Who's going to the SubGravity/Hammerhead Demo day at Blue Grotto?
- Thread starter The Chairman
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OP
OK, I'm back in the SB office after having some time to decompress. A few thoughts...
First this was one of the best run demo days and it was full to the brim of stuff to do. Between, Harry Avril, Lauren & Jon Kieran, the Thorntons and the rest of the crew who trained us and watched over us, there was nothing for us to worry about except having fun. Instruction was to the point but comprehensive. Overviews of the equipment was respectful, to the point and actually well thought out. Lunch was great and it was fun watching the rototillers that were posing as open water students in the basin. Kudos to all involved in an excellent, informative and incredibly fun day.
Second: The Hammerhead CCR. Wow. I could stop there and that would describe it fairly perfectly. This is by far the easiest breathing CCR I have tested and I've been on a number. The electronics were pretty standard and very easy to comprehend. The unit fit well, albeit it was a tad heavy: about the weight of a single steel 130, I would guess. It and I were perfectly weighted for that spring. I would probably have to add four pounds for salt water. This was the second time I dove a CCR without an ADV. That's the valve that adds diluent as you descend or the loop gets too low for whatever reason. All of the Hammerheads were manual add and actually that put me in control... at least after I figured out if I was fondling my BC inflator or the Dil add. Rob (?), my handler, repositioned them between dives and that made all the difference. It was quite easy to manage being neutral, but it doesn't come with the auto purge, so you have to remember to dump from your nose as you ascend. It was easy to ascend, descend and level off. But the breathing was the best part. I don't know if it was the back mounted counter lungs, the radial scrubber or a combination of the two, but this was an easy and pleasant breathe. No chipmunk cheeks, no hard pull (unless you didn't add dil on descent) just a normal breath. Another huge, huge plus was the bayonet fittings throughout. It appeared to need only an eighth of a turn, after you depressed the detente, and they were off. The O2 Sensor carrier was brilliance. Finished with the machine for the night and letting it air out? Simply pop out the carrier and take the O2 sensors with you to dry out in the AC. The entire unit was well thought out. BTW, did I mention how easy it was to breathe???
Third: The Cave was also cool. Ridiculously silty which was it's own charm. I'll be writing a section in my Cave Diving Blog tomorrow, so look for that if you want to know more.
Fourth: The DPVs were a failure. Not because they failed, but I was having so much fun playing in the cave and with the rebreather that I failed to get to try them. No fear, Randy has promised to have some strategically placed loaners throughout the state. I'll post about them when I finally get to try them out.
Finally, while I was impressed with all the staff assisting us during the day, Lauren & Jon Kieren really impressed me. They were energetic, proactive and really thourough in their briefings without boring the socks off of us. I listened to both prepping divers on the Hammerhead and felt proud to be an SDI/TDI instructor again. They are a real bright spot in our industry and really shine in their respective roles at SDI/TDI. I've invited both to join us here on SB and hopefully we will be blessed with their energy, insight and wisdom on a regular basis. Smart move for SubGravity to include them in this demo day.
First this was one of the best run demo days and it was full to the brim of stuff to do. Between, Harry Avril, Lauren & Jon Kieran, the Thorntons and the rest of the crew who trained us and watched over us, there was nothing for us to worry about except having fun. Instruction was to the point but comprehensive. Overviews of the equipment was respectful, to the point and actually well thought out. Lunch was great and it was fun watching the rototillers that were posing as open water students in the basin. Kudos to all involved in an excellent, informative and incredibly fun day.
