I currently dive a Dive Rite Transpac and I absolutely can't wait to certify and then be able to purchase this system. Working with submarines for 15 years this system is so intuitive to me. Sure wish the Key West event wasn't a one off, I was ready to jump in my Bronco and head there. Was glad that you showed how to hang out at the surface using the SMB. Agreed that is a little awkward, but it works. Thanks for this great review. Your comment regarding running out of gas was spot on! Do admit you had me laughing.
Okay but we still haven’t adopted jet packs despite that technology existing, and the idea of high altitude passenger jet travel died with Concord. Technology being better is not itself enough to make it viable for widespread adoption.
"How much lift does this have?" *is* a valid question, and it's answerable: it's how positively buoyant the Avelo system is with no water in it, like you would be at the surface. I sized my wing so it has enough lift to keep me, with all my gear, at the surface, it's reasonable to confirm the Avelo system could do the same. It would likely need to do so with a much smaller amount of lift if I don't need a weight belt anymore, but the principle stays the same. With a system like this it's also reasonable to ask how negative it is when it's completely full of water. That will tell me how much weight I need to offset my drysuit (if any).
If I ever had the chance to try it, I would! I’d love to go to Maui and have the experience of this system! Shout out to Horizon, I’ll be planting coral with you and diving this August 12th weekend! Happy birthday James!
I have low back issues. I switched my weight to my BC system and it made a dramatic difference. If I still had to wear a weight belt I wouldn't be diving.
Theyre very nice and fully set weigh around 14kg (30lbs) less than a traditional single tank setup. Its great for those with bad backs or legs or for shore diving that requires hauling your gear a longer distance
Way to leave the bad news for last James LOL - I've seen the Avelo Videos before and your Dema and the traveling or the availability have been the big question, the others well you have to adapt to a new system, and if is proven safe like you just did with all the "non-emergency" points you explained then perfect. The point that they are not talking about price might be is cost prohibited and they don't have the funding to make it more mass production or as you said they want to sell or rent the patents, you don't need to sell your idea just let others use it for a price and a period of time.... But as anything in tech it wouldn't be the first time the better tech dies without making it to the masses. Mini Disk was way better than a CDRW in many ways... but who remembers them? Or knows they existed... Great video James. Top notch. Thank you!
Back in the mid-70s, I dived the old Dacor Nautilus Constant Volume System. Clearly, it had some flaws and was nowhere near the sophistication level of Avelo. But, boy, did I love diving neutrally buoyant throughout an entire dive, making only one adjustment at the beginning. Hat's off to these folks. I've finally lived long enough to see a real breakthrough in scuba technology and can't wait to try one.
I like the idea. As a diver with back & shoulder injuries anything that could reduce stress on these parts is a benefit. I was happy with the maintenance & failure points you addressed apart from you didn’t mention a pump failure in the on position. There is no system which is 100% fail safe. You’d have a runway adding weight to your system with no way to stop it. A scooter you can let it go or jam a knife into the prop but what do you do with a sealed unit? Apart from that I like the idea. I wonder if it can be developed into a tech system in the future & twinset type diving? Look forward to seeing how it develops.
Isn't the purge a manual valve, I would assume you could easily purge faster than it can pump in. I think both would have to fail to make your scenario possible.
I cannot foresee Avelo becoming the next big "deal". You cannot continue to dive in the same location, eventually you need to branch out and travel. For this new product to become available everywhere (dive shops operating in developing countries) it might be a while. The product appears cumbersome to lug on an airplane, all the while when SCUBA tanks are available at every dive shop in the world. I ‘m going on a dive trip tomorrow (Asia) and I’ve packed my SCUBA gear, GoPro w/ accessories and clothes (2 suitcases + backpack). I would need to purchase additional baggage from the airline (3rd bag) just to take Avelo system with me. Is the product good = Yes, but when was the last time you brought a SCUBA tank on an airplane?
Absolutely you have to think of this as of a SCUBA tank. But if a big Manufacturer/Distributor buys this or the Licenses than the numbers can go up and the cost down. The capital costs to run a dive shop are high anyways. And if it catches on than you safe space in the luggage because you don't need to pack the BCD.
I think this will not become the next big thing due to cost, complexity and maintainabiltiy. For scuba to be successful, things need to be simple and not too expensive. Think about it: a basic BCD basically needs 0 maintenance except for a new spring and some rubber parts every few years + cleaning. This is something almost everyone can do, especially every dive shop with some minimal training.
