Hollis Rebreathers Blog

Scuba Franny's Expedition Re-cap

Written by Francheska "Scuba Franny" Krysiak Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities Project JUNE 2024 | GULF OF MEXICO, U.S.A. DIVING DEEP IN THE NAME OF RESTORATION Unprecedented in both scope and nature, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was the largest in U.S. history. In April...

PRISM2 ELECTRONICS COVER QUALITY ALERT

Purpose of Notice: It has come to our attention that the Electronics Cover - 28990 found on the Prism 2 Rebreather could be subject to corrosion under certain diving conditions, primarily in salt water. Affected battery covers were manufactured between January 2012 and June 2017. Serial number range is located on the last page. Product...

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QUESTION: It is always recommended to carry a bailout bottle when diving deeper than 60 ft (18 m) deep, but how would you handle an emergency situation if your bailout second stage was breathing wet and you did not have a BOV on your unit? ANSWER: Let’s face it. You have had a really bad day if...

VALVE UP

One of my favorite aspects of the Prism 2 design is its ability to be configured in different ways to accommodate different diving styles. We have 3.5 and 2.5 liter counterlungs available, inhale counterlungs with manual diluent addition valves in addition to the standard ADV’s, and soon we will introduce a back-mounted counterlung design for those needing...

TO BOV OR NOT TO BOV

BOVs can be handy devices, allowing you to leave the DSV in your mouth if you need to switch to open circuit. They are essential on recreational rebreathers. For technical rebreather divers, keep the following points in mind: BOVs are easy to switch to open circuit, but don’t be hasty and switch back until you...

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QUESTION: Can you use nitrox in your diluent tank? ANSWER: Yes When working on a Hollywood set that was 15 feet deep, I actually filled both the oxygen and diluent tanks with oxygen. It prevented a lot of potential issues the actors could have experienced. But let’s consider the best recipe for diluent. First, it must be...

KIRBY MORGAN MODULAR FULL-FACE MASK (MOD-1) WITH HOLLIS BOV POD

Used by United States Marines Combat Divers and Military Dive Teams around the world, Professional Underwater Videography Teams and Scientific Dive Teams, the Kirby Morgan Modular Full-Face Mask represents a giant step-up in safety, versatility and convenience over conventional Full-Face Masks (FFMs). Known simply as the “MOD-1”, the patented Kirby Morgan two-chamber (Mask & POD)...

PREPARING FOR YOUR REBREATHER CLASS

Many divers ask about how to prepare for their upcoming rebreather class. If you purchased a new rebreather, it is likely that the manufacturer has shipped your rig to your instructor and you haven’t even had a chance to get acquainted with it. Contact your instructor to ensure that you have all the auxiliary gear...

TRAVELING ON AIRLINES WITH A REBREATHER

Traveling with scuba equipment can become difficult, especially for rebreather divers. However there are a few things you can do to make traveling with a rebreather much easier: Use the hard shipping case to transport your rebreather. Disassemble it precisely the same way it arrived from the manufacturer. Put a formal letter in each case of...

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QUESTION: Can I use Listerine as an alternative sanitizer for my rebreather loop? ANSWER: Hollis has tested and recommends using the product Steramine, which is a contact sanitizer. The small tablets are easy to travel with. Listerine may kill a lot of germs, but not everything. Proper sanitation of the rebreather loop is important.

Hollis Rebreathers