Megaladon Versus Optima Fx

Finni

I am new to rebreather diving and I would really like some guidence to which reabreather is good for me.

I have the option to learn on the Megaladon and the Optima.

I really would like to hear all the pros and cons with these two units.

Thank you very much

offpro

How many Optima units and instructors is there in Europe?


I think traning and spears is more accessable for Megalodon in Europe..



mats

Gilles

...and how accessible are the Extendair scrubber cartridges outside the USA?

The Meg has 1 or two faults of her own but is very tough, works reliably, field and self service-able, and many options for scrubber (including Extendair).

I've got in excess of 200hrs on mine and I don't regret my choice. The only dives I lost were due to sensors. Nothing else on the unit has let me down, in spite of 2.5 circuits around the globe, much abuse and damage, and just keeps on ticking.

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Ben Field

EAC are rarer than rocking horse poo here...

How about a Hammerhead CCR? Best of both worlds some might say (Almost looks like a Meg with HH gubbins attached)

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Pelagian

The Megalodon is a very robust unit, with all lot of parts easily replaceable.

It also has a huge number of manufacturer and third party options available to allow one to customise it.

From multiple controller systems, canisters, scrubbers and gas hardware options etc it has a huge appeal to those who like to customize and teak their units to suit themselves even better.

I have a few hours on the Original Optima and loved it's work of breathing and how small and portable it could be made for trans port. The extend air cartridge is a joy to use, but I felt the O-ring system on the central stem that runs through the cartridge was fiddly. I felt overall that the unit was a little flimsy in places and do not like the alternating display on the Hammerhead handsets.

I also found the 27cft steel cylinders very hard on my lower back which was in agony after 60 mins on my first dive, so I switched to 13cft Aly's instead.

I've stuck with my Meg. No unit is perfect but I've have been able to make it completely mine with my mods. With the exception of the delivery issues in the very early days, ISC's customer service has been excellent and I have recently been very demanding on them and they haven't let me down.

Cheers

Seb

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Mark Chase

As above i don't think the optima is a contender unless you can use normal sorb.

The Meg with Apex 2 is the more simple unit which should make it more reliable. The Hammer Head CCR looks to be the best out there at the moment in terms of all singing and dancing CCR+ toys.

The Sentinel from the VR3 boys in the UK is well worth a look as well.

I have dived the previous revision of the Hammer Head and it was fantastic when it worked but it broke down a lot which put me off. So I am more inclined toward the most simple PP02 only units. That said i may have just been unlucky with the two units I had.

Shearwater rEvo sounds like a very interesting ECCR as well and again based more locally than the HH/Optima/Meg option. I use a Shearwater computer and i have been very pleased with it and the support.

So for toys R Us Id go for Shearwater rEvo or Sentinel with Hammer Head CCR brining up the rear.

For Simple CCR I like the Meg and for transportation on plains I like the rEvo first followed by either the HH or the Meg.

ATB

Mark

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Mikel-Deko

Hi Mark,

Is not the rEvo too heavy for plain transportation?

Or maybe you say that because is flat...

Thanks

Mikel

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Mikel-Deko
Basque Country
www.olatu.net

"DIR is the nanny state for divers who cannot think on their own" Ron Micjan

Finni

Thank you for you quick response.

Is there anybody out there that has experience on the Optima it seems to me that the unit is not popular in europe?

paulraymaekers

Hi Mikel, the mini rEvo titanium, equipped with 2 liter carbon tanks, is less then 21kg..

paul

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.... the earth is flat, Elvis is alive, and radial scrubbers give longer dwell time than axials...

caveseeker7

Dive Rite can't be arsed with getting CE for their rig, so it won't be anything that'll be in stock here in Europe. Same for spares I guess. Instructors are few so far.

The unit is quite popular in the US, especially in FL, gotta be about 300 out there by now. So plenty of experience, just not abroad.

Since the Micropore cartridge isn't easily available anywhere I know you need to have that shipped from the US, too. They're already more expensive than granular sorb over there, so by the time you paid for shipping, customs and tax duties it'll get quite pricey.

Both Poseidon and DeltaP will offer scrubbers using the cartridge, so hopefully that issue will change.

Anyway, with either rebreather you'll have to deal across the big pond when it comes to spares, repairs etc. For that reason alone I would take a close look at the Sentinel or the rEvo.

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Cheers
Stefan



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