You are not bringing a scuba cylinder on an airplane without removing the valve. I have brought a 2L O2 cylinder with me but had to pull the valve off it, and had to go thru the BS of getting it O2 cleaned at the opposite end before the dive operator would fill it. I have travelled extensively with my rebreather and this thing doesn’t give me the warm fuzzies at all.
I believe the plan is for the cylinders to be available everywhere like 80 aluminum cylinders are available everywhere now. All you have to bring is the back plate assembly with the pump and battery. That takes up less space than most BC’s today.
my guess would be: most divers have to travel for being able to dive, this cuts the possible sale amount so much that lease and service agreements with dive centers and possible "avelo-only" dive centers( caused by the possible disruptivenes of avelo (no wear and tear on BCs etc. and minimal seed capital need, could be huge selling point for "avelo-only" dive centers) are the most lucrative ways to keep a long term business through going full 21st century whilst "selling diving as a service". This could explain their refrain to sell individually as revealing their price and maintainance cost could harm well adjusted distributing plans. Just some thoughts greetings from Berlin
James - all the same questions I asked Aviad at DEMA this past year. And still the same unsatisfying answers. Lol. Jealous you got to dive it...congrats! Cannot wait until this opportunity is available again in Florida. Happy Birthday! Cheers!
Seems like a great innovation and with most innovations it needs incremental improvement over time. I would have two concerns: 1. The tank looks long. For a short person this could be annoying when your legs constantly hit the tank. 2. Floating on water may be solved with the dsmb but surely an inflateable vest could be integrated for added comfort and safety. Like most other comments, I also believe it will be years before holiday divers can use this system.
This looks amazing. However, if the 'exit strategy' theory is correct, let's hope that this technology would not get buried by any of the major players who bought it up. I would love to try this and could see this taking off in a big way given the right approach to the market. Oh, and Happy Birthday James.🍺
I think the major players will chomp at the bit to sell something new to the dive community. The trick will be 1) marketing, but that’s historically not been a problem, 2) distributing it sufficiently so it can be trained and supported successful.
So, the pressure reading changes as you add water for buoyancy and this is marketed to, essentially, new divers to solve a "problem" related to not good enough training and lack of desire to be a better diver, a solution looking for a problem. Now, we expect the same divers to understand rule of thirds at the start of their dive and do basic math underwater to figure out when they should turn the dive and head up with appropriate reserve? Anyone here who has crewed on a dive boat before knows that new divers running out of air and busting their NDL is far more common than one would think. I'm in tech and appreciate new technology, what I have never been a fan of are inventions which turn out to merely be a solution looking for a problem and secretive technology thay cant be purchased, only leased/licensed. Most shops don't want a recurring cost, its smarter to capitalize the equipment and get depreciation over time, not have a constant cost that never goes down, likely may increase with time, and also still front the cost of maintenance and repair. In difficult and slow times most shops look to trim recurring costs as fast as possible to weather a storm, this isn't the case with this system, as of yet. It'll be interesting to follow them, but as of right now I'm not coming to a conclusion, but I always remain skeptical at first, approach cautiously, and wait for something to mature because, especially in Tech, things come and go.
The appeal, in a nutshell: "I saved a little money on a cheap diving course. Now I struggle with buoyancy control. To fix this skills problem, I will buy an Avelo system at vastly greater cost than regular gear options. I am aware that it introduces a myriad of failure points and increased risks, and that I'm not even trained to use it. I accept those risks because I presume nothing bad will ever happen to me".
This is great, I can see it as great option for weekly beach dives where you don’t have to walk with heavy gear on the beach. When I want to boat dive or travel I just use my current bcd or travel bcd.
Very interesting, though I couldn’t help but notice a couple of dive weights strapped to the tanks on a few divers despite it being a “weight-less” system
I saw the boat off loaded with those “very cool tanks” on Thursday. I can believe I missed the opportunity to say hello you u in person😢! Happy Birthday! Susan Wilkins
Looks like a clever system, only query I have and something I didn't see being addressed, is what if the pump sticks on and just adds max water continuously - this could cause overweighting and descending too deep. Is there any mechanism for that or do you just open the water dump and abort? Thanks for the video, definitely an interesting approach!
I would imagine it would entail a pressure switch that activates if the pressure in the gas bladder exceeds a certain pressure and either cuts power to pump or opens a dump valve for the water that bleeds at the max rate of the pump. Just a thought.