Second: The Hammerhead CCR. Wow. I could stop there and that would describe it fairly perfectly. This is by far the easiest breathing CCR I have tested and I've been on a number. The electronics were pretty standard and very easy to comprehend. The unit fit well, albeit it was a tad heavy: about the weight of a single steel 130, I would guess. It and I were perfectly weighted for that spring. I would probably have to add four pounds for salt water. This was the second time I dove a CCR without an ADV. That's the valve that adds diluent as you descend or the loop gets too low for whatever reason. All of the Hammerheads were manual add and actually that put me in control... at least after I figured out if I was fondling my BC inflator or the Dil add. Rob (?), my handler, repositioned them between dives and that made all the difference. It was quite easy to manage being neutral, but it doesn't come with the auto purge, so you have to remember to dump from your nose as you ascend. It was easy to ascend, descend and level off. But the breathing was the best part. I don't know if it was the back mounted counter lungs, the radial scrubber or a combination of the two, but this was an easy and pleasant breathe. No chipmunk cheeks, no hard pull (unless you didn't add dil on descent) just a normal breath. Another huge, huge plus was the bayonet fittings throughout. It appeared to need only an eighth of a turn, after you depressed the detente, and they were off. The O2 Sensor carrier was brilliance. Finished with the machine for the night and letting it air out? Simply pop out the carrier and take the O2 sensors with you to dry out in the AC. The entire unit was well thought out. BTW, did I mention how easy it was to breathe???
Third: The Cave was also cool. Ridiculously silty which was it's own charm. I'll be writing a section in my Cave Diving Blog tomorrow, so look for that if you want to know more.
Fourth: The DPVs were a failure. Not because they failed, but I was having so much fun playing in the cave and with the rebreather that I failed to get to try them. No fear, Randy has promised to have some strategically placed loaners throughout the state. I'll post about them when I finally get to try them out.
Finally, while I was impressed with all the staff assisting us during the day, Lauren & Jon Kieren really impressed me. They were energetic, proactive and really thourough in their briefings without boring the socks off of us. I listened to both prepping divers on the Hammerhead and felt proud to be an SDI/TDI instructor again. They are a real bright spot in our industry and really shine in their respective roles at SDI/TDI. I've invited both to join us here on SB and hopefully we will be blessed with their energy, insight and wisdom on a regular basis. Smart move for SubGravity to include them in this demo day.
Jon is already here. They are both great people. I've had the pleasure of working with both of them on training material development.
OK, I'm back in the SB office after having some time to decompress. A few thoughts...
First this was one of the best run demo days and it was full to the brim of stuff to do. Between, Harry Avril, Lauren & Jon Kieran, the Thorntons and the rest of the crew who trained us and watched over us, there was nothing for us to worry about except having fun. Instruction was to the point but comprehensive. Overviews of the equipment was respectful, to the point and actually well thought out. Lunch was great and it was fun watching the rototillers that were posing as open water students in the basin. Kudos to all involved in an excellent, informative and incredibly fun day.
Second: The Hammerhead CCR. Wow. I could stop there and that would describe it fairly perfectly. This is by far the easiest breathing CCR I have tested and I've been on a number. The electronics were pretty standard and very easy to comprehend. The unit fit well, albeit it was a tad heavy: about the weight of a single steel 130, I would guess. It and I were perfectly weighted for that spring. I would probably have to add four pounds for salt water. This was the second time I dove a CCR without an ADV. That's the valve that adds diluent as you descend or the loop gets too low for whatever reason. All of the Hammerheads were manual add and actually that put me in control... at least after I figured out if I was fondling my BC inflator or the Dil add. Rob (?), my handler, repositioned them between dives and that made all the difference. It was quite easy to manage being neutral, but it doesn't come with the auto purge, so you have to remember to dump from your nose as you ascend. It was easy to ascend, descend and level off. But the breathing was the best part. I don't know if it was the back mounted counter lungs, the radial scrubber or a combination of the two, but this was an easy and pleasant breathe. No chipmunk cheeks, no hard pull (unless you didn't add dil on descent) just a normal breath. Another huge, huge plus was the bayonet fittings throughout. It appeared to need only an eighth of a turn, after you depressed the detente, and they were off. The O2 Sensor carrier was brilliance. Finished with the machine for the night and letting it air out? Simply pop out the carrier and take the O2 sensors with you to dry out in the AC. The entire unit was well thought out. BTW, did I mention how easy it was to breathe???
Third: The Cave was also cool. Ridiculously silty which was it's own charm. I'll be writing a section in my Cave Diving Blog tomorrow, so look for that if you want to know more.
Fourth: The DPVs were a failure. Not because they failed, but I was having so much fun playing in the cave and with the rebreather that I failed to get to try them. No fear, Randy has promised to have some strategically placed loaners throughout the state. I'll post about them when I finally get to try them out.
