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How much does an Megalodon cost?

A better wording of the question might be 'How much does it cost to switch from an open-circuit diver to an Megalodon CCR diver?' A complete ready-to-dive Megalodon/Pursuit unit with cylinders, harness and wing is about $11,000 and to this you might add: off board bailout about $500, and initial stock of consumables about $300. Training, particularly if travel is required, will be a significant cost. I suggest planning on a total amount from $13,000 to $15,000. These are estimates, the total could be less or more depending on what suitable equipment you already have and what additional equipment you might choose to purchase.

How long does it take to get an Megalodon rebreather?

ISC Megalodon rebreathers, along with all options, accessories and spares are usually in-stock for immediate shipment and also available for local pickup at Fill Express, our local dive shop in Pompano Beach, Florida. Occasionally, demand or logistics will cause brief stock-outs of the base Megalodon unit but delays beyond 30 days are very rare.

How much does the Megalodon training cost?

There is wide variation in CCR training costs due to a variety of factors, although location is often a major influence. At Fill Express the cost is $1500 for instruction only. Fill Express also offers an all inclusive version which includes the cost of pool rental, consumables, teaching materials, boat charters, and so on for a price of $2000. There is a geographically diverse group of instructors and you might have an Megalodon instructor in your local area. If you prefer to learn about your Megalodon at Fill Express, training can be organized to accommodate your schedule and rebreather courses run every month.

How much does Megalodon routine maintenance cost?

You should budget routine maintenance costs of approximately $300 annually. ISC recommends only the three oxygen sensors be replaced annually. There are no other routine periodic replacement requirements; components such as o-rings and non-return valves are replaced only as needed. The first stage regulators should be serviced every 18 months or 100 dives, although I recommend the oxygen regulator be serviced more frequently. You will also need to replenish minor consumables such as lubricant and disinfectant from the annual maintenance budget.

How much do the Megalodon consumables cost?

As with all rebreathers, the major consumable cost is CO2 absorbent. A Megalodon granular absorbent refill is about $20 and typically can be used for several dives, but there are other smaller costs such as batteries and gas fills. Keep in mind that for both open-circuit and rebreather divers, consumables costs are usually insignificant in relationship to the investment in the equipment, training and other diving costs such as boat charters and travel.

How long do the Megalodon consumables last?

The ISC recommended scrubber duration for the Megalodon is three hours. Battery life for the APECS controller is in excess of 50 hours for the low cost alkaline battery packs. The durations in actual use depends upon many factors related to the individual diver, specific dive conditions and particular brands of consumables. We do not suggest exceeding manufacturer recommendations or that novices should expect to achieve these durations.

What about the possibility of a 'caustic cocktail' with the Megalodon?

Inhaling a mixture of CO2 absorbent and water while diving with an Megalodon is very unlikely. The Megalodon is a modern CCR design that includes several features to manage and remove water from the breathing loop. The 'caustic cocktail' is a concern from an earlier era of rebreather diving that has been overly dramatized, akin to the concern new divers express regarding 'shark attack'.

How available is the Megalodon CO2 absorbent?

Molecular Products, the UK manufacturer of the recommended Sofnolime CO2 absorbent, has several strategically located warehouse distribution centers. In the global economy, absorbents are sold and shipped all over the world. As a result, supply logistics for absorbent is becoming less of an issue. The number of dive shops that stock absorbent is consistently growing, and you can always order on-line to be delivered to your door or directly to your travel destination.

What canister and scrubber options are available for the Megalodon?

The Megalodon offers their standard height canister with a choice of radial or axial scrubbers that contain 5.5-lbs of granular absorbent and are rated at three hours duration. There is also the Mini-Meg (aka, Movie-Meg, Cave-Meg) version with a slightly shorter canister and 3.75-lb axial scrubber rated at two hours duration. ISC offers a special tall canister with a radial scrubber holding 7.5 lbs of absorbent for very extreme extended range dives.

Does the Megalodon have a CO2 monitor?

No. As a practical matter, there may be little value to detecting CO2 already in the loop as it could be too late to warn the diver in time to react appropriately. You should not confuse a CO2 monitor with the breathing loop temperature monitor offered by ISC or the scrubber temperature monitor offered by a competing rebreather manufacturer. The temperature monitor does not provide any information or warning regarding actual CO2 levels in the breathing loop.

What cylinders should I use with the Megalodon?

For Megalodon FX "Sport" configurations I suggest aluminum 19 cubic foot capacity cylinders, which minimizes the Megalodon total weight. With the AL-19 cylinders, diluent capacity is sufficient to support on-board bailout for the sport diver, dry suit inflation and provides plenty of oxygen capacity even with transfer under filling. Dry suit divers might consider steel cylinders such as the FX-23's if they need to provide additional weight.

What BC should I use with the Megalodon?

Use whatever backplate and harness style system you prefer. ISC offers a travel backplate and continous webbing harness, along with their Tetradon wing custom designed for the Meg. I suggest replacing the continous webbing harness with a Dive Rite TransPlate because the harness is more comfortable and more easily