Jetsam Baby Booster Maintenance

[sunnyboy]

Does anyone still have a Jetsam Baby Booster? Or, if you had one in the past, I'm wondering about maintenance of the booster now that it's been long discontinued.

Mine has been running just fine for years, but recently started stuttering long before it should. Specifics, drive gas 140psi (clean with filters inline), supply tank pressure 1000psi, booted 19cf tank pressure 1500 - it starts stuttering.

I tried the things in the manual, like carefully checking and tightening all plugs and lines, and tried pulling off the line that connects the two sides together - that stopped it and if I reconnected it worked again for a few minutes.

Just wondering if any past users had this issue and how they fixed it. I'm reluctant to open up the unit but realize I probably have to do that and clean the area around the reed valves, but again am reluctant.

Thanks in advance,

 

[happy-diver]

Mate see all that stuff on your back you're diving, see where you live, so pull the booster apart and fix it

 

[teksimple]

Hey @sunnyboy am in the same boat, as it were. My Jetsam baby booster has been sitting in the closet for years, but the Mk 15.5 is coming together so it needs to come along for the ride. I ordered all that Kim from KISS Rebreathers has, which is a tiny seal kit. Going to completely disassemble and rebuild. Feel free to DM me, will do the same.

 

[sunnyboy]

Interesting. I sent emails to Kiss and never got a reply. I figured there must be some kits on a shelf somewhere, but if they won't reply to emails you are kinda stuck.

I can get a kit which includes the brass reed valve, but it's a bit expensive (115 UK pounds) from the UK (Narced@90) but with our current Canada Post strike situation I don't want to order anything that comes by mail for a while.

I haven't done anything else yet except to follow the manual's instructions on "things to try first". Pulling the little tube off the reed valve end and plugging it back in did help, but I haven't gone further. For one thing I'll have to pull off all the fittings to take off that brass cap.

 

[teksimple]

Don't ask me how much I paid for this with shipping. Unless you really need that reed valve, you can get the o-rings for pennies on the dollar. At some point, it is just going to be cheaper to buy a cheap Chinese Sun booster, but so far, haven't found anything that travels so well as the baby booster. Have brought it all over the US, as well as Malpelo and the Galapagos.

 

[sunnyboy]

I think anyone who dives a rebreather ends up with a pretty large stock of orings, both regular and viton (o2 compatible). I certainly have several sets, but usually end up having to buy bunches in specific sizes (for the mouthpiece and other hoses).

I do wonder about that larger HP seal. That could be difficult to source outside this kit.

I also agree, I wonder how often the actual reed valve needs replacement, other than getting bent during service! ;-)

 

[sunnyboy]

I did mean to ask two things: how long ago did you buy the kit from Kiss? Was there a specific contact phone number/web site/email you used? Like I said, I tried emailing Kiss and never got a reply. I would buy a kit from them because it's closer and might cost a bit less than the UK kit. Thanks.

 

[teksimple]

I think anyone who dives a rebreather ends up with a pretty large stock of orings, both regular and viton (o2 compatible). I certainly have several sets, but usually end up having to buy bunches in specific sizes (for the mouthpiece and other hoses).

I do wonder about that larger HP seal. That could be difficult to source outside this kit.

I also agree, I wonder how often the actual reed valve needs replacement, other than getting bent during service! ;-)

I ordered the seals kit last week (Tue, May 27, 2025)
Kim Mikusch
KISS Rebreather, LLC
1101 H street
Barling, AR
72923. USA
kim@kissrebreathers[.]com

Phone: 1 (479) 739 7726
www.kissrebreathers.com

Yes, that HP seal is not exactly an O-ring, more like a gasket. if you zoom into my photo you can see it.

 

[sunnyboy]

Thanks! I've just sent an email to Kim asking about the kit.
Cheers,
-R

 

[teksimple]

Alright. It is largely disassembled and cleaned. The seals look fine. Mind you, this was working just fine, but was a no brainer decision to disassemble and clean because it has been sitting for so long. I was embarrassed to take a before photo because it was SO filthy inside. I am surprised that it hasn’t exploded, but I guess Christolube is supposed to look like that after pumping oxygen for a decade.