Explorer CCR by KISS With Mods

[deep thought]

I was just out at Wazee this past weekend diving the KISS Explorer, and did a visit to Jimmy H. with a couple divers.  While I had used this same unit for training another KISS student a couple weeks earlier, I had not had it very deep and was anxious to see how my Mods improved the performance at depth, and if I had it adjusted for optimum breathing.  Bingo!

Below are some pictures of the KISS Explorer that I purchased earlier this season, but didn’t get built until just a month ago.  The new explorer has some features that I have improved upon, or modified to my likes based on the numerous ccr’s I dive and features I feel are best.

The first photo shows the back view with the scrubber can covered in bed liner which looks Tech, but is resistant to scratches which follow my dive gear like a shadow, and rumored to have an insulative property to benefit the exothermic sorb reaction?

Second photo shows the canister parted and a view of the in-line leaky orifice( 8 lpm) that I installed directly from the first stage to the oxygen inlet elbow.  The second oxygen line goes to the Titan 3 button gas block for manual oxygen addition.

Third photo is the front side with a Nomad EXP wing / harness, Stainless Steel Backplate, Titan 3 Gas Block.

Jetsam offers a specific wing for the Explorer, however I have been very pleased with the Nomad EXP combination.  The only mod I have added on EXP was to extend the butt mount clips, out-board for easier bottoms stage clip.  The Explorer back plate was also replaced with a standard SS backplate for weight, simplicity of two stud / wingnut attachment, and pre drilled holes for drysuit bottle.  Yes I added the studs for wingnut plate attachment.
 
Titan Gas Block.  This is the Aluminum version ( of choices brass / delrin /Alum)  which is ideal for weight , size, and ease of handling.  It is absolutely the best block I have used, and simple to train yourself button management since the Dil button sticks out the farthest, easy to find for emergency flush.  The middle Oxygen button is easy to manipulate, no sore fingers, and within one dive you master how frequent and how long hold for manual injection.  The lowest button is for Off-Board gas of choice.  I most frequently attach a tiny (3 cu. ft.) Oxygen whip for dives below 300 feet.  It works beautifully as the fixed IP Oxygen supply slows down, I simply tap the Off-Board oxygen and considering how in-frequently you really need to bump up PPO2, and relatively short bottom time >300  I might add a couple shots?  Now a “Know-It-All” would say this BCD inflator lacks proper flow rate for depth, volume, yada, yada… but with real world experience it works to any depth I have been.    A modification that I made to this near perfect block, is the removal of QD attachments at the top since it is too likely to have a supply hose quick disconnect at a critical time.  I have replaced the QD’s with second stage hose fittings for hand tight or wrench tight.  The only other mod I plan near future is to replace the traditional low pressure hoses with MilFlex hoses for slightly more comfort.

Fourth photo shows the Cut Away Counter Lung Housing, and the studs that I installed for my choice of backplates.  This picture shows the ease of access to the large counterlung attachment nut on upper left (divers left side counter lung is shown still attached).

Of all of the KISS rebreathers (Classic and Sport) that I have owned over the years, this is the best configuration I have ever dived, and gives a serious run for the money on other CCR’s that I frequently dive.  It is clean in front (assuming some mods), low profile, and when properly adjusted to your body breathes pretty darn good.  This Rebreather takes only minutes to set up, and breaks down into manageable pieces for cleaning, transport, storage, travel.
 
So Explorer features that I think are most relevant are the cut away counter lung case for access to counter lungs,  the bed liner on scrubber is nice but not a deal killer.  Jetsam has also just announced that they are working with Shearwater which is key to have good quality electronics such as integrated PPO2 / Deco, and HUD back up PPO2 monitor.

Mods that I have installed which put it over the top are the Titan gas block, in-line leaky valve, Shearwater Predator and HUD.

I will have this unit at several CCR demo’s around Midwest this Fall and Winter.  And of course Training all year with locations from Midwest to Florida in Winter, Kona HI, etc…

Good Diving

Ron

[matt t.]

Lookin' good!

[Chris H]

Ron,
Thanks for taking the time to show me the Explorer.  I'm considering the gas block on my KC.  You didn't mention it in your write up, but you aren't using a BOV, what mouthpiece are you using on this unit?  Was is from a Meg?