Failure points don't matter. Redundancy is important. I go mostly diving on a dual 7l sidemount setup for recreational diving with air. I wouldn't care if a regulator, 1st stage or diving computer fails. If I can't fix it, I'll abort the dive and go through the regular ascend procedure. Going solo, a failure of the Avelo system would pose a serious risk. So currently, it would be a nogo for me. If they make a redundant one, I'd look into it. Maybe then it would also be available for purchase. I'm also unsure if enough buoyancy could be lost without weight to actually submerge with a drysuit fitted for cold water diving. There is a reason carbon tanks never caught on and people prefer steel tanks to reduce the amount of lead required. "Rule of thirds" is crap, it means you increase the reserve amount of air if you use a bigger tank - doesn't make sense.
While watching this the thought that kept returning to me was diving more like the old days. No BC's. This is going to sound like I am a dangerous diver. I ran into a group of vintage divers. I went diving with them, rigged like they dive. I don't own a double hose regulator so I dove a single hose regulator rigged like their equipment (Just first stage, second stage and pressure gauge) and no BC. Note, this was in an area in a quarry were the max. depth was 40' and we still had buddies. Weighting is far more important and more exacting. Note, I wouldn't do this in the open ocean or dives where my depth was varying largely through out the dive. Why all this, I have never felt so free and unencumbered diving as when I dove with them. I suspect diving the Avelo system might feel more like that then our current equipment configurations. Another possible reason for leasing. The units are very expensive. Chugging Guiness what a waste. Happy Birthday James🥮🎊
This is bittersweet. I am absolutely in love with my kit. My wife will murder me if I try to buy anything new within the next 10 years. I’d love to be a frontiersmen in this venture but will unfortunately have to sit it out until it’s probably been on the market for a while.
I think the biggest hurdle, maybe getting dive shops to fill the cylinders. Believing the flexible membrane can handle the pressure. Many shops will not fill the older aluminum cylinders.
They've got Avelo here in Sydney Australia, and they're a sweet unit from what i've seen at our local shop and at sites. Just a matter of time and money before i get certed one one because the weight difference is super nice especially for shore diving that often includes long walks and/or lots of stairs.
Does this use a lithium battery pack? Airlines won't let that be in the checked luggage and TSA won't allow that size battery in a carry-on. That means that the entire system would have to be at the location we dive at. Excited for this system to be available. Will have to book a trip to Maui!
This is really cool! Hopefully, Avelo licenses this technology to multiple manufacturers. That’s the only way I could see it gaining general acceptance. With a few manufacturers, all making similar systems using a standard tank, I could see dive centers and charter boats carrying these tanks. The gear doesn’t look like it takes up any more space than a BC so traveling with it should be no problem.
Fascinating. . also frustrating. Like Popular Mechanics for divers. (“and this will be widely available when?”). Hopefully Scubapro, Apeks, Mares and Cressi are already angling before the Pentagon classifies the whole program for military use only. Hopefully You will have a hub in Miami so we can come train directly with you next year. Hopefully I won’t still be thinking these thoughts out loud in Grand Cayman next Summer as I’m still working on my first 25.
Now this is some cool stuff. I just hope at my age I get the chance to try it, maybe buy one or teach the use of it before I have to quit instructing or diving. That's the part that sucks about getting old is thinking about the next great thing you will not be able to miss. Kind of like going back to old school diving with less gear but better.
Don't know how old you are but I wouldn't worry. The guy who started my club in 1973 is still a very regular diver and instructor (Scotland and drysuit) He is 79 years young.
Honestly James I'm open mind and when I did see it last year's I thought 💭🤔, woe‼️ probably will change our approach to dive in near future, so I guess it's a great change to our dive system for good 👍🏻
The idea seems sound. But, I think in their attempt to be different, they 'threw out the baby with the bath water' - Why did they have to reverse the first stage? - Why not have a rudimentary BC type device? In theory drysuit wearers don't need them; but they still wear them. - Why not carry minimal ditchable weight. 4lbs of lead is all you need to gain positive buoyancy in an emergency. Maybe the next iteration can address these issues. Really like the rest of it for warm water diving wearing a skin or thin suit. A thick suit would eliminate a portion of the constant buoyancy advantage.