Finally, while I was impressed with all the staff assisting us during the day, Lauren & Jon Kieren really impressed me. They were energetic, proactive and really thourough in their briefings without boring the socks off of us. I listened to both prepping divers on the Hammerhead and felt proud to be an SDI/TDI instructor again. They are a real bright spot in our industry and really shine in their respective roles at SDI/TDI. I've invited both to join us here on SB and hopefully we will be blessed with their energy, insight and wisdom on a regular basis. Smart move for SubGravity to include them in this demo day.
Thank you for the kind words, Pete. It was a lot of fun working with everyone, and we are happy to hear you enjoyed yourself!
---------- Post added November 16th, 2015 at 09:09 AM ----------
Thanks Jim, it's always a pleasure working with you as well!
Let me echo Pete's glowing review above. Unlike him, I DID get on the Reference DPV and had so much fun I used almost an entire tank buzzing around the spring. When I cranked up the speed to 110% (yes, these go to 11!) it was amazing, but you didn't dare turn your head to the side if you wanted to keep your mask! When I linked arm and arm with my wife, the scooter still flew, even with the heavy, resistive load of two divers. Small and light, 7 mile range, hours of run time, just amazing. And, the "soft start" feature was great even at the highest setting in giving a gentle start. That product is just amazing. Equally surprising, the tiny, 15 lb recreational scooter which was still very fast and powerful and super small and light. Just great products.
I had never been on a rebreather and it was an eye-opening experience, especially the silence and different breathing character compared to OC. It took a while for me, a total newbie, to get the hang of adding diluent manually, and especially having to control buoyancy by inflating and deflating the wing and not using breath control like on OC. So, just a little yo-yoing, but I did not have to kneel on the platform! And, I did not hit the bottom, either. So, it is something you could get used to. Got right in the face of the fishes, too--no bubbles!. I am not in a position to compare the units to any others, but I can say that everything on it was solid as a rock and top quality, and a lot of care seemed to have been taken to make it as reliable as possible. The computer readout was a Shearwater and so very easy to read and understand, as was the operation of the bail-out valve. Yes, it was heavy (70 lbs according to Jon) but not unmanageable at all, but I am used to steel 120s and 130s.
Oh, and the H-3 is one sweet computer. Very compact but also very bright and readable. Near the surface in bright conditions, I did find ti brighter and easier to read than the Shearwater that was on the rebreather. Too bad they are discontinuing the T-1, because I really liked the wheel interface. But, you can't have everything. The H-3 is as close to ideal as you could want.
For me, I can only extend my deepest thanks to Randy and all the crew for even making it possible for me to experience this. The briefings were thorough and serious, the supervision underwater very close and careful as expected, but still everyone had a lot of fun as well, and the food was great. Although, I had so much fun that I stayed in the water so long that I almost missed the food!
oH, and I am amused to see that Blue Heron Bridge is not the only place with rototilling students and instructors. it did get pretty bad mid-day and I stayed out of the deeper cavern because I just did not see the charm (or anything else, for that matter). It was a real reminder of the higher level of skill needed for buoyancy, trim, and attention to the bottom that even challenging macro dives like BHB do not require. Real respect for cave training, for sure, and I think Maribi and I will get cavern and intro to cave certified just for the extra training and practice.
This was a first-class presentation by a first-class company and group of people, with products that are at the bleeding edge right now. Well done!
I had never been on a rebreather and it was an eye-opening experience, especially the silence and different breathing character compared to OC. It took a while for me, a total newbie, to get the hang of adding diluent manually, and especially having to control buoyancy by inflating and deflating the wing and not using breath control like on OC. So, just a little yo-yoing, but I did not have to kneel on the platform! And, I did not hit the bottom, either. So, it is something you could get used to. Got right in the face of the fishes, too--no bubbles!. I am not in a position to compare the units to any others, but I can say that everything on it was solid as a rock and top quality, and a lot of care seemed to have been taken to make it as reliable as possible. The computer readout was a Shearwater and so very easy to read and understand, as was the operation of the bail-out valve. Yes, it was heavy (70 lbs according to Jon) but not unmanageable at all, but I am used to steel 120s and 130s.