Chris

[matt t.]

Chris' question about the lack of BOV on Ron's Explorer may open up another CCR discussion on whether a BOV is necessary on CCR or not. I understand that a BOV is necessary on a CK due to lack of a manual diluent add valve (or whatever you want to call it), but what about the rest?

[deep thought]

Good eye  and no I do not have a BOV on any of the CCR's that I "actively" dive.  The Poseidon Discovery is an exception, but I don't actively dive the rig...

I am not opposed to BOV's, but I choose to follow a different philosophy on emergency protocol.

When the KISS rebreather was designed, it was built as a recreational rebreather by a diver who had very poor air consumption.  Gordon was looking to build a gas extension device and he succeeded quite well.  His idea was in the event of a problem, twist the valve on BOV and ascend...no convoluted techniques, just bail out!  When he designed the Sport KISS, he designed it exclusively for the recreational market and it also has a BOV.  This has not prevented divers from manipulating his original concept to tech dive and I have had divers on trips to Truk Lagoon dive the KISS past 300 on outer wall dives.  I know cave divers who regularly dive the Sport in Devils system.

The Poseidon Discovery is strictly a recreational diving rebreather, and it has built in limits to prevent a diver from diving with any gas source other than "air" and has a restrictive depth limit.  The BOV is integral part of the system and it will not go into dive mode unless the BOV is functioning in pre dive set up.

All of these (3) units described were/are "Sport Diving" rebreathers that I agree are well suited to bail out as first consideration when confronted with an issue.  A sport diver would be using air as a diluent, or normoxic 21/30 trimix, and either of these gasses are breathable at surface to depth students are certified to.  Assuming the sport diver has not used the diluent cylinder below a safe reserve to bail out, it may allow them to surface or provide time for them to secure a bail out stage. 

The rebreather industry has also evolved a lot in the past ten years, and I have seen many changes in design as well as techniques.  There is a trend towards technical divers adding BOV's to rigs that traditionally did not have BOV's, and certain manufactures have gone to extent of designing BOV's just to meet consumer demand while their foundation was built on a rig that did not utilize BOV.

One reason that I do not utilize a BOV on rigs I dive is the consideration for the gas that is plumbed into the BOV, it has to be breathable.  Since I dive almost exclusively with trimix mixtures below 21% this poses a risk at the surface and shallow depths.  So if I regularly dive 200-300 foot, there should be no concern as depth/pressure makes the gas breathable....but depth is not the danger zone with a ccr, the surface and shallow water is where ccr divers must be the most concerned.  At depth if my BOV is plumbed into a diluent cylinder, I can bail out and get 3-5 breaths before the cylinder is empty? Well this is obviously not a workable situation as any emergency whether it be Co2 or coughing on swallowed water will take 10+ breaths just to get settled!  So my only option then would be to have a whip with some convoluted plumbing gas switching block or stage bottle plug in.  And there is nothing I like less than weasels in dive politics, is a convoluted rebreather.  I like rebreathers to be simple (Keep It Simple Silly)

If you look at any technical manual on oxygen, you are likely to see a chapter on oxygen toxic reactions, PPO2 recommendations, NOAA time limits, the authors idea of conservative oxygen exposure limits, signs-symptoms, etc... and perhaps one sentence or paragraph on Hypoxia - maybe?  So the age old demon of "high oxygen is going to kill you" is so embedded into the technical community that divers are not well enough informed of the true danger of ccr's "Hypoxia"  I was fortunate to be on a couple dive charters where Dr. Grant demonstrated live demo on hypoxia (on his KISS CCR) while aboard the Nautilus Explorer, and since then I have seen one diver go hypoxic, have lost numerous colleagues, and have had students report to me recent experience on surface while entering water... then I had my own recent experience while putting a subsurface float on the new wreck Doty (shallow water).    My teaching has been modified by 15 years of actively diving ccr's around the world, by the deaths of friends and colleagues, and personal experiences with hypoxia. 

