get past the mass-flow issue of diminishing value?

Yeah, I know, you can't always get what you want.

Somebody help if you can....PLEEEEASE!

 

[padiscubapro]

I have traveled from the US to Micronesia, Malta, and all over the carribean without ever going over the weight limits, add to this all my camera gear and I still never paid a cent in over weight fees... if you decide to travel without the tanks (if the destination has them, I always travel with mine ) you can drop 22lbs off the inspiration..
Fully loaded in its shipping crate plus a few spares its 69 lbs (below the 70 lb limit)...

 

[undah20]

ahh...that sounds like a little bit of a salespitch to me...

okay, convince me...So the Inspiration unit specs out at 65lbs and the " few spares" bring it to 69lbs. A Pelican case can weight up to 30lbs for any case accomodating that size of unit, but let's pretend it's not a pelican case, it still brings the unit over weight. Period. (Perhaps your lucky, or bribed the right person, or the "samsonite monkey" baggage thrower was on smoke break when your bags came through, but divers NEED to get smarter with their packing as the restrictions are only going to get worst.) Now add the camera gear, (I'm not talking disposable cameras that weight a few ounces from Wal Mart), plus Amphibico housing, with lights; add snorkel gear, wetsuits, misc. gear, and then clothing and essentials? "Sorry Charlie", there's no way...not sold.

And you obviously haven't traveled on Northwest lately with their new weight restrictions - 50lbs - or pay the piper, I'd be surprised the other airlines don't follow soon enough.

Say I do drop the tanks, can they be found readily all over? Doubtful.

Like I said, I'd love to get into the Inspiration, but I'm not blind about the weight and other concerns. I'd rather work the problem at hand - find the RB that can fit the parameters that I'm trying to accomplish. It may be that I have to wait some time before that unit comes out.

But like I said, if someone knows of a quality upgrade or modification process to the Ray or Dolphin or another RB out there that can do the 60m or less in reality without so much weight, I'd love to hear it!

 

[DrySuitDave]

Unduh,

Take a look at AP Valve's Evolution closed circuit rebreather. For those that want a small, compact, lighter weight rebreather but want all the advantages of a fully closed circuit rebreather with a good reputation, then the Evolution might be the answer for you. Scrubber time is listed as 2 hours although I don't know if this is with the coarser 4-8 mesh or the longer lasting finer 8-12 mesh. As a comparison, AP lists their Inspiration's scrubber time as 3 hours although I run mine to 4 hours.

 

[undah20]

Thanks Dave. Being unfamiliar with the Evolution, that's a great step in the right direction. I appreciate the help. If you know of anyone who's dove with the Evolution and can lend constructive critiquing of the unit, I'd be glad for the feedback.

Again, thanks.

 

[Shas]

Hi, I would just like to put my two pennies worth in.....

If it's a small, lightweight CCR system your looking for then the PRISM Topaz fits that bill - it weighs 47lbs fully charged and ready to jump in the water. The scrubber duration is 5 hours (USN tested) and if you use the twin 19 cuft tanks supplied as standard then that gives you a 10 hour gas supply.

Many guys travel with it, they've even gone out to Bikini which has the same kind of weight restrictions that Northwest has just introduced, in fact you can take a look at Jeff's breakdown of how he did it at http://www.bikiniatoll.com/Rebreather.html

Packed in a 1650 Pelican case, which weighs about 20-22lbs on it's own - if you take it empty (of course), with the standard cylinders the case weighs about 65-68lbs - which used to be okay for the airlines, because the Pelican came inside all the dimensional requirements so it was not excess or oversize baggage or excess weight.

If you have cylinders at your destination that you can use instead of traveling with them (the PRISM is modular and will take multiple sizes/varities), then you can cut down another 7lbs per cylinder, which would bring your rig weight down to about 27lbs.
Inside the 1650 that would then make the weight about 49lbs which would make Northwest's new weight policy.

 

[madmole]

Dolphin and Ray both max out at 40m unless modified extensively and are nitrox based so youd be narced badly at 60m

Insp takes 3L cylinders, easy to find (ponies), although not all valves are suitable as long as the handles stick out the case sides you can get the first stages to fit normally.

