SF2 or REvo rebreathers

[lv2dive]

I agree with both of you and can relate - my CCR certifications are from both TDI and IANTD, and while one of my CCR certs was for a unit purchased new, two others were not (one was for a unit purchased used, the other for a unit I did not own at all). However, understanding those limitations, I still find the data interesting, and personally haven't seen a similar breakdown (by manufacturer). It would be even more interesting *to me* if the data were just a bit more current.

 

[cathal]

All data gathered has its faults and I agree with all criticisms about this data. I do not believe its 100% accurate either but I'd put it in the region of having about 90% accuracy taking into consideration units being resold 2nd hand etc. Even with a level of circa 90% accuracy, this would still not affect the stats outcome re Units trained on, per manufacturer.

 

[NAND]

Further, such data (as said) will highly depend on region, training organisation and scope of dive. There are even areas where people enter the water with Hollis Explorer- in Europe these are so rare that you may wonder about old-style Dolphins still in operation. (For SCRs)

-concerning APs products I sometimes wonder how widely spread those are. Personally I am not a fan of those but must admit I really enjoyed the past time on Inspi and Evo. Hence I believe there is a huge fanclub sorrounding these units...

To get a better grasp of things, 'units manufactured' would be the value to look at in my believe, yet perhaps impossible to obtain...

 

[cathal]

Further, such data (as said) will highly depend on region, training organisation and scope of dive.

Can I ask what do you mean by Region?

To get a better grasp of things, 'units manufactured' would be the value to look at in my believe, yet perhaps impossible to obtain...

Exactly, the nature of this data i.e. its commercially sensitive to manufacturers, means this data is all we have atm, although I'd love to be corrected on this one.

 

[rddvet]

For those with experience with the SF2, how is the vertical clearance/profile. In many of the photos the head seems to stick up more than on other rebreathers, and more than on a set of doubles. Is this an optical illusion or does the head stick up higher than doubles? And have you had to adjust your diving or skip some spots you'd normal squeeze through easily in backmount?
I'm slowly contemplating a move to rb's and the SF2 is top of my list for multiple reasons, but the convertibility from bm to sm is a big one. I realize though that sidemount limits the amount of bailout you can carry and therefore penetration limits since most are running it with a single steel bailout plus maybe a stage. I've dove exclusively sm for years now and know I'll have to readjust how I read the caves and dive so I'm not banging up the head in backmount. Just wanted thoughts on how it sits and does it affect your range of motion of your neck (you know sometimes in bm you can't look up at the pretty ceiling as easily as in sm due to the manifold).
Probably silly concerns to have, especially since I will do a try dive before buying.

 

[kensuf]

There's no range of motion issues with your head/neck, in some respects it's better because there's no clutter from the counterlungs. It's difficult to hit your head with your head.

However, the SF2 head does stick up higher and can get snagged in lower passages. I quickly adapted to it though.

If you want to come up and do a try dive, let me know. I've got two units, one is 100% stock and the other is rigged the way a lot of us use it for cave diving (off-board bailout, bov, etc).

 

[rddvet]

There's no range of motion issues with your head/neck, in some respects it's better because there's no clutter from the counterlungs. It's difficult to hit your head with your head.

However, the SF2 head does stick up higher and can get snagged in lower passages. I quickly adapted to it though.

If you want to come up and do a try dive, let me know. I've got two units, one is 100% stock and the other is rigged the way a lot of us use it for cave diving (off-board bailout, bov, etc).

Good to hear. I'm planning to do alot more bm diving again to get that feeling back again before deciding if I'm going to take the plunge. I figured it's just something you'll get used to with time, eventhough I'm used to the freedom of sidemount. I definitely don't miss bonking my head on a manifold trying to look up at the ceiline.

I may take you up on the offer. I googled sf2 for sale and saw you got a really nice one last year on here and I was jealous. I probably would have jumped on it if I saw it posted today.

 

[kensuf]

I had to spend a week rebuilding it. It looked like it had been flooded and put away without being cleaned. It's fine now, but required a lot of work.

The SF2 is a neat unit, and the reason I moved from my KISS to it was for the flood tolerance. Like any CCR, there are trade-off's though -- there is no "perfect" unit, they all have a compromise somewhere.

 

[Superlyte27]

You left a unit for flood tolerance? What?!?! Lol

 

[rddvet]

there is no "perfect" unit, they all have a compromise somewhere.

I'm learning that. My wife will have the toughest finding the right unit. Obviously there's the usual questions of what you need it for and what features are important to you, a confounding issue is she's tiny (she's a bit smaller than lauren kieren, but similar in build). So fmcl aren't an option for her, bmcl may be fine, but on the sf2 I wonder if the can may be too long for her.

You left a unit for flood tolerance? What?!?! Lol

I saw the same thing and chuckled at the irony.