While I do respect Oxygen Toxicity, I consider Hypoxia the Grim Reaper that is going to get you if you turn your back on it.  Almost all of the skills that are used by two training agencies I work with are based on the first CisLunar that is 20 years old and no longer in service.  The dreaded "Stuck Open Solenoid" is one example of what was driven into my psyche as an early instructor, and there are skills we present to stop this and continue bailing out on ccr, even on rebreathers that do not have a solenoid?  This is only one example.  Another popular rebreather is responsible for the term "If In Doubt, Bail Out" and the AP Diving rebreather had a Safe Second Inflator where divers are trained to take 3-4 "Sanity Breaths" then return to the rebreather - flush - and try to resolve the issue.  So training agencies adopt IIDBO for all courses, and try to do this with a rebreather that does not have a diluent flush like the KISS... you bastardize some method of getting gas into the ccr, but you are fooling yourself in a half-hearted attempt.

If you are lucky to get any signs of an impending doom, then you have to have enough cognition to make "only one response" and that is your choice as a diver to decide: what one action will always be correct at any depth to save my life??  I enjoy rebreather diving and unlike people who go out of their way to make a rebreather some anal practices that requires divers to labor hours on set-up, break-down, cleaning.... I go diving and have hundreds-hundreds of hours on multiple ccr's.  Rebreathers are not rocket science, they are not difficult to dive, maintain, or be safe.  Rebreathers are what you make them, and habits are what keeps you alive. 

My choice of "only one response "is If In Doubt Flush It Out" then look at your PPO2 or try and think if there is something wrong.  If you have flushed a ccr, and this sounds simple, but I have seen many divers who do not understand the proper way to flush a ccr (not same technique on all ccr").  But if you do know how to effectively flush a ccr, then you will buy the time you need to make a life saving second step - either fix the problem or bail out to off-board.  Get your brain some good gas - shallow or deep - then you may have a chance to survive and "incident".  Like my near surface hypoxic event, I suffer from the same hypocrisy that all humans struggle with "denial" and not doing what I preach to my students.  Flush First then think second, but NOOOOO I look down and see PPO2 of .13 .14 .14  at same time I flush.  People fight to stay alive as proven by mountain climbers that keep on climbing, accident victims that try to get up, soldiers that are shot that keep going...we simply do not want to accept that we could be dying and unfortunately by the time you recognize hypoxia it is too late.  When struggling to breath, or absorb enough oxygen, the human instinct is to spit out the mouthpiece as it is foreign and to swim to the surface because our brain knows we should not be underwater!  So your human instinct and response is only going to make it worse!   

Face it, that you can only train and repeat a few skills that will stick with you, and you are better to focus on only one technique that you will embed into "Muscle Memory" than two or three that will be muddled when your brain does not have enough fuel to make conscious decision. 

At or near the surface jam the oxygen into the loop - you can never have too much oxygen at the surface

At depth jam the diluent

You are only making one decision, am I shallow or am I at depth?  And your ccr should be equipped with manual injection that is simple and Please Do Not put isolators or shut off valves on emergency flushing gas! That is equal to putting a safety shut off switch on your automobile air bag system - Hey a car is going to hit me head on "BAM" too late... There is no reason to put shut offs on any gas, with exception of your High PPO2 off-board stage (keep the reg pressurized and you don't deploy without reason).  One of the reasons that I like the Titan Gas Block on KISS / rEvo is the one hand reaction to hit either oxygen or diluent for flush, but I am muscle memory trained to flush on Meg, Inspo, Optima as well. 

So if you have a BOV that is smaller than a Volkswagen Beatle, then I have no problem.  I have used the KISS, Poseidon, Golem Shrimp, AP Diving BOV and all I can say is that the BOV must be a "One Hand" operation that you can do with half a mind...if not your are fooling yourself.  If you have to plug and un-plug, swap fitting, or switch a gas block then it is only a piece of mind only comfort. 

Always challenge conventional wisdom, and don't let your eye off the ball as it tends to rolls away.

Ron


 

 

[matt t.]

Thanks for your thoughts and sharing your experience Ron. My rebreather didn't come with a factory BOV either and I've been considering adding one. There are certainly valid arguments on both sides, but I'm still riding the fence on the need for one. On another note I am totally convinced that a HUD is mandatory on a rebreather.

[deep thought]

I don't want to trash BOV's and I personally like the Shrimp, but make sure you have the correct gas plumbed in at all times, and keep the ccr clean. It's a net loss when you add 5 hoses, switches, valves to solve 1 problem.

Yes HUD's are cool!

Ron