We have 2 new KISS GEM PSCR divers!

[Dive-aholic]

Congratulations to Pete "NetDoc" Murray and Elena "mselenaous" Rodriguez just completed training on the KISS GEM PSCR! Jen and I spent the week in Key Largo training Pete and Elena on the GEM. First, I have to thank them for their generous hospitality! Pete and Elena are the nicest people. It's rare for a couple to meet another couple that are so compatible. We had a great time in Key Largo with them and after almost a week didn't want to leave. Thanks for the great week Pete and Elena! We will be back!

Here are some photos of Pete and Elena on their final day of training.

 

[koozemani]

Congrats.

 

[The Chairman]

I have to say, that this was even more fun than it looked and I learned a lot from it. Here are a few things that really stood out to me:

• The GEM is far more convenient than a CCR. Being able to use any NitrOx tank is awesome. No worries about finding pure O2 when you travel.
• The GEM is as easy to assemble as it is too understand. It's not idiot proof, but it comes close to it.
• The GEM is the easiest rebreather when it comes to actually breathing! There was absolutely no effort to breathing in or out.
• The pre-packed sorb is way easy to deal with. No mess, no fuss and no worries about settling.
• SCRs are easier to dive than CCRs on a few levels. No need to worry about dil flushes and fewer worries about toxing.
• Rob Neto is truly an awesome instructor. He worries far more about his students than himself.

It was fun to take this class with Elena. It was our first time learning together, and I was happy that she never asked me for assistance. I was really happy that she was able to master her buoyancy in an SCR so quickly and easily.

Now, while I will be doing a complete class/gear review as I get a bit more time on the unit, I have to say that this unit has some issues you have to work through.

• The sidemount version is a bit kludgy. I dove with both the scrubber and an AL80 on my right side. Getting ready to splash was comic. However, once in the water, it was great!
• I'm still not used to having the lungs on my chest. Perhaps some D-rings on the "T" would be nice.
• The bubbles took some getting used to! However, you can control your bubbles when you need to with the attitude of the breathing loop. I was impressed when fish swam right up into my face.

 

[beaverdivers]

Looks like Fun!

 

[The Chairman]

Looks like Fun!

What was really fun was watching Rob fall in love with the reefs all over again. He dove a KISS CCR and was amazed at how close the fish came into him. It was also fun showing him and Jen around our backyard! Our last dive was at Snapper Ledges and Elena and I got to show them coral we planted a few days ago, Flamingo Tongues, thousands of our closest fishy friends, a nurse shark and lots, lots more.

 

[Deep Thought]

Congratulations and Welcome to the rebreather community!

 

[mselenaous]

This was a fun class and I learned alot about SCR diving. I was a tad apprehensive at first about the gear, but soon realized it is alot easier to assemble than it looks. (Heck, even I could do it). Diving in all my own usual gear made it very easy to trim out evenly. The GEM is easily adaptable to any rig. Attached the cannister to your cam band, add the counter lungs to your shoulder straps, switch your alternate 2nd stage for an LP QD hose to connect to the system and voila! Ready for the water. I was surprised how much more weight I needed because of the air volume in the loop and counter lungs.

I normally get 2 long dives out of any 80 cft tank with a low SAC rate <0.3 cfm (I'm usually the "spare air" source ). The thought of having more gas available on deeper dives intrigued me. I dove in an LP72 for the weight and barely used half in about 4 hours in-water. With the GEM, I could probably dive all day on a pony bottle.

Downside for me was getting used to so much stuff on my chest (counter lungs) and the loop which reduced my peripheral vision. I asked if the loop came in shorter lengths (cause I'm a shorty) and Rob explained that the loop length is scientifically calculated on volume requirements needed for scrubbing and gas exchange.



Special thanks to Rob and Jen Neto. I loved their teaching style, laid-back yet thorough and detail oriented, no-stress (except the self-induced kind). They complement each other well...and are a blast to spend time with. It was fun showing them our "backyard" and see how excited Rob got when a trumpet fish hung out in front of his mask, staring him in the eye. (Benefit of no bubbles). I am looking forward to heading to the panhandle of FL for some cave diving in their turf.

 

[p1p]

I love my GEM, and as you said, they make a perfect travel rebreather, which is even after getting my Meg, I'll be keeping my GEM. I even have a GEM sidekick for a BOB.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Thanks for the kind words, Pete and Elena! Jen and I had a blast down there and can't wait to come back! We're looking forward to diving with you without the constraints of training. Although, it was almost like we weren't in a training situation because you guys are great students!

Just a quick clarification on the length of the loop. It has more to do with the work of breathing than the scrubbing. Shorter hoses would affect that because you'd have to raise the counterlungs up which would make breathing more difficult. We've all asked about shortening the hoses. In reality, after some time on the unit you get used to it and you start to not even notice the counterlungs and hoses.

 

[mselenaous]

Its offical!


Happy Diving!
ELENA