It will work, except that you still need to manage your dry suit bouyancy manually anyways... Which completely destroys the main selling point. Also in case of a flooded dry suit, will this provide enough lift? I kinda doubt it.
Looks awesome, biggest problem would be distribution. I get trained now and it not be anywhere I dive for the next 5 or 10 years…will I remember everything and what changes will they have made in that time? Will I have to be retrained every time due to changes taking up my valuable vacation time? If you live where you dive and can buy your own kit it would definitely be awesome.
I thought you wouldn't need weights with this system? 1.17 both divers have weights on the system they weren't wearing dry suits just clarify i am definitely for this idea, it looks amazing.
Thank you for the review James ! I recently just started Rebreather Diving. Maybe you can do a video about Rebreather comparison if you have the knowledge about differnt models. Sending you all the best wishes from germany. Björn
If the battery dies and I'm wearing a wetsuit, I need to decrease buoyancy as I ascend and my wetsuit expands. Is there a solution for this very realistic possibility?
11:37 I was concerned about redundancy. You can have redundancy in rec diving in the form of dump-able weight. If you have a failure and you cant inflate your bcd, you dump your weights Avelo (without a drysuit) has no dumpable weight and no redundancy in case of equipment failure But I am no longer concerned as you explained that in the case of battery/pump failure your still neutrally boyant, you just cant add weight
Closed-Circuit along with automated PPO2 control and CO2 scrubbing - that's innovation. It enables you to do something you COULD NOT DO BEFORE. Avelo doesn't allow you to do anything new it just makes scoobie diving a little easier... big deal.
What an awesome presentation. I love new technology, and I am excited to see where this ends up going. Definitely would rather be diving sidemount set up than single tank any day, but I’m sure the day will come when this technology transitions over to other configurations and indications. Thank you much for sharing!
It looks a fantastic system and well worth try, unfortunately they have been affected by the fire in lahaina. They are safe but the lead school has been destroyed I hope they are all well and am looking forward to the roll out
Fantastic video! Thank you for being a great buddy during the course, what a blast 😂😂 Happy birthday🎉
I currently dive a Dive Rite Transpac and I absolutely can't wait to certify and then be able to purchase this system. Working with submarines for 15 years this system is so intuitive to me. Sure wish the Key West event wasn't a one off, I was ready to jump in my Bronco and head there. Was glad that you showed how to hang out at the surface using the SMB. Agreed that is a little awkward, but it works. Thanks for this great review. Your comment regarding running out of gas was spot on! Do admit you had me laughing.
Rainbow Reef Key Largo teaches on these now!!
@@eamonshields2754 RedAlert Diving in Panama City FL will also be hosting classes. I’ll be there next month.
@@imafreeamerican7443 that’s awesome!! I’ll be in Raimbow Reef in a month to get RAD certified 🤿 can’t wait
Horses were fine, now we have cars. 😂😂😂 nicely put.
Okay but we still haven’t adopted jet packs despite that technology existing, and the idea of high altitude passenger jet travel died with Concord. Technology being better is not itself enough to make it viable for widespread adoption.
"How much lift does this have?" *is* a valid question, and it's answerable: it's how positively buoyant the Avelo system is with no water in it, like you would be at the surface. I sized my wing so it has enough lift to keep me, with all my gear, at the surface, it's reasonable to confirm the Avelo system could do the same. It would likely need to do so with a much smaller amount of lift if I don't need a weight belt anymore, but the principle stays the same.
With a system like this it's also reasonable to ask how negative it is when it's completely full of water. That will tell me how much weight I need to offset my drysuit (if any).
Yeah I’m not sure why he wasn’t able to understand that one
If I ever had the chance to try it, I would! I’d love to go to Maui and have the experience of this system! Shout out to Horizon, I’ll be planting coral with you and diving this August 12th weekend!
Happy birthday James!
It looks absolutely incredible, as someone with some back issues I'm looking forward to trying this out at some point.
I have low back issues. I switched my weight to my BC system and it made a dramatic difference. If I still had to wear a weight belt I wouldn't be diving.
Theyre very nice and fully set weigh around 14kg (30lbs) less than a traditional single tank setup. Its great for those with bad backs or legs or for shore diving that requires hauling your gear a longer distance
Way to leave the bad news for last James LOL - I've seen the Avelo Videos before and your Dema and the traveling or the availability have been the big question, the others well you have to adapt to a new system, and if is proven safe like you just did with all the "non-emergency" points you explained then perfect. The point that they are not talking about price might be is cost prohibited and they don't have the funding to make it more mass production or as you said they want to sell or rent the patents, you don't need to sell your idea just let others use it for a price and a period of time.... But as anything in tech it wouldn't be the first time the better tech dies without making it to the masses. Mini Disk was way better than a CDRW in many ways... but who remembers them? Or knows they existed...
