shall i or shall i not

markscarlet

hi every one im really interested in getting into ccr, ive been doing some research for some time and i keep getting drawn towards mccr namely the kiss range . here is the problem do i invest in a proven unit or do i build my own and if i build my own mccr do i start from scratch or do i canabalise an existing unit from a named manufacture an alter it to my own ends ?ive been looking at second hand units on this forum and some seem to be going for a lot of money considering they are well used , but i might be wrong .i would appreciate any help anyone can give me bye for now mark

Simon A

Mark,
having started with a home build. I'd recommend just buying a second hand kiss. The homebuild will cost you almost as much, but you'll spend a lot of time working on it.
Do you want to be a homebuilder or a diver? because you're likely to find you don't have time to do both!
HTH
Simon A

PaulTG2

Hello,

I don't think there is a correct answer to that question. It really is a personal choice best determined by your technical/mechanic skills, how methodical you are, and how much you're will to study before you dive.

For me my first desire it to dive and survive. Only after that am I interested in building anything new. I'd rather dive a proven unit, learn from all that went before me on that and other units, and then make modifications based on what I think I have learned.

Other people learn in a different way.

You can most likely gain all the knowledge you need, and form opinions (needed and unneeded) from reading through all the postings on Rebreather World. If it is important in rebreather diving it has been discussed, re-discussedm and over discussed here. The wealth of knowledge available on RBW is only surpassed by the opinions included.

Just remember Paul's second rule...
Sincerely,

-p

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Gary68

Homebuilding is costing me as much as it would to have bought a cheap mCCR. If what I wanted was commercially available I'd be kicking myself (but as it is it is the only way to get what I wanted).

If you want something that someone has already designed and made available at a reasonable cost buy that and save yourself time and money. Even if you managed to shave a few dollars off the cost it wouldn't be worth the time you put in unless you factor the experience itself as part of your goal.

I'm not sure but your certification options with a homebuild are probably more limited then a bought unit (if that is a concern to you).

Buck-O-Five

Gary and everybody else posting thus far are spot on. You will spend just as much or more trying to build you own unit. I am diving with a guy doing tests on a homebuilt right now and he is doing some serious trials, tracking down parts and some serious engineering.
You are better off buying a proven unit, if you are financially challenged then get a used KISS or overseas get a rEvo if you can find one. After you gain some more experience then go for the HB as a side piece.
If you are an engineer, then go for it.

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nicothesailer

Hi Mark, they've all been good answers so far (green to all) it all depends on what type of a person you are, what you want to achieve and how much money you want to spend!

Good luck with it and keep asking questions!

Paul

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EBT

Depends what you want really. Homebuilding will cost you more, but if you enjoy tinkering/learning it may be the thing for you.

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Tautaz

Hi,

I'm building my unit (build one O2 CCR) based on KISS principe. It takes a lot of time but I learned so much that it worth the price for me

Learned skills on Solidworks, how to use a lathe. Mine is more custom made than homemade but the result is more pro. Head is CNC made, lung carter too. Because I'm on a budget, time is my friend, I can find the best price for a price looking on ebay, found the injection vanne for 15$ instead of 150$

Now after 9month the unit is getting ready, but missing a tank and electronic I've to wait, but I can still dive thanks to my twins and S80.

Homemade a CCR is really a good challenge I tell you to try, it's easier to do than building a regulator.


Cheers.



David

OceanOpportunity

buy a commercially available rig to get experience...then, build one...the learning curve is priceless, and enlightening

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lizardland

One thing that I've heard a lot of people say is that they can build something as good as the KISS. Out of all the people I've seen say it on forums I'm yet to see any of them actually do it. It's a straightforward unit but Gordon went through about 3 or 4 incarnation of the KISS just to get it where it is. He was also a professional engineer used to prototyping stuff.

If you've got engineering facilities and you enjoy machining stuff (over and over and over...) then there is no reason not to. You can build quite a serviceable rebreather on your own. Converting a reliable SCR rig like a Dolphin or a Russian unit is a very good way to go. I'd steer clear of trying to cobble disparate off the shelf parts into a rig as you will inevitably end up with something looking like a gutted cat.

Time is the major factor. If you want a rig that you can just go diving on then homebuilding is not the way. They take time to design, assemble, take apart, reassemble, fix, take apart, fix again, redesign, etc. I was ending up working in my garage for more than I was diving. If you want to save money then forget it. I hate to think how much my homebuilds have cost and that's without costing my time working on them.

There are some very nice homebuilds but if you don't have a good workshop (at least a lathe), a load of time and spare cash then just go out and buy a second hand rebreather. I did more diving in one year with a commercially made rebreather than I did in 3yrs of homebuilding.

There's no denying that it is a very satisfying hobby and downright enjoyable but if you want to just dive then buy one.

Cheers,

Stuart

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