Oh, and the H-3 is one sweet computer. Very compact but also very bright and readable. Near the surface in bright conditions, I did find ti brighter and easier to read than the Shearwater that was on the rebreather. Too bad they are discontinuing the T-1, because I really liked the wheel interface. But, you can't have everything. The H-3 is as close to ideal as you could want.
For me, I can only extend my deepest thanks to Randy and all the crew for even making it possible for me to experience this. The briefings were thorough and serious, the supervision underwater very close and careful as expected, but still everyone had a lot of fun as well, and the food was great. Although, I had so much fun that I stayed in the water so long that I almost missed the food!
oH, and I am amused to see that Blue Heron Bridge is not the only place with rototilling students and instructors. it did get pretty bad mid-day and I stayed out of the deeper cavern because I just did not see the charm (or anything else, for that matter). It was a real reminder of the higher level of skill needed for buoyancy, trim, and attention to the bottom that even challenging macro dives like BHB do not require. Real respect for cave training, for sure, and I think Maribi and I will get cavern and intro to cave certified just for the extra training and practice.
This was a first-class presentation by a first-class company and group of people, with products that are at the bleeding edge right now. Well done!
OP
How could I forget about the H-3 PDCs??? Those were beautiful. Whenever I wear those big honking PDCs on my wrist, I always feel like a geek back in high school with a pocket protector, slide rule and my brand spanking new TI-10 in it's holster on my belt. Boy, the H-3 was nicer than most watches out there now. It's big enough to read even though I have old eyes and can be dimmed on the fly but the case isn't so big as to look like something out of Dick Tracy. I can't wait until the wireless pressure transmitter comes out, which Randy will neither confirm or deny even exists. I'm not going to tell him how I found out about it, but it will be an awesome addition to an already awesome unit.
I'm not going to tell him how I found out about it, but it will be an awesome addition to an already awesome unit.
Dsix36
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Brace yourself, this will probably end up being a long article. If you have a sense of humor, can appreciate brutal honesty, and can tolerate flashbacks inserted for understanding of current events then you might enjoy my write up.
Special thanks to Randy Thornton, Lauren Kieren, Jon Kieren, Michael Blake Thornton, Wayne Kinard, and all the others that I missed.
I recently did a dive with some guys to get some video for manufacturer promotions. At this time, I being the sneaky little bastard that I am, was able to get a look at some of the bits and bobs of a Hammerhead rebreather as it was being put together. I saw a couple of things that seemed really well thought out and impressed me. I decided right then and there that I needed to reach out to a Hammerhead diver to get a better look. I just so happen to know a guy that has been more than willing to talk to me and show his unit (not that unit, stop thinking dirty), but I never got around to calling him up yet.
Suddenly SubGravity decides to have a demo day a few hours north of me. Obviously this really got my attention, but I was not willing to become a traitor to my rEvo just yet. My buddies would have burned me at the stake. I read about the demo site and found multiple reasons for me to go. I had never been to Blue Grotto, there is a cave there, several people I knew would be there (of my many many fans), SubGravity would have many of their products there for demo, and it was within driving distance for me. I finally bit the bullet and signed up just short of the last minute, in an effort to keep myself from being verbally assaulted too badly.
Many will remember my anti-hammerhead rants in the past, but please know that my references were aimed at juergenson marine electronics rather than Hammerhead rebreathers. I have since been very careful to differentiate between the two and out of respect for Randy have toned down my rants. Needless to say, getting me to do anything Hammerhead is a huge accomplishment for SubGravity to accomplish. At least I showed up with my trusty rEvo to even the odds a little bit.
The day began with a quick orientation of how the day’s events were going to be organized and a basic introduction to the SubGravity demo products. Basically there were three events, DPV demos, rebreather demos, and guided cave dives. They also had some awesome dive computers for demo too. We then broke into “event” groups to get fully briefed and proceeded with the day.
Randy had me suit up and help with DPV demos to start, until it was time for my cave dive. I must say that there was a huge interest in the scooters. They were constantly underwater and the divers were nothing but smiles afterwards. It was a bit of a shame that the basin did not allow for a little more room to get a real ride on them though. It might have been for the best with a diver that was new to such power. I went full blast on the surface and it was reported that I caused a huge wake.
