Top 7 Rebreathers for Scuba Diving of 2024 • The Adventure Junkies (2024)

Updated on February 7, 2020

Rebreather diving has gained popularity over the last few years. As you can imagine, these high tech dive units are not cheap. As with any large investment, buying your first rebreather can be daunting. Before you make the big purchase, it’s crucial that you dive and test out a variety of different models. But where do you start? How do you know what’s the best rebreather for your style of diving?

Though rebreathers all perform the same task: removing additional CO2 from the breathing loop while adding the necessary amount of oxygen or nitrox – The way different models execute this task varies. Remember, a rebreather is a huge investment, and thus it’s important that you take the time to find the right machine for you and your type of diving.

One of our goals here at The Adventure Junkies is to make your life easier when it comes to gear shopping. In this guide, we’ll walk you through some things to consider before buying a rebreather and show you our selection of some of the best models out there.

For more of our top scuba gear recommendations, check out the Best Underwater Scooters.

QUICK ANSWER – THE BEST REBREATHERS

COMPARISON TABLE – THE BEST REBREATHERS

PICTURE	REBREATHER	BEST USE	PRICE	RATING
	AP INSPIRATION EVP CCR	Technical	$$	4.5
	REVO III CCR	Technical	$$	4.4
	AP INSPIRATION EVO CCR	Technical	$$	4.5
	MAGALODON CCR	Technical	$$$	5.0
	JJ CCR	Technical	$$$	5.0
	KISS EXPLORER MCCR	Technical	$	4.5
	SENTINEL REDHEAD CCR	Technical	$$	4.0
PICTURE	REBREATHER	BEST USE	PRICE	RATING

REBREATHERS REVIEWS

AP INSPIRATION EVP CCR

REVO III CCR

AP INSPIRATION EVO CCR

MEGALODON CCR

JJ CCR

KISS EXPLORER MCCR

SENTINEL REDHEAD

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST REBREATHERS

THE TYPE OF DIVING YOU DO

Rebreathers are ideal for divers who conduct long or deep technical dives using mixed gas. These machines are also ideal for underwater photographers and scientists who wish to stay shallow for long periods of time. There are many advantages of diving with a rebreather, but there are also many disadvantages.

ADVANTAGES OF A REBREATHER

Gas and deco efficiency (especially with expensive helium!)

Longer bottom and dive times

Silent

DISADVANTAGES OF A REBREATHER

Expense

Exceptional understanding of the machine and discipline is crucial

Complex

A rebreather should be viewed as a ‘mission specific item.’ Your field of diving should be able to exploit all the merits and benefits of this piece of technology. Considering the exceptional cost, maintenance, and life risk that the machine imposes, you’ll need to consider whether a rebreather is ideal for your type of diving.

If you are just learning to dive or can complete your dive goal and mission on a single tank of air, then maybe a rebreather is not the right piece of equipment for you. Typically, rebreathers are not the ideal choice for general recreational / sport diving.

Rebreathers also come in different designs, and some designs are more suited for certain types of diving. For example, if you are doing lots of wreck penetration dives or tight cave dives then you’ll want a slim designed machine instead of a larger bulky one.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND REBREATHER DIVING?

Rebreathers are a complicated piece of technology. You need to have an in-depth knowledge of how this machine works. Rebreather diving also requires good understanding of diving physics and physiology.

Understanding how your machine works and how it affects your dive profile and body while diving is crucial. You’ll have to complete a four / five-day training course before you are legally able to purchase a machine. This course is only the first step, and you should be prepared for continual learning. There is always room for skill improvement and better understanding of the physics and physiology of rebreather diving.

YOUR COMMITMENT

Owning a rebreather is like being in a marriage. There is no way around it; a rebreather needs proper care and commitment. Failing to do so, you risk equipment malfunction which often leads to death.

Constant maintenance, pre-dive and post-dive checks and regular skill enhancing are all part of owning a rebreather. All these things will take up more of your time than diving with it underwater.

A perfectionist mindset is ideal. You’ll constantly need to check things over and over again. If you are the ‘lazy diver type’ who enjoys taking naps between dives and kitting up as late as possible, then rebreather diving is not for you.

TYPE OF REBREATHER

There are lots of different types and models of rebreathers available today. The most common is the closed circuit rebreather (CCR). You have the option of purchasing either an eCCR or an mCCR. The main difference between the two is the way oxygen is inserted into the breathing loop.

ECCR – ELECTRONIC CLOSED CIRCUIT REBREATHERS

Electronic Closed Circuit Rebreathers use a computer to constantly measure the amount of oxygen in your breathing loop and automatically maintain the PPO2 set point.

MCCR – MANUAL CLOSED CIRCUIT REBREATHERS

Manual Closed Circuit Rebreathers require the diver to constantly check the PPO2 level in the breathing loop and manually inject more oxygen when necessary to keep the oxygen content at the correct level. These machines are cheaper and simpler than eCCR’s but require a whole new level of diver diligence.

SEMI-CLOSED CIRCUIT REBREATHERS

Semi-Closed Circuit Rebreathers are also available. These machines lose gas with every exhalation. They also keep a constant percentage of oxygen, unlike fully closed units. This is not ideal for decompression dives and is better suited for recreational depths.

SCRUBBER AND COUNTER LUNG DESIGN

One of the main life-saving components of a rebreather is the scrubber canister. This canister is composed of a chemical that is responsible for extracting the extra CO2 in your breathing loop. Scrubbers come in different sizes and designs which all affect its duration.

AXIAL

A cylindrical shaped pipe where the gas can pass in a vertical direction.

RADIAL

In a radial-shaped scrubber, the gas passes in a radial direction from the middle of the canister towards the outer sides. The radial design is known to have a longer duration.

COUNTER LUNGS

The counter lungs on a rebreather are the bag like features on the breathing loop. These bags can either be over the shoulder or back mounted. With back mounted counter lungs, the chest area is clutter free. This location of the counter lungs makes exhalation easier but inhalation harder.

Over the shoulder mounted counter lungs are designed to be placed as close to your real lungs as possible. This position has a better work of breathing than back mounted counter lungs, but the chest is cluttered.

Counter lungs also come in a variety of sizes so you will need to figure out which size suits you best.

WHAT OTHER FEATURES WOULD YOU LIKE?

What kind of electronics do you want on your rebreather? What design do you prefer for you Bail-Out valve? Would you prefer a machine with a head-up display and audible alarms?

Scrubber and counter lung design and placement are only one of many design variations on a rebreather. There are a variety of other different features that you will need to look into and research upon when buying a rebreather.