Tell a recreational or even a technical open circuit diver that you’re diving CCR, and one of the first questions they are likely to ask is which rebreather you bought. And then comes the big question: ‘What is the best CCR rebreather?’ Fair question, and here is an attempt at an answer.
Tl;dr – still loving the Kiss Sidewinder. Find out more here.
Let me start by taking a closer look at the question: asking for the best rebreather is too simple. In my mind, the question should be ‘What is the best rebreather for me right now?’ or something like ‘What is the best rebreather for the diving I want to do?’ Those questions are more helpful when it comes to determining which rebreather is best for you.
So, why am I even writing about this? First, I get asked that question quite regularly when people see me with the Sidewinder: ‘So, is it really the best rebreather?’
Second, it recently came to me that I can sum up in one word why I enjoy diving that rebreather so much: VERSATILITY. It’s that simple, and I realised it when I looked at pictures from a job I did two years ago.
Different Types of Diving – Same Rebreather
Long, Shallow Dives
Two years ago, I spent a considerable amount of time underwater as a safety diver for a camera crew. The finished product is out on 21 April 2024. The requirements were relatively straightforward – work with the dive supervisor to create dive plans and then watch the cameramen underwater making sure they stay safe. Plus, a bit of troubleshooting and general helping out before and after dives. Sounds easy enough, no?
In reality, it meant configuring the unit with enough bailout gas and bailout regulators to potentially help three people: two cameramen and myself. The Sidewinder’s concept of being a rebreather on top of an existing Sidemount setup made that easy. Being a light and comfortable unit helped with dives that routinely ran to 4 hours, albeit in very shallow water.
Over that amount of time, it’s easy for a unit to start feeling heavy and cumbersome, eventually giving you back pain. Thanks to its light construction and (almost) endless configurability, the Sidewinder excelled on the job.
Simple Maintenance
Turning up for a job like the one above with a rebreather means choosing a unit that would reliably work day in and day out in a remote location for five or six weeks with minimal hiccups. If you’ve dived long enough, you know that everything breaks. It’s just a question of when that happens. So, perhaps we need to change our expectations from ‘reliably work’ to ‘be easy to maintain.’
For me, the simple construction of this rebreather is another big advantage. Did it have issues over those weeks of diving? The honest answer is “None worth mentioning.” There were a couple of small leaks caused by salt and sand that were easily cleaned. A couple of connectors also required new o-rings and a bit of a clean. Nothing took more than five or ten minutes, and neither of these ‘issues’ delayed any dives. To me, that is a massive advantage for a rebreather that I may be using in areas without fast access to extensive service centres.
Shore Entries
Yes, you still need to move your diluent/bailout tanks into the water and back out, but walking your unit in and out becomes easier.
Cave Dives
If you’re reading this blog post, chances are that you have seen some of the amazing photographs of the Sidewinder in action in caves around the world. So, need I really say more?
Personally, I’ve been lucky enough to take my Sidewinder into the earth in South Sulawesi thanks to Robin Cuesta of Sulawesi Dive Trek and in Mexico thanks to Protec Dive Centers.
The balance and diving comfort, even in very shallow water, just made the dives even more enjoyable. Some of this is due to having the counterlung on the back, close to the diver’s own lungs.
The other important factor is the relatively small dead air space compared to other rebreathers which makes it easy to dive the Sidewinder in shallow caves.
Deep Dives
Is the Sidewinder a good rebreather for deep dives? Well, so far, I’ve dived the unit past 70 m both in Indonesia and in Malta. It’s stood up well to the rigours of decompression diving. Without adjustments, the unit is limited to 90 m because of the orifice, but there are plenty of options to prepare the rebreather to go deeper (another topic for another day).
For deeper CCR dives, one of the biggest considerations and potential limitations is carrying enough bailout gas. So, what does it take to bring 4 or 5 bailout tanks with you? For the answer, we don’t even need to go into CCR diving. To dive the Sidewinder safely with that many bailout tanks, you need to be a proficient technical Sidemount diver before you head for greater depths.
From the Shore
Assuming that you’re happy with your technical Sidemount setup, you simply need to work out the logistics of getting your bailout tanks in and out of the water. That’s no different from diving any other rebreather, and the solution will depend on your dive site.
From the Boat
- Can you secure a space close to the exit? Take it!
- Can you store (some of) your bailout cylinders under the bench you’re sitting on and put them on yourself? The crew will appreciate it.
- Do you need help? Ask for it, ideally not at the last minute. Tell captains and crew members exactly what you need and most will be happy to help.
- How long do you need? Be realistic and start kitting up earlier if you need extra time. Practice and develop a routine for kitting up – the more practiced you are, the easier and faster you will be.
Was the Sidewinder made to be dived from boats? No, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done well.
Final Thoughts
What is the best CCR rebreather?
By now, I hope you understand that this is mostly a rhetorical question. If you want an answer, the best CCR rebreather is one that works for you in most circumstances that your dives cover. In my case, that included safety diving, cave diving, boat diving, shore diving, deep diving, shallow diving, warm water, and cold-ish water. The Sidewinder has worked well for me in all of them, and I’m looking forward to adding more dives to the range.
Is it the best rebreather for you? Well, there’s one way to find out. Check out kisssidewinder.pro for more information on training.