Building a Sidewinder / Gemini rebreather clone

I suppose I should start this post off with a bit of a disclaimer. Rebreathers are dangerous and can kill you without proper training, discipline and understanding. Don’t build or modify a rebreather unless you have a proper understanding of all the concepts behind everything you’re doing, even then things can still go wrong. Always know your ppO2. If you’re not sure or something doesnt feel right then there is no harm in bailing out. Plenty of really smart (and unquestionably stupid) people have died because they thought they knew…

My compressor and fill panel setup (updated)

Not a lot has changed with my compressor setup. I’m still running my Alkin W31 compressor and have about 250 hours on it. I bought it brand new in mid-2019. So far the only maintenance I’ve done is regular oil changes and filter changes. Full disclosure: I did have 2 issues. The 240v to 12v transformer on mine failed (broken wiring/ bad contact) but Alkin shipped me a new one overnight. Also the pneumatic valve on my autodrain was sticking closed but that’s more general maintenance. It was very easy…

Building The Under $50 O2 Cell Checker

I have been interested in building an O2 Cell Checker for a while now, not only to test if my rebreather cells are current limited but also to check the linearity of them. That is when I remembered seeing an older thread on RebreatherWorld.com aptly named “The Under $50 Cell Checker”  A bunch of people on that thread had some really cool designs. I merely copied what other people were doing and can’t take any credit for this idea. So the question is can you build a cell checker for…

Haskel Mini Booster Setup Guide

I finally decided that after taking too many trips and spending long nights inside a dive shop waiting for O2 and Diluent fills that it was in my best interest to purchase a mini booster for filling my rebreather bottles especially since I have easy access to T bottles of O2 and Helium. Jesus..You’ve only had a rebreather for a year and only just broken 150 hours of diving on your unit and you already want to buy booster?! Luckily as I tell many people, Jesus is my go-to dive…