The cave can only be entered with a guide. This is to make sure the cave is not trashed by skill challenged divers, or any other idiots for that matter. Our guide had an equipment issue, and since one in our group was a cave instructor, we were allowed to go on our own. I must admit how privileged I felt by his trust. When he asked who was going to lead, my first instinct was to scream “ME”, but I resisted. Nobody said anything until I finally volunteered. I know that this is not a virgin cave and I was not running any line, but I certainly felt empowered and fortunate to lead this dive. Although the cave is not very big, it is still almost entirely perfect and natural. It was an awesome experience and I am glad to have been able to do it.
Up next, my big event, and what everyone was dying to witness. My demo of a Hammerhead rebreather. I was extremely happy to know that all of the supplied units had the back mounted counterlungs. I felt this would give me a better comparison on work of breathing versus my rEvo. There was a brief rundown of the unit and a short Q&A before getting geared up and in the water. When I stood up, my first question was how much does this thing weigh? It was so nice to have such a light thing on my back. I was a bit shocked to be able to notice a difference. My main goal was to compare work of breathing. When we were finally in the water, I realized instantly that I was way too light to sink with my heavy undergarments. There was no way that I was going to miss this opportunity and pulled myself down one of the buoy lines. I was forced to keep my suit a bit overly squeezed but I tolerated it. Initially I found everything very comfortable and easy. It was only then that I realized that my trim was spot on perfect without any effort what so ever. It just happened. I extended my arms and legs, wiggled around to check stability, and instantly popped back into perfect trim. My buddies will probably tell me that is was some form of black magic since that is all that could ever fix my trim, but obviously I need new buddies. I rolled to my side, my other side, head up, head down, and finally over on my back. It was when I was on my back that I had a wakeup call, I was so much more stable in the water than with my rEvo. My position in the water column was remaining almost constant without any effort on my part. Up to this point the work of breathing has been far superior to anything I have experienced on any other rebreather and I am referring to any position I could put it in. I decided to exert myself and check further. I began breathing very shallower until I could feel the CO2 building and grabbed a log for support. I began kicking for all I was worth until I was breathing hard and I could feel my heart pumping good. The heavy breathing was still easy and I could find no faults with how quickly my breathing resumed to normal. I have never used a BOV and got to play with one now. These things do make BO pretty damn easy and quick. I am still not sure I like the bulk though.
I got to look at the demo dive computers but never got one in the water. They are small, size of a watch, with a highly visible screen. They seemed like a great little computer with big abilities.
Now for the final verdict:
Other than items of mere personal preference or what I am used to on my rEvo, the only fault that I could possibly come up with was something that I noticed in the configuration during the briefing. I will not even mention it because SubGravity was aware of it have already implemented the change. The trim, buoyancy, and work of breathing completely blow my rEvo away. It really kills me to admit it, but it is true. I know that you can get any rebreather to trim if you work at it, but the Hammerhead already has the sweet spot right out of the box.
The way they have the new electronics setup now allow simple plug and play and never needing to ship the head in for repair, just unplug a handset and send it in. Serious insight and design went into the new connectors and even the internal components are plug and play bits.
The use of bayonet fitting throughout the unit makes it almost completely tool less. Anything needing a tool is rather major and can still be done by the average user without much concern or fear.
Randy took the time to walk me through the new electronics for both the Hammerhead and XCCR. I was thoroughly impressed with them. They have a screen that is as visible as my Predators (I am still a diehard Shearwater fan). There are a couple of new functions available too. One of the big things is that the sensitivity of the piezo switches is adjustable. How cool is that? There is a setting to adjust the alarm for the CO2%. Tank pressure on the handset.
One highlight of one of the handsets is that the battery is a rechargeable one and it is sealed in the handset. It is charged via an inductive method. It is not user changeable, BUT it is a simple thing for the SubGravity guys to replace it when/if ever needed. I was skeptical when I heard it was not user changeable and asked about this. I did not want to see and episode like the circus the X1 created.
NO – I am not selling my rEvo to buy a Hammerhead, unless someone want to give me $10k for a 8 year old rEvo.
YES – If I were to buy a new rebreather today, the Hammerhead is the current top contender
Special thanks to Randy Thornton, Lauren Kieren, Jon Kieren, Michael Blake Thornton, Wayne Kinard, and all the others that I missed.
