Hi Zach, the reasons for the OPV and inflator on the military suits are: (a) When you work upright (as opposed to in trim) you lose gas all the time so either you keep opening/closing the OPV or you put it somewhere where you can leave it open and not think about it. Guess where that location is. (b) If you are diving a chest mount rebreather like many combatant divers will do, then the normal inflator position is underneath the unit and thus a pain to get to. So it's moved to an easy to reach and out of the way location.
I'm not seeing the difference on the bayonet connectors for the loop hoses. I dive a KISS Orca Spirit LTE (2023 or late 2022 build) and mine have the same click feedback with a quarter turn between lock/unlock positions. My buddy has a fresh 2024 build with the same connectors.
The click is significantly more pronounced. You have to push the ring towards the tower and twist to get it to release. Not knocking the old ones, they just never felt secure enough to me. On my student's units i've seen varying levels of secure-ness. Some of them work pretty good, some of them seem like they barely "engage". These new ones are AWESOME.
@@DiveVibe I think it's a tolerance consistency thing with Mike's shop. Mine requires a bit of force pushing in to get it to disengage. My dive buddy's unit (2024) is nearly impossible to connect the scrubbers to the counterlungs without rolling an o-ring because the tolerance on his unit is so tight on that connection. Mine has 0 issue in comparison (even when it was new). Anyways, I'll get to see the SW2 once our shop's instructors get them in.
I was curious, since you did a video on the fathom Gemini a while back, did you get to check one out at DEMA? Just curious, as I just finished MOD 2 on mine. I think it would be cool if someone made a video comparing and contrasting them yet I havent met anyone who has dove both, personally I’ve only dove the Gemini. Or next time you’re around Houston you can check mine out.
I'll be back in Houston in January, lets make that happen! Right before DEMA I was at protec in Tulum assisting with a sidewinder course. There was a gentleman there with a gemini and he let me check it out on the bench, it's pretty cool. I still think the market has room for both units.
@@DiveVibe Nice, we definitely should. The guy who first told me about your Chanel, Carl G may be a good dude to join us. Before getting a rebreather I had planned to go with protec for cave training, but got busy with the rebreather, teaching open water courses and DMing on the fling so cave training fell by the wayside. My original open water instructor hit me up last week when I was in Bonaire for CCR MOD 2, to go with protec in April when he goes there, so looks like I may finally make it to Tulum for cave training.
Yes, a little bit. It has attachment points on the side for the bolt snaps. It has a cool system for diving it with a backmount single tank as well, very easy.
Zach, this is driving me crazy: What is the outro music track that you use in this video? I have tried multiple methods, and everything fails or points to "Fatal Error" by Jules Reves, but that is not correct. I must be really close, what is it? Related: Do you have a playlist for the other songs you use? Thanks!
You can always use your own. I had one but got rid of it. If I want to go deeper than 90m I swap the spring for a stiffer one in the first stage and a tighter orifice. However, the sidewinder or the gemini wouldn't be my first choice for hypoxic trimix dives. Maybe if I was doing a really deep cave dive, but not in openwater unless I had to for some reason.
@@DiveVibe not gonna lie. The Revo, having no head is a giant plus over the other units you listed. Along with the dual scrubber, totally independent electronics, and smaller form factor.
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Hi Zach, the reasons for the OPV and inflator on the military suits are:
(a) When you work upright (as opposed to in trim) you lose gas all the time so either you keep opening/closing the OPV or you put it somewhere where you can leave it open and not think about it. Guess where that location is.
(b) If you are diving a chest mount rebreather like many combatant divers will do, then the normal inflator position is underneath the unit and thus a pain to get to. So it's moved to an easy to reach and out of the way location.
Thanks Tobias!
I'm not seeing the difference on the bayonet connectors for the loop hoses. I dive a KISS Orca Spirit LTE (2023 or late 2022 build) and mine have the same click feedback with a quarter turn between lock/unlock positions. My buddy has a fresh 2024 build with the same connectors.
The click is significantly more pronounced. You have to push the ring towards the tower and twist to get it to release. Not knocking the old ones, they just never felt secure enough to me. On my student's units i've seen varying levels of secure-ness. Some of them work pretty good, some of them seem like they barely "engage". These new ones are AWESOME.
@@DiveVibe I think it's a tolerance consistency thing with Mike's shop. Mine requires a bit of force pushing in to get it to disengage. My dive buddy's unit (2024) is nearly impossible to connect the scrubbers to the counterlungs without rolling an o-ring because the tolerance on his unit is so tight on that connection. Mine has 0 issue in comparison (even when it was new). Anyways, I'll get to see the SW2 once our shop's instructors get them in.
I was curious, since you did a video on the fathom Gemini a while back, did you get to check one out at DEMA? Just curious, as I just finished MOD 2 on mine. I think it would be cool if someone made a video comparing and contrasting them yet I havent met anyone who has dove both, personally I’ve only dove the Gemini. Or next time you’re around Houston you can check mine out.
I'll be back in Houston in January, lets make that happen!
Right before DEMA I was at protec in Tulum assisting with a sidewinder course. There was a gentleman there with a gemini and he let me check it out on the bench, it's pretty cool. I still think the market has room for both units.
@@DiveVibe Nice, we definitely should. The guy who first told me about your Chanel, Carl G may be a good dude to join us. Before getting a rebreather I had planned to go with protec for cave training, but got busy with the rebreather, teaching open water courses and DMing on the fling so cave training fell by the wayside. My original open water instructor hit me up last week when I was in Bonaire for CCR MOD 2, to go with protec in April when he goes there, so looks like I may finally make it to Tulum for cave training.
@JAB24100 Shoot me an email and we'll setup a trip to the blue lagoon or something! divevibemedia@gmail.com
awsome!
Thank you!
Hi Zach, has the mounting method changed for the new canisters ?
Yes, a little bit. It has attachment points on the side for the bolt snaps. It has a cool system for diving it with a backmount single tank as well, very easy.
Zach, this is driving me crazy: What is the outro music track that you use in this video? I have tried multiple methods, and everything fails or points to "Fatal Error" by Jules Reves, but that is not correct. I must be really close, what is it? Related: Do you have a playlist for the other songs you use? Thanks!
Here ya go!
m.soundcloud.com/user-808407889/beneath-the-skin?in=user-808407889/sets/cyberpunk-scores
Bummer on the boxed milk sidewinder 2. I thought just from the brief photo it had a needle valve.
You can always use your own. I had one but got rid of it. If I want to go deeper than 90m I swap the spring for a stiffer one in the first stage and a tighter orifice. However, the sidewinder or the gemini wouldn't be my first choice for hypoxic trimix dives. Maybe if I was doing a really deep cave dive, but not in openwater unless I had to for some reason.
@ what would you use for a deeper dive?
@jacobkrause1913 A more traditional backmount unit. I'm between backmount units rn, but im looking at the xCCR. Also wouldn't mind a JJ or a revo.
@@DiveVibe not gonna lie. The Revo, having no head is a giant plus over the other units you listed. Along with the dual scrubber, totally independent electronics, and smaller form factor.
@jacobkrause1913 what do you dive?
Why is the new Apeks regulator weird? EVX 200 is the model name I think. I think it looks quite cool.
Lol i was just picking on aqualung/apeks.
It is an improved Winder, I don't really see the hype. Most of the improvements are fixes that should've been done over a decade ago.
Do you dive a sidewinder?
@@DiveVibe No, because I felt that these improvements should've been standard.
@Teampegleg which unit are you running?
Then it's good that they come standard now. Doesn't have to be groundbreaking, just realiable out of the box.