Todd
Registered
Hello all:
This is the first thread I have started on ScubaBoard, and I think I have an appropriate occasion. I just bought my very first rebreather.
I would first like to thank all of the ScubaBoard members who have taken the time to share their insight and experience in this forum with those of us who are simply trying to learnyou have been an invaluable resource. I would also like to thank Joe "padiscubapro" and Sharon "shas" for going beyond the call of what could be considered reasonable in their willingness to assist me in my learning and my decision making process.
I am at DEMA in Miami, sleepless, after a most rewarding and emotionally exhausting day. It took all of the patience I could muster, a few timing issues, and some practical experience for me to wait until DEMA to buy my rebreather, and I am so glad that I did.
Many rebreather companies are represented at DEMA this year. Gordon Smith is here with the KISS, Barney Lambert with the FROG, Peter and Sharon Ready with the PRISM, Leon Scamahorn with the Megalodon, Jarrod Jablonski with the RB80, Nicki Finn with the Inspiration, and others including the Azimuth and something new from the folks at Delta P. I am sure that there are other rebreathers here as well that I missed. One rebreather that was not here, at least on Wednesday, was the all-illusive Infinito.
So which one did I buy?
Well, none of them. One of the first booths my friends and I stumbled upon by sheer luck was manned by the nice officers from NEDU (Navy Experimental Dive Unit). They have Mk 16 on display, and it was love at first sight, at least on my end. I have never seen any piece of diving equipment so well designed and engineered, although I admit my experiences are quite limited, that it just made me teary. I remembered seeing months earlier a brand new, never in the water Mk 15 online, and a few hours later we became family.
I know that the Mk 15 has a few drawbacks, and the technology is a bit dated, but it is unquestionably the right unit for me.
I would greatly appreciate comments, questions, words of encouragement and the like (a bit needy?). I will start training in just a few weeks, and am hugely looking forward to the process.
Thank you, all, again.
Best,
Todd.
This is the first thread I have started on ScubaBoard, and I think I have an appropriate occasion. I just bought my very first rebreather.
I would first like to thank all of the ScubaBoard members who have taken the time to share their insight and experience in this forum with those of us who are simply trying to learnyou have been an invaluable resource. I would also like to thank Joe "padiscubapro" and Sharon "shas" for going beyond the call of what could be considered reasonable in their willingness to assist me in my learning and my decision making process.
I am at DEMA in Miami, sleepless, after a most rewarding and emotionally exhausting day. It took all of the patience I could muster, a few timing issues, and some practical experience for me to wait until DEMA to buy my rebreather, and I am so glad that I did.
Many rebreather companies are represented at DEMA this year. Gordon Smith is here with the KISS, Barney Lambert with the FROG, Peter and Sharon Ready with the PRISM, Leon Scamahorn with the Megalodon, Jarrod Jablonski with the RB80, Nicki Finn with the Inspiration, and others including the Azimuth and something new from the folks at Delta P. I am sure that there are other rebreathers here as well that I missed. One rebreather that was not here, at least on Wednesday, was the all-illusive Infinito.
So which one did I buy?
Well, none of them. One of the first booths my friends and I stumbled upon by sheer luck was manned by the nice officers from NEDU (Navy Experimental Dive Unit). They have Mk 16 on display, and it was love at first sight, at least on my end. I have never seen any piece of diving equipment so well designed and engineered, although I admit my experiences are quite limited, that it just made me teary. I remembered seeing months earlier a brand new, never in the water Mk 15 online, and a few hours later we became family.
I know that the Mk 15 has a few drawbacks, and the technology is a bit dated, but it is unquestionably the right unit for me.
I would greatly appreciate comments, questions, words of encouragement and the like (a bit needy?). I will start training in just a few weeks, and am hugely looking forward to the process.
Thank you, all, again.
Best,
Todd.