Great video James. Top notch. Thank you!
Back in the mid-70s, I dived the old Dacor Nautilus Constant Volume System. Clearly, it had some flaws and was nowhere near the sophistication level of Avelo. But, boy, did I love diving neutrally buoyant throughout an entire dive, making only one adjustment at the beginning. Hat's off to these folks. I've finally lived long enough to see a real breakthrough in scuba technology and can't wait to try one.
I like the idea. As a diver with back & shoulder injuries anything that could reduce stress on these parts is a benefit. I was happy with the maintenance & failure points you addressed apart from you didn’t mention a pump failure in the on position. There is no system which is 100% fail safe. You’d have a runway adding weight to your system with no way to stop it. A scooter you can let it go or jam a knife into the prop but what do you do with a sealed unit?
Apart from that I like the idea. I wonder if it can be developed into a tech system in the future & twinset type diving? Look forward to seeing how it develops.
I suppose there could be some sort of stop switch added for it.
Isn't the purge a manual valve, I would assume you could easily purge faster than it can pump in. I think both would have to fail to make your scenario possible.
Clear concise, and you’ve answered many questions. Also, a very happy birthday!🎉 Aloha 🤙🏽
I cannot foresee Avelo becoming the next big "deal". You cannot continue to dive in the same location, eventually you need to branch out and travel. For this new product to become available everywhere (dive shops operating in developing countries) it might be a while. The product appears cumbersome to lug on an airplane, all the while when SCUBA tanks are available at every dive shop in the world. I ‘m going on a dive trip tomorrow (Asia) and I’ve packed my SCUBA gear, GoPro w/ accessories and clothes (2 suitcases + backpack). I would need to purchase additional baggage from the airline (3rd bag) just to take Avelo system with me. Is the product good = Yes, but when was the last time you brought a SCUBA tank on an airplane?
Absolutely you have to think of this as of a SCUBA tank. But if a big Manufacturer/Distributor buys this or the Licenses than the numbers can go up and the cost down. The capital costs to run a dive shop are high anyways. And if it catches on than you safe space in the luggage because you don't need to pack the BCD.
I think this will not become the next big thing due to cost, complexity and maintainabiltiy.
For scuba to be successful, things need to be simple and not too expensive.
Think about it: a basic BCD basically needs 0 maintenance except for a new spring and some rubber parts every few years + cleaning.
This is something almost everyone can do, especially every dive shop with some minimal training.
You are not bringing a scuba cylinder on an airplane without removing the valve. I have brought a 2L O2 cylinder with me but had to pull the valve off it, and had to go thru the BS of getting it O2 cleaned at the opposite end before the dive operator would fill it. I have travelled extensively with my rebreather and this thing doesn’t give me the warm fuzzies at all.
I believe the plan is for the cylinders to be available everywhere like 80 aluminum cylinders are available everywhere now. All you have to bring is the back plate assembly with the pump and battery. That takes up less space than most BC’s today.
People look at you funny when your carry-on is a skydiving rig.
my guess would be:
most divers have to travel for being able to dive, this cuts the possible sale amount so much that lease and service agreements with dive centers and possible "avelo-only" dive centers( caused by the possible disruptivenes of avelo (no wear and tear on BCs etc. and minimal seed capital need, could be huge selling point for "avelo-only" dive centers) are the most lucrative ways to keep a long term business through going full 21st century whilst "selling diving as a service".
This could explain their refrain to sell individually as revealing their price and maintainance cost could harm well adjusted distributing plans.
Just some thoughts
greetings from Berlin
Bravo!
This sounds ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! I would love to have a chance to try it. I want to start diving an Avelo now!!!
1:32 awesome place to put the _octo_
The thought of not having to mess with your BCD to stay neutrally boyant would be amazing. Hope to get to try it some day.
Happy Birthday James🎉
The stupidest idea is the one that complicates the simplest solution.
James - all the same questions I asked Aviad at DEMA this past year. And still the same unsatisfying answers. Lol. Jealous you got to dive it...congrats! Cannot wait until this opportunity is available again in Florida. Happy Birthday! Cheers!