Or you could remove the case, fit a jan box and strap on whatever cylinders you want when you get there

 

[undah20]

Narc'd? Who gets narc'd? ....kidding.

Max depth consideration for the dragers isn't because of narcosis, it's in the mix and enriched air suggested blends for use with the dragers orifice(s) 32, 40, 50, 60. Too high PPO2 past the 40m mark. (The same as OC Nitrox runs.)

Run air (21) through there with the higher orifices for better flow rates and get to go deeper, but take the risk of hypoxia in the shallows, as well as other factors. I'e been told their mass flow style brings in problems for max depths as diminishing value means you could run to zero.

I've found some guys who've converted their dragers from SCR to CCR units with O2 and dilutent on either side as well as lots of other modifications; but it seemed like guys with lots of machine tools, and lots of time on their hands. (Both of which I don't have enough of) If there was more realistic modification models to use, I'd do so. I still like the size of the Dolphin unit, and cylinders are easier to find - basically any size can do.

I think I've ruled out the Inspiration, great unit, great remarks - too big and heavy overkill.

I'm having trouble finding specs on the Evolution. I've caught a couple of pictures and the unit looks much more promising. Any further info or direction to find more on it would be really appreciated.

??? Anyone??? anyone??? Bueller???

 

[madmole]

Evolution doesn't exist. A few units were custom made for a rich Arab guy and its touted at the shows, but its not available for sale

Inspirations can take any size cylinders as well (mine runs 7's, 3's or 5's)

I dive with a bloke whos'd manual CCRed his Dolphin, its far more complicated than an inspiration, more plumbing, far more weight, and he termintes about 30% of all his dives due to problems with the unit. He wont go electronic CCR as he claims its too dangerous (but he has the most problems of any RB diver I know)

Considering running air in an SCR shows you need to a lot more training and theory before being let loose on one, you'd have to run such high flow rates you may as well stay OC

 

[padiscubapro]

undah20 once bubbled...
ahh...that sounds like a little bit of a salespitch to me...

okay, convince me...So the Inspiration unit specs out at 65lbs and the " few spares" bring it to 69lbs. A Pelican case can weight up to 30lbs for any case accomodating that size of unit, but let's pretend it's not a pelican case, it still brings the unit over weight. Period. (Perhaps your lucky, or bribed the right person, or the "samsonite monkey" baggage thrower was on smoke break when your bags came through, but divers NEED to get smarter with their packing as the restrictions are only going to get worst.) Now add the camera gear, (I'm not talking disposable cameras that weight a few ounces from Wal Mart), plus Amphibico housing, with lights; add snorkel gear, wetsuits, misc. gear, and then clothing and essentials? "Sorry Charlie", there's no way...not sold.

And you obviously haven't traveled on Northwest lately with their new weight restrictions - 50lbs - or pay the piper, I'd be surprised the other airlines don't follow soon enough.

Say I do drop the tanks, can they be found readily all over? Doubtful.

Like I said, I'd love to get into the Inspiration, but I'm not blind about the weight and other concerns. I'd rather work the problem at hand - find the RB that can fit the parameters that I'm trying to accomplish. It may be that I have to wait some time before that unit comes out.

But like I said, if someone knows of a quality upgrade or modification process to the Ray or Dolphin or another RB out there that can do the 60m or less in reality without so much weight, I'd love to hear it!

I just shipped a unit UPS to a fellow in the ORIGINAL green case(I usually use the case for traveling also) the unit comes shipped in.. IT weighted in EXACTLY at 69 lbs with the few spares mentioned. The new grey case is slightly heavier..

I travel with an olympus 3030 with a tetra housing and a sea and sea ys-350 pro and ys 30 strobes, Ultralight system arms, wide angle And macro lenses and tons of rechargeable batteries(and chargers).. The only airlines I heard lowered the limit is American..

I just checked continentals site and they still allow 2 bags @70 lbs
plus 1 carry on at 40 lbs (they dont count computers as carry ons)

I would never travel with a pelican case.. baggage thieves know you got valuables in there....