I recently did a dive with some guys to get some video for manufacturer promotions. At this time, I being the sneaky little bastard that I am, was able to get a look at some of the bits and bobs of a Hammerhead rebreather as it was being put together. I saw a couple of things that seemed really well thought out and impressed me. I decided right then and there that I needed to reach out to a Hammerhead diver to get a better look. I just so happen to know a guy that has been more than willing to talk to me and show his unit (not that unit, stop thinking dirty), but I never got around to calling him up yet.
Suddenly SubGravity decides to have a demo day a few hours north of me. Obviously this really got my attention, but I was not willing to become a traitor to my rEvo just yet. My buddies would have burned me at the stake. I read about the demo site and found multiple reasons for me to go. I had never been to Blue Grotto, there is a cave there, several people I knew would be there (of my many many fans), SubGravity would have many of their products there for demo, and it was within driving distance for me. I finally bit the bullet and signed up just short of the last minute, in an effort to keep myself from being verbally assaulted too badly.
Many will remember my anti-hammerhead rants in the past, but please know that my references were aimed at juergenson marine electronics rather than Hammerhead rebreathers. I have since been very careful to differentiate between the two and out of respect for Randy have toned down my rants. Needless to say, getting me to do anything Hammerhead is a huge accomplishment for SubGravity to accomplish. At least I showed up with my trusty rEvo to even the odds a little bit.
The day began with a quick orientation of how the day’s events were going to be organized and a basic introduction to the SubGravity demo products. Basically there were three events, DPV demos, rebreather demos, and guided cave dives. They also had some awesome dive computers for demo too. We then broke into “event” groups to get fully briefed and proceeded with the day.
Randy had me suit up and help with DPV demos to start, until it was time for my cave dive. I must say that there was a huge interest in the scooters. They were constantly underwater and the divers were nothing but smiles afterwards. It was a bit of a shame that the basin did not allow for a little more room to get a real ride on them though. It might have been for the best with a diver that was new to such power. I went full blast on the surface and it was reported that I caused a huge wake.
The cave can only be entered with a guide. This is to make sure the cave is not trashed by skill challenged divers, or any other idiots for that matter. Our guide had an equipment issue, and since one in our group was a cave instructor, we were allowed to go on our own. I must admit how privileged I felt by his trust. When he asked who was going to lead, my first instinct was to scream “ME”, but I resisted. Nobody said anything until I finally volunteered. I know that this is not a virgin cave and I was not running any line, but I certainly felt empowered and fortunate to lead this dive. Although the cave is not very big, it is still almost entirely perfect and natural. It was an awesome experience and I am glad to have been able to do it.
Up next, my big event, and what everyone was dying to witness. My demo of a Hammerhead rebreather. I was extremely happy to know that all of the supplied units had the back mounted counterlungs. I felt this would give me a better comparison on work of breathing versus my rEvo. There was a brief rundown of the unit and a short Q&A before getting geared up and in the water. When I stood up, my first question was how much does this thing weigh? It was so nice to have such a light thing on my back. I was a bit shocked to be able to notice a difference. My main goal was to compare work of breathing. When we were finally in the water, I realized instantly that I was way too light to sink with my heavy undergarments. There was no way that I was going to miss this opportunity and pulled myself down one of the buoy lines. I was forced to keep my suit a bit overly squeezed but I tolerated it. Initially I found everything very comfortable and easy. It was only then that I realized that my trim was spot on perfect without any effort what so ever. It just happened. I extended my arms and legs, wiggled around to check stability, and instantly popped back into perfect trim. My buddies will probably tell me that is was some form of black magic since that is all that could ever fix my trim, but obviously I need new buddies. I rolled to my side, my other side, head up, head down, and finally over on my back. It was when I was on my back that I had a wakeup call, I was so much more stable in the water than with my rEvo. My position in the water column was remaining almost constant without any effort on my part. Up to this point the work of breathing has been far superior to anything I have experienced on any other rebreather and I am referring to any position I could put it in. I decided to exert myself and check further. I began breathing very shallower until I could feel the CO2 building and grabbed a log for support. I began kicking for all I was worth until I was breathing hard and I could feel my heart pumping good. The heavy breathing was still easy and I could find no faults with how quickly my breathing resumed to normal. I have never used a BOV and got to play with one now. These things do make BO pretty damn easy and quick. I am still not sure I like the bulk though.
