Quote: (Originally Posted by stuey)
in the last couple of months I have started looking into buying a Rebreather and have spent many hours on research. Was going to do a Trimix course, and changed my mind and have decided to go down the RB road instead.
However I have not managed to come up with a decision yet as to which one to buy. At the moment ny options are an Evolution, a Kiss or a Meg, the latter being top of the list.
I have no problem travelling to the US to collect a Kiss or a Meg, and the way the exchange rate is at the moment makes it an attractive option.
I know that the Kiss is a maunual unit and the Evo and the Meg are electronic. However my intention would be to upgrade the Kiss eventually which would then bring it into the same price range as the other two.
I just need some advice from you guys out there who are using these units as to the pro's and cons of each. The unit won't be used in the UK as I spend 6 months of the year in Asia, and all my diving is done in that area, it also needs to be easily transportable. ie baggage allowance.
Help me make the decision folks.
Let me say as someone who has dove an inspiration (classic) owned a sport kiss and currently own a meg I know that I made the right choice. I have made 25 trouble free dives without any leaks, electronic issues, or any causes for concern. I am not one who babies his dive gear and it has not let me down. I have not traveled with my meg yet but I intend to. Invluding a trip to Thailand next year. On my last trip to Mexico I carried my sport kiss in a small backpack and put it in overhead luggage, my buddy Ron Micjan carried his meg in a small suitcase and put it in overhead as well. His girlfriend, pattimegdiver did likewise with her minimeg.
The thing to look at when comparing rebreathers is construction. Which unit has double o-rings everywhere, which unit has the ability to recover from a partially flooded loop, Which unit has a cannister capacity suitable for the long deep dives (isn't that why we buy RBs?) we want to do. Which unit has the better work of breathing (WOB)
Yes you can upgrade a KISS but it still won't be a meg. I suggest if that is where you want to go then just get the meg. If initial cost is an issue you might want to look at a COPIS meg. It functions like a similar to a KISS (mCCR) and can be upgraded easily to full funcion meg later. I have logged a few dives on one of those as well and it has all the benefits of the meg (less moisture in loop, great WOB) without the initial cost.
Of course there are as many opinions out there as there are rebreathers but those are my thoughs.