Seems like a great innovation and with most innovations it needs incremental improvement over time. I would have two concerns: 1. The tank looks long. For a short person this could be annoying when your legs constantly hit the tank. 2. Floating on water may be solved with the dsmb but surely an inflateable vest could be integrated for added comfort and safety.
Like most other comments, I also believe it will be years before holiday divers can use this system.
This looks amazing. However, if the 'exit strategy' theory is correct, let's hope that this technology would not get buried by any of the major players who bought it up. I would love to try this and could see this taking off in a big way given the right approach to the market.
Oh, and Happy Birthday James.🍺
I think the major players will chomp at the bit to sell something new to the dive community. The trick will be 1) marketing, but that’s historically not been a problem, 2) distributing it sufficiently so it can be trained and supported successful.
So, the pressure reading changes as you add water for buoyancy and this is marketed to, essentially, new divers to solve a "problem" related to not good enough training and lack of desire to be a better diver, a solution looking for a problem. Now, we expect the same divers to understand rule of thirds at the start of their dive and do basic math underwater to figure out when they should turn the dive and head up with appropriate reserve? Anyone here who has crewed on a dive boat before knows that new divers running out of air and busting their NDL is far more common than one would think.
I'm in tech and appreciate new technology, what I have never been a fan of are inventions which turn out to merely be a solution looking for a problem and secretive technology thay cant be purchased, only leased/licensed.
Most shops don't want a recurring cost, its smarter to capitalize the equipment and get depreciation over time, not have a constant cost that never goes down, likely may increase with time, and also still front the cost of maintenance and repair. In difficult and slow times most shops look to trim recurring costs as fast as possible to weather a storm, this isn't the case with this system, as of yet. It'll be interesting to follow them, but as of right now I'm not coming to a conclusion, but I always remain skeptical at first, approach cautiously, and wait for something to mature because, especially in Tech, things come and go.
Thank you for sharing this. I've been intrigued by Avelo since I first saw the concept. Can they PLEASE make it happen soon?!
Thanks for the update!
The appeal, in a nutshell:
"I saved a little money on a cheap diving course. Now I struggle with buoyancy control. To fix this skills problem, I will buy an Avelo system at vastly greater cost than regular gear options. I am aware that it introduces a myriad of failure points and increased risks, and that I'm not even trained to use it. I accept those risks because I presume nothing bad will ever happen to me".
This is great, I can see it as great option for weekly beach dives where you don’t have to walk with heavy gear on the beach. When I want to boat dive or travel I just use my current bcd or travel bcd.
this sounds amazing, i am definitely all for this
🤩♥️ she hurries up and waits…impatiently. 🙈How dreamy. Thanks for sharing and making us salivate. ☺️
Very interesting, though I couldn’t help but notice a couple of dive weights strapped to the tanks on a few divers despite it being a “weight-less” system
I saw the boat off loaded with those “very cool tanks” on Thursday. I can believe I missed the opportunity to say hello you u in person😢! Happy Birthday! Susan Wilkins
It’s wasn’t Thursday it was Wednesday
Thanks!
Thanks so much!
Great to see all the HD gang in the water!
👍😎🇵🇭🤿! Sounds good seems good let’s see a little more!
I would be ready to pay more for fun dive with this kind of gear.
Just to be accurate DOT has had 2 composite cylinders approved for scuba for years, one made by Interspiro, the other by Luxfer.
Happy Birthday Hannes🥂
Thank you so very much for the great video as always
What you have said nearly Iall the problems have been solved in scuba diving. And it is much ssafe.🤔😘
Which Problems? Scuba Diving is simple. If you dive a Wing with Backplate DIR style its easy. 🤷♂️
That sounds really like a good game changer specially to those who have bouncy issues
Looks like a clever system, only query I have and something I didn't see being addressed, is what if the pump sticks on and just adds max water continuously - this could cause overweighting and descending too deep. Is there any mechanism for that or do you just open the water dump and abort? Thanks for the video, definitely an interesting approach!
I would imagine it would entail a pressure switch that activates if the pressure in the gas bladder exceeds a certain pressure and either cuts power to pump or opens a dump valve for the water that bleeds at the max rate of the pump. Just a thought.
@wesjackson1023 so a failure results in a uncontrollable raise to the surface?
Failure points don't matter. Redundancy is important.
