Socks Away - first photoshoot with the G1 rebreather.

solocavediver

The G1 rebreather is my homebuild which features many ideas, some good, some cumbersome, some not so good. One claim to fame is the use of four socks to keep the scrubber chemical in place while the breathing gas flows through it; for more details see the rebreatherworkld library (http://www.rebreatherworld.com/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=17)
Here we have a few underwater photos taken by my open-water diving buddy Bernice Constantin, plus some photos taken at the surface by Joerg Hess.

And here we have "Socks In Action".



Bernice and I have dived Troy Spring, a little crowded because it's a public holiday (Labor Day), and now I have stepped back into the water wearing the rebreather, which Bernice has kindly agreed to photograph. I have made some notes on what is going on in the annotated version:

A little while later we catch the diver injecting a puff of O2:


The annotated version:


And here we have a close up, which emphasises a problem: the mouthpiece assembly hangs rather vertical because it's quite heavy. Best solution is to redesign things so it's much lighter in the G2 version. Feels quite comfortable though.

Here we have Bernice and me before diving: Bernice getting kitted up, followed by me kitted up for sidemount diving but not yet in the rebreather.


And here we have the end of the dive: my buddy swimming off and enjoying himself, work done. Many thanks!

But back in rebreatherworld, one awkward question remains: how easy is it to get into this wonder-gadget? The answer is provided by an all-too-revealing sequence of photos by Joerg.
These are taken at Telford Spring, Florida.

1. Diver with kinked harness tries to attach scrubber to harness.
2. Having attached the scrubber and hoses, the diver tries to clip the counterlungs (and the tube that gives him his (extra) reserve buoyancy) to his waistbelt.
3. Drat it, why won't it clip?
4. I'm sure that clip is down there somewhere!
5. Let's tip the whole thing over and see if we can find it
6. Success!!! Now to attach the mouthpiece assembly.
7. The plastic fittings get cross-threaded quite easily.
8. So it's nice to have some help from Joerg's lady friend.
9. I won't even try to do the other one.
10. OK that's what we have been aiming for.
11. Joerg feels he'd like some evidence that this thing can really be breathed.
12. Side view.
13. Telford Spring, where the real action is now about to happen.
14. And after that, I had quite a nice dive!! As of this writing the G1 has done about 25 dives of depths to 80 feet and durations to 70 minutes.
15. One final point. The photos don't make clear how all those motor cycle inner tubes are arranged. It's like this: there's an upstream counterlung over my left shoulder, a downstream counterlung over the right shoulder and a reserve buoyancy tube (complete with inflator hose) round my neck:

caveseeker7

Is that the German Gefährlich rebreather?
That is one scary contraption, but earned you some greene for the spirit.

One thing I can't figure out, though:
The woman helping you don the unit, does she like you or hate you?

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Cheers
Stefan



"Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority,
and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media,
which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.!"

Ben Field

astonishing.....

Thanks for sharing!

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www.hugsac.org.uk

caver95

I am glad no one had to come and get you out of telford. That is one scary looking contraption.

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www.cavetek.com

gibbogeo

Wonderful!

I really appreciate the use of duct tape: it have a dark side and a clear side and keep together the universe, like "the force". Be sure to stay on the right side!

To wich depth did you risked?

lizardland

I really hope you didn't have to pay excess baggage for that...

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Can you imagine drifting along in the sea with your mouth open and a load of f***ing plankton going in? You'd like it, would you?

www.westons-cider.co.uk

Azerbaijani Association of Technical Divers Publicity Officer and Goat Wrangler

fr0sty8

OMG what an atrocity. Props for imagination though.

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Yes I do have some mechanical sympathy........right up to the point where I bounce the f**ker off the wall as it cross threads yet again!!

sannerman

I´m stunned/speech less....
But I have to admit I´m wondering what the pluming union says about your creation?

/Z

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Det är hårt på sjön, fast hårdare på land

www.pagi.se

CCRDVR

BALLS... VERY BIG BALLS..

Mixaddict

I guess my only comment on these pics is "that you picked the appropriate place" to test dive your rig. Telford is one crazy wacked out watering hole, with rednecks drinking themselves into oblivion! I'm sure that on any given weekend, the locals didn't even bat an eye when they saw you!

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Randy Thornton (MixAddict)
Inspiration, Evolution, Hammerhead & Sentinel
CCR Instructor