Help me choose my first rebreather Kiss Sidewinder vs Triton

[Superlyte27]

So it looks like Sidewinder is not the droid I'm looking for after all. Regarding diving in France, I can skip it, I'm not sure what is the situation in the rest of the EU regarding none CE Rebreathers. If anyone is familiar with a subject please comment. Aside from CE certification anything that makes Triton a better unit over O2ptima?

Rjack321 It looks like front-mounted one is the way to go for me since I don't want a back-mounted. Suits gas, light on the back, and O2 on the front. Looks double but if It still sounds like a bad idea please go ahead and speak your mind.

Answered in the pm to you

 

[Superlyte27]

I have been diving a BM O2ptima and like it. I am planning to have the head converted for use as a O2ptimaCM so I can have the functionality of both and only have to maintain one set of sensors and controllers.

a couple advantages that I don’t think have been mentioned.
The O2ptima (and CM) can use either granular sorb, or an Extendair Cartridge.
&
The O2ptimaCM can be ordered with a Nerd2 as the controller unit. That makes it about as compact and streamlined of a unit as you could imagine in my book.

I have seen some of the testing work they recorded on video where one diver removed the entire unit and passed it to the buddy, who clipped in and hopped onto the loop pretty smoothly.

not that it’s a great idea, but it shows how versatile it is,

ECCR vs MCCR, 4 sensors instead of 3, fantastic customer support

 

[Yamadaty]

Now I guess I need to figure out can I dive Diverite unit in EU (skipping France)

 

[jale]

Leave US units to US people

 

[Yamadaty]

Leave US units to US people

Nope

 

[broncobowsher]

If you want easy to travel with, dual scrubbers, and can dive deep, there is also the rEvo. Just doesn't do sidemount.

 

[rjack321]

If you want easy to travel with, dual scrubbers, and can dive deep, there is also the rEvo. Just doesn't do sidemount.

SF2 does sidemount and is CE (somehow)

 

[MinimalMayhem]

I'm looking to get into tech diving and go straight to CCR that is travel friendly.
These two units look like the right fit.

Gonna be diving around Europe and a warmer climate, wrecks, deep dives but not a fan of caves.

I currently dive in Xdeep tec with SUMP UK upgrades.

What I would love is to hear owners or who tried both units your thoughts and cons for the type of diving I'm considering.
At this time I'm leaning more towards Kiss because it has 2 scrubbers and doesn't get your front cluttered.

I can talk about the Triton - had it for about 18 months or so as my first CCR.
Was diving it on a boat for a week up in Scapa Flow with backmount ccr/oc divers (around 45m deep ~130'). Took me a bit longer to get kitted up (I was the only sidemount diver), but not too much longer. Was a bit tricky when the boat was rocking about - backmount would have been much easier in that scenario. I used 2x 7L tanks but for deeper dives will probably use 2x12L or possibly stick with the 7s and take one or two ali 40s....it's all very flexible.

• Travel is super easy - everything (except the o2 bottle) fits inside the bag and that is smaller than hand luggage allowance. In Malta, I used a standard triton and borrowed a 3L O2 bottle from the dive centre - was very happy (diving sidemount).
• Maintenance is super easy - from memory there are four sizes of o-ring for nearly everything and you only really need tools to take apart the the DSV for when you're cleaning/greasing it. The clips holding it together are good, never felt worried about them and they make it really quick and easy to assemble/disassemble the unit.
• I dive mine sidemount, never tried it backmount (I sold my twins when I bought the triton, though I suppose I could try it with a single someday).
• Drying out etc. is really easy, remove head, loop hang bag an loop up, shake the lungs a few times to get drops out
• The bag is on your chest so I find any body orientation fine for breathing (head down, on side head up, whatever) - in fact wob is always great.
• I use it in caves/mines and I very much appreciate it weighing as little as it does

Annoying things:

• Chest clutter - it gets in the way somewhat
• Kitting up takes longer: first I'm putting on SM harness, then triton, then SM tanks and the triton gets in the way a bit while putting the tanks on.
• I don't like the PO2 monitor (not because it doesn't work, but because it only has one button, changing the alarm/hud setpoint is a pain). Hardwired petrel is great, think the NERD would have been nice too but I didn't get the NERD.
• Squeezing through narrow places is a bit slow but doable - I can unclip the bag and hold it in front of myself, but clipping all four snaps back onto the harness takes a little while (that's more about my skill/practice than anything I guess tbh)
• Maybe also flood tolerance - it doesn't have much, but fortunately I've not had to test that in anger.

So on balance, I like it, but I do find myself looking lustfully at sidewinder pictures...the idea of the low profile and what looks like easier kitting up is very tempting!

 

[rjack321]

So on balance, I like it, but I do find myself looking lustfully at sidewinder pictures...the idea of the low profile and what looks like easier kitting up is very tempting!

Haha "easy" is all relative. I find the sidewinder a huge pita to kit up in.
Putting it on is like trying to wear a sack of potatoes, everything has to be fitted just right and on land the whole mess hangs every which way.
Putting on little LP45s (5.5L I think) is do-able on a bench but anything bigger is impossible
Putting on a deco gas on the bench alone? forget it
Second deco gas? forget it
Suit gas? major hassle

After all that now you're are sitting on your light can, scrubber heaters, and 2L o2 which is not fun.

I love mine but I really only dive it when I can walk in via a beach

 

[cathal]

SF2 does sidemount and is CE (somehow)

I could be wrong but from what I have seen posted elsewhere(cant remember atm), the SF2 is only CE'd in backmount configuration, not in sidemount. I suppose thats becuase there is a completely different hydrostatic performance in that position even though its the same machine.