Poseidon Discovery mk6

[muddiver]

I was asked about this unit by someone this past weekend. Knowing zero about it I went on the web site to learn more. I'm sure it is a fine piece of gear Poseidon has always made high quality gear and it looks high quality. I just don't understand the market for this unit. A rebreather that extends bottom but don't go into deco with it? What's the sense? Is it the light weight? I can exceed NDL at 40' and below with my 90cuft doubles why spend this kind of $$$ for this unit? Also the battery scares the heck outa me.
The info I got was if the battery goes your SOL. I guess it's a concern for ours too because I've yet to see a picture of anyone using one without a slung tank (bailout bottle?). Putting my life totally in the "hands" of a automaticly controlled life support system makes my pucker factor peak. I'd like to hear a rational(s) for this unit that makes sense to me. I don't get it what am I missing?

It is being marketed as a "Recreational" diving system, not as a technical diving system. And my understanding of why it is fully automated (well almost, you have to vacuum check it) is to make it usable for the general scuba diving population by removing a lot of the checks and test that triditional rebreather divers have to go through.

This is also the reason it is an NDL only unit. It is meant for the basic openwater scuba diver that wants longer bottom time and the slience of a rebreather (see Lemon's photo above).

Fully automated = :shocked2: Well if you do a standard PADI weekend-wonder style class to use one of these, then yes I agree the full automation could be a major issue. Not watching the headsup or paying attention to the vibrations and alarms is also a major problem as well.

 

[muddiver]

Checking out a Giant Black Sea Bass while on the Mk6

Hey Lemon, are you diving one of Rusty's rigs in that photo?

 

[lemon]

nope, this was one of richard pyle's units that i borrowed during my training with jeff bozanic.

most people fail to understand that just because the unit isnt designed to do deep deco dives doesnt mean that the training is dumbed down. anyone who has ever dived in a place like cocos should understand why such a unit is very appealing.

 

[Indian Valley Scuba]

Back to the original poster, we have two Poseidon machines and have been diving them for 18 months now. They are great machines, simple to operate and have not let us down at all. And yes, as a prudent practice, we wear bailout bottles when we dive on rebreathers, cause if there is one guideline to remember when diving a machine, it's "if in doubt, bail out!"