I go mostly diving on a dual 7l sidemount setup for recreational diving with air. I wouldn't care if a regulator, 1st stage or diving computer fails. If I can't fix it, I'll abort the dive and go through the regular ascend procedure.
Going solo, a failure of the Avelo system would pose a serious risk. So currently, it would be a nogo for me. If they make a redundant one, I'd look into it. Maybe then it would also be available for purchase.
I'm also unsure if enough buoyancy could be lost without weight to actually submerge with a drysuit fitted for cold water diving. There is a reason carbon tanks never caught on and people prefer steel tanks to reduce the amount of lead required.
"Rule of thirds" is crap, it means you increase the reserve amount of air if you use a bigger tank - doesn't make sense.
While watching this the thought that kept returning to me was diving more like the old days. No BC's. This is going to sound like I am a dangerous diver. I ran into a group of vintage divers. I went diving with them, rigged like they dive. I don't own a double hose regulator so I dove a single hose regulator rigged like their equipment (Just first stage, second stage and pressure gauge) and no BC. Note, this was in an area in a quarry were the max. depth was 40' and we still had buddies. Weighting is far more important and more exacting. Note, I wouldn't do this in the open ocean or dives where my depth was varying largely through out the dive. Why all this, I have never felt so free and unencumbered diving as when I dove with them. I suspect diving the Avelo system might feel more like that then our current equipment configurations.
Another possible reason for leasing. The units are very expensive.
Chugging Guiness what a waste.
Happy Birthday James🥮🎊
This is bittersweet. I am absolutely in love with my kit. My wife will murder me if I try to buy anything new within the next 10 years. I’d love to be a frontiersmen in this venture but will unfortunately have to sit it out until it’s probably been on the market for a while.
Love the lack of bulk. Will be great for my kayak/paddleboard expeditions on the lakes of manitoba!
this is so cool
Leasing to DC is actually a smart idea from the business side.
----
Happy Birthday James.🥳🥳
I think the biggest hurdle, maybe getting dive shops to fill the cylinders. Believing the flexible membrane can handle the pressure. Many shops will not fill the older aluminum cylinders.
solves problems i never had..
It will be interesting to see if the ballast system will make it into other systems
Looks cool, the hose routing and all that can be fixed as they go along. The actual technology looks like it could be the future
"Not sponsored by Avelo" proceeds to make a great commercial for Avelo.
They've got Avelo here in Sydney Australia, and they're a sweet unit from what i've seen at our local shop and at sites. Just a matter of time and money before i get certed one one because the weight difference is super nice especially for shore diving that often includes long walks and/or lots of stairs.
I'm about to do mine with them in a week. Makes the climb back up at the steps a heap easier!
Does this use a lithium battery pack? Airlines won't let that be in the checked luggage and TSA won't allow that size battery in a carry-on. That means that the entire system would have to be at the location we dive at. Excited for this system to be available. Will have to book a trip to Maui!
Also, how large is the lithium battery pack, if it has one? Lithium and water DO NOT mix well
very interesting. looking forward to the next step in the unit rollout. Thanks again
This is really cool! Hopefully, Avelo licenses this technology to multiple manufacturers. That’s the only way I could see it gaining general acceptance. With a few manufacturers, all making similar systems using a standard tank, I could see dive centers and charter boats carrying these tanks. The gear doesn’t look like it takes up any more space than a BC so traveling with it should be no problem.
Very cool. Thanks for sharing James
Awesome! The scuba industry needs to dive into the 21st century already. More of this please!
Hi Jeff!
Fascinating. . also frustrating. Like Popular Mechanics for divers. (“and this will be widely available when?”). Hopefully Scubapro, Apeks, Mares and Cressi are already angling before the Pentagon classifies the whole program for military use only. Hopefully You will have a hub in Miami so we can come train directly with you next year. Hopefully I won’t still be thinking these thoughts out loud in Grand Cayman next Summer as I’m still working on my first 25.
Wow! Genuinely impressed! Would love to try it!
Happy birthday🎉
Great video, thanks! Happy birthday🤙
Happy Birthday! I thoroughly enjoyed the video!
Happy birthday James.
Love your content and always look forward to a new video.
This is so awesome! Would love to take this course 🥳
Happy birthday!
Now this is some cool stuff. I just hope at my age I get the chance to try it, maybe buy one or teach the use of it before I have to quit instructing or diving. That's the part that sucks about getting old is thinking about the next great thing you will not be able to miss. Kind of like going back to old school diving with less gear but better.
