What have you done to your Meg?

rogeringebo

What modifications ,if any, have you done or/and are planning to do with your Megalodon?
I have moved moved around and added quit alot of stuff and now would love to hear about your modifications and what you think of the results.

Cheers
Rodge

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Life starts at 100

wedivebc

So far I have attached the CLs using double ended clips v. fastex and I am about to start removing a couple of the velcro tabs, namely the outer ones.
Still undecided about usefulness of the inner ones.

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Cheers,

Dave....

Man is the only animal burdened with the knowledge he will eventually die

moley

Mmmmmm...let me see

Hacked off the inner velcro tabs on the counterlungs.
Fitted the narked@90 frame.
Fitted 1.5ltr argon with qd clips to that.
Removed the handset wriststrap and replaced with bungiecord.
Fitted a Bov.
Fitted five ltr cylinders to both Dil and 02
Bov to dil 1st stage/6 mtr deco regulator to 02 1st stage.(I would rather carry gas than lead)
Halcyon SS backplate
Eclipse 45lbs wing
Halcyon permanent v weight to backplate
Twin carb modification.
High lift axle.
Twin furry dice.
Go-faster/deeper stripe.

Handles beutifully like this.......neoprene counterlungs are definately on the wish list....just cant quite summon the $660.00 plus postage to the UK

So far so good with the unit for a newbie...if I could just stop sucking my shirt tails up my arse at 65mtrs I would be a happy bunny.....ah well, give it time I s'pose!!!!

Take care guys and gals.

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You think I know nothing.....and I do!!!

Joe

Cut ALL of the crap off the counterlungs including the plastic clips. The only things I left were the top and bottom D rings. I use small bolt snaps on bungee secured to the top slot on the back plate to attach the CL's on the top and a short length of bungee with bolt snaps run through the loop in the harness crotch strap to secure the bottom of the CL's. This gives you versatility to lift them away from you to dump gas and still keeps them very close and streamlined during the dive.

I shortened the hoses and put a Y fitting on the dil side so only one 6" hose comes off the regulator. At the split I run one (shortened) hose with a shut off on the end to the ADV and the other (shortened) hose goes to the wing inflator.

Got rid of the SPG's and installed large faced button gauges on each reg.

diverklondike

Why did you choose to eliminate your capability to view gas levels during a dive?

Thanks

Mark

moley

Hi Joe....I would be interested in why you have done this.

cheers,

Ian

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You think I know nothing.....and I do!!!

trob09

Phase 1
- cut off about half of the velcro tabs (inside)
- installed g-snaps
- modified Halcyon wing to accomodate Ford Flow® hose routing
- Installed a tank boot with spacer to extend the length of the can by 4-5" found that boot prevents unit from standing on its own. Decided that having the extra 4-5" was worth not letting it stand unattended.
- Basked in the glow of knowing I had done all the mods I wanted to

Phase 2
- Installed a y block on Dil hose to feed ADV and BC
- Bought a new wing (Agir) and modified it to accomodate Ford Flow® hose routing
- Bought a new plate (Deep Sea Supply) due to it's lower profile
- Bought neoprene counter-lungs. go back and forth. unable to decide which is preferred resolve to continue to use both based on whim.
- Re-plumbed O2 to Exhale lung
- Bought new hoses to clean up loops in various locations.
- Changed O2 manual add inflator (old one sticking - later fixed and added to spares bin)
- Basked in the glow that now I was really done modifying it

Phase 3
- Bought a golem gear BOV and monkeyed about with off-board plumbing for several weeks
- cut off some more velcro tabs
- Changed boot to slighly more rigid/stable version but still don't stand it up without supervision.
- Basked in the glow again, but was somewhat less sure that I was really done

Phase 4
- Bought a cis lunar canister
- Re-worked SPG hoses so they run down between me/backplate & clip off to waist (similar to Hogathian rigging)
- Bought new halcyon wing, sold old halcyon wing. Still using Ford Flow® routing method.
- Considered selling all old regs and buying all new regs. Decided against it.
- No longer believe that I will ever be done modifying it.

moley

Phew!!....Nice one, in particular the last sentence.

I thought it was just me....isnt it amazing in this diving world that one piece of comparitive trivia such as a mis-routed hose or similar can cause endless hours of thought, more bloody thought, a coupla million pounds in modifications, and your still not happy....what the hell is that all about!!!

Pass me the pub revolver.

Ian

ps. As the girlfriend keeps saying '' if you gave as much thought and time to us as you do to that bloody machine blah blah blah''....you know the one!!

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You think I know nothing.....and I do!!!

Joe

Several reasons. First, to reduce the clutter and to minimze (not eliminate) potential failure points and entanglement hazards.

Also, I know my consumption, never begin a dive with less than appropriately full tanks, always dive with a buddy whom I can "plug in to" and always have off board gas to plug into.

Rebreather's are very quiet. If you have a leak you will hear it. If you are worried about your gas you can always have your buddy look at the Button for you.
If you lose your buddy the dive is over anyway so your gas pressure becomes a moot point.

Unlike open circuit, running out of gas is not a crisis the same way. In the extremely unlikely event that were to happen you simply plug into your off board gas. Obviously, it is a skill you need to maintain and practise, but you should be doing that anyway.

I've been "tech" diving since the 80's and have never had a gas problem. With proper vigilance you shouldn't other than an unpreventable catastrophic gas failure. On OC how often do you look at your SPG during the course of a dive? For me it was once when I initially reached depth and depending on the dive, once or twice during (keep in mind that I never pushed gas limits and typically would finish a dive with 1800 - 2000 psig - almost enough reserve to do the dive again). If you know your consumption you do not need to constantly look at the gauge unless you are doing something strenuous or you are playing close to the limit.

Keeping all of this in mind, I decided that I'd rather go for the cleanest, most streamlined rig possible. I know several others who have made the same choice.

I'm not suggesting anyone else do this - for me running out of gas on the Rebreather is an unlikely but reasonably manageable event.....and again,.... I reiterate,.... this may not be the correct choice for anyone else.

Cheers.

Joe

diverklondike

I am glad to see that you do not suggest this approach for others since in general most people including myself would consider it unsafe and that the risks created by it outweigh any possible benefit.


And so not to “hijack” the thread I will not any further.


Dive Safe


Mark