madmole once bubbled...
But passing Navy tests is NOT relevent to sports divers and the CE reflacts that. The Prism CAN NOT pass CE is its current guise
For starters CE requires Audible warning devices so you can still fly the unit should you loose your mask or be in ZERO vis (Navy would hate the unit beeping while sneaking around an accoustic mine)
CE also requires very strict Work Of Breathing rates, which have tightened over the last few years. The Inspiration has been modified to reach these (and Martin tells me it was hard to get it to make the new Standard). The one quick breathe I had off a Prism tells me its nowhere near CE resistance standards as it was noticiably more restrictive than my yellow box (still perfectly fine as far as I was concerned (but I learnt to dive on a twin hose!!))
And when was the last time you were subject to a large EMF pulse while diving???
NAVY testing, great if you are a squady, Me I'll take a RB designed by Sports Divers for Sports divers. Currently RB take up in Europe is FAR higher than in the US, something like70% of all RB's, so for a manufacturer to ignore CE is cutting of a huge section of their potential market. APD realised this from day 1 and the result is their total domination today. Would be nice to see some competition.
You can have the fastest, best handling car in the world, but if you dont ener it into the race you cant prove it. For 70% of the RB market CE is the race entry fee. For us in Europe we dont have an option. No CE ticket means we are on a limb, with no legal sales, support etc
For once the CE CCR standards are actually pretty well thought out and relevent (Amazing for a piece of EU legislation I know), thats mainly cos the UK navy, DERA (Navy test house) and the BSAC were involved in their drafting
And isnt the US in NATO? as NATO have agreed that the CE standards apply to it as from October this year!! Now that should be interesting!!!
As usual France will ingore the rules and carry on doing it own thing. Italy will bribe someone to look the other way, The US will have a token unit that follows the rules, while the covert stuff gets done the same as ever. And of course the UK will follow it to the letter of the law, All wear bright yellow YBOD's (only CE CCR) and get wiped out on their first mission:upset:
Stephen,
If the US navy tests are accurate and I bet they are, the prism meets the new CE WOB limits easily.