Don't know how old you are but I wouldn't worry. The guy who started my club in 1973 is still a very regular diver and instructor (Scotland and drysuit) He is 79 years young.
Honestly James I'm open mind and when I did see it last year's I thought 💭🤔, woe‼️ probably will change our approach to dive in near future, so I guess it's a great change to our dive system for good 👍🏻
Thank you. Great video with lots of proper info!
The idea seems sound. But, I think in their attempt to be different, they 'threw out the baby with the bath water'
- Why did they have to reverse the first stage?
- Why not have a rudimentary BC type device? In theory drysuit wearers don't need them; but they still wear them.
- Why not carry minimal ditchable weight. 4lbs of lead is all you need to gain positive buoyancy in an emergency.
Maybe the next iteration can address these issues. Really like the rest of it for warm water diving wearing a skin or thin suit. A thick suit would eliminate a portion of the constant buoyancy advantage.
Time for an update.
Excellent video. I must learn more about this system.
I'd be really interested to see how well this works with drysuits in cold water. Really interested concept.
It will work, except that you still need to manage your dry suit bouyancy manually anyways... Which completely destroys the main selling point.
Also in case of a flooded dry suit, will this provide enough lift? I kinda doubt it.
“Redcoat”. 😂
Happy birthday James. Have a good one buddy
Hahaha, Redcoat 🤣Love it!
You say it is light. So what is its weight?
Happy Birthday James!
Looks awesome, biggest problem would be distribution. I get trained now and it not be anywhere I dive for the next 5 or 10 years…will I remember everything and what changes will they have made in that time? Will I have to be retrained every time due to changes taking up my valuable vacation time?
If you live where you dive and can buy your own kit it would definitely be awesome.
I thought you wouldn't need weights with this system? 1.17 both divers have weights on the system they weren't wearing dry suits just clarify i am definitely for this idea, it looks amazing.
I think it depends on your body type, the suit you are wearing, etc. But they clearly are using less weight than normal.
Thank you for the review James ! I recently just started Rebreather Diving. Maybe you can do a video about Rebreather comparison if you have the knowledge about differnt models. Sending you all the best wishes from germany. Björn
This is like going to an auto show and salivating over a concept car. It will be years (if ever) before it is available to common recreational diver.
Sounds like a Magical experience🎉
If the battery dies and I'm wearing a wetsuit, I need to decrease buoyancy as I ascend and my wetsuit expands. Is there a solution for this very realistic possibility?
Appreciate the information on this Interesting topic. Well done video.
11:37 I was concerned about redundancy. You can have redundancy in rec diving in the form of dump-able weight. If you have a failure and you cant inflate your bcd, you dump your weights
Avelo (without a drysuit) has no dumpable weight and no redundancy in case of equipment failure
But I am no longer concerned as you explained that in the case of battery/pump failure your still neutrally boyant, you just cant add weight
Thank you. Sidemount was going to be my question.
Great information & Happy Birthday 🎂 🥳
Closed-Circuit along with automated PPO2 control and CO2 scrubbing - that's innovation. It enables you to do something you COULD NOT DO BEFORE. Avelo doesn't allow you to do anything new it just makes scoobie diving a little easier... big deal.
What an awesome presentation. I love new technology, and I am excited to see where this ends up going. Definitely would rather be diving sidemount set up than single tank any day, but I’m sure the day will come when this technology transitions over to other configurations and indications. Thank you much for sharing!
Looks Great! Love to try it. Look forward to when you are offering training on it...someday...in the future...who knows when!
Happy birthday James🎉
It’s rather odd to see you blowing bubbles James! Well done
Thank you for all the information. I would love to see this catch on.
Happy birthday James! 🍺
This is interesting. I look forward to trying it some day.
Keep up the good work
Thanks, Alan! Will do!
One thing that bothers me is how long the thing looks. Otherwise it seems pretty damn interesting!
Holy shit. I wanna try this so bad. Really enjoyed this video and watching Gabe get sneak attacked.
Well done on the pint of Guinness, you're ready for the World Cup this September.
Its a good product, now to wait and see if they solve the production, distribution and training problems
It looks a fantastic system and well worth try, unfortunately they have been affected by the fire in lahaina. They are safe but the lead school has been destroyed I hope they are all well and am looking forward to the roll out