I got to look at the demo dive computers but never got one in the water. They are small, size of a watch, with a highly visible screen. They seemed like a great little computer with big abilities.
Now for the final verdict:
Other than items of mere personal preference or what I am used to on my rEvo, the only fault that I could possibly come up with was something that I noticed in the configuration during the briefing. I will not even mention it because SubGravity was aware of it have already implemented the change. The trim, buoyancy, and work of breathing completely blow my rEvo away. It really kills me to admit it, but it is true. I know that you can get any rebreather to trim if you work at it, but the Hammerhead already has the sweet spot right out of the box.
The way they have the new electronics setup now allow simple plug and play and never needing to ship the head in for repair, just unplug a handset and send it in. Serious insight and design went into the new connectors and even the internal components are plug and play bits.
The use of bayonet fitting throughout the unit makes it almost completely tool less. Anything needing a tool is rather major and can still be done by the average user without much concern or fear.
Randy took the time to walk me through the new electronics for both the Hammerhead and XCCR. I was thoroughly impressed with them. They have a screen that is as visible as my Predators (I am still a diehard Shearwater fan). There are a couple of new functions available too. One of the big things is that the sensitivity of the piezo switches is adjustable. How cool is that? There is a setting to adjust the alarm for the CO2%. Tank pressure on the handset.
One highlight of one of the handsets is that the battery is a rechargeable one and it is sealed in the handset. It is charged via an inductive method. It is not user changeable, BUT it is a simple thing for the SubGravity guys to replace it when/if ever needed. I was skeptical when I heard it was not user changeable and asked about this. I did not want to see and episode like the circus the X1 created.
NO – I am not selling my rEvo to buy a Hammerhead, unless someone want to give me $10k for a 8 year old rEvo.
YES – If I were to buy a new rebreather today, the Hammerhead is the current top contender
OP
Wait a minute... are you saying my spot on good trim in the hammerhead that many complemented me on was THE UNIT and not me? Well, thanks for deflating my ego, Don!
To put this in perspective, Don and I are both gearheads. We used to make our living under hoods, so we look at almost everything with an eye to see how we are going to fix it when it breaks. Not if, but when. Everything breaks, but the ease at which you can access every component on this is simply amazing. It's no surprise that the easier something is to fix though, the less it breaks and I'm certain that will be the case here. The uninitiated call it "Murphy's Law". Those of us who really know, remember that it was Murray's Law until there was a typo at the printer.
To put this in perspective #2. I have to admit that I gave Don a ration of crap before he dove the Hammerhead. I think I had even offered to change his username to "RevoDon" at one point. He and I had some discussion over the direction of the two companies and frankly, I like Hammerhead's/Dive Addicts' style. No part of their system is sacred to them. They are over engineered in way that makes the units easily serviceable and they won't be a victim of planned obsolescence. I think Don would agree with me on that. At least he did at the Grotto.
To put this in perspective, Don and I are both gearheads. We used to make our living under hoods, so we look at almost everything with an eye to see how we are going to fix it when it breaks. Not if, but when. Everything breaks, but the ease at which you can access every component on this is simply amazing. It's no surprise that the easier something is to fix though, the less it breaks and I'm certain that will be the case here. The uninitiated call it "Murphy's Law". Those of us who really know, remember that it was Murray's Law until there was a typo at the printer.
To put this in perspective #2. I have to admit that I gave Don a ration of crap before he dove the Hammerhead. I think I had even offered to change his username to "RevoDon" at one point.
He and I had some discussion over the direction of the two companies and frankly, I like Hammerhead's/Dive Addicts' style. No part of their system is sacred to them. They are over engineered in way that makes the units easily serviceable and they won't be a victim of planned obsolescence. I think Don would agree with me on that. At least he did at the Grotto.
Thank you for the good times, kind words and feedback. We look forward to diving you all again soon!
Those of you that were able to attend were able to get a sneak peak at our two new CCR units... for the rest of you, we will have a press release with more info coming soon!
Those of you that were able to attend were able to get a sneak peak at our two new CCR units... for the rest of you, we will have a press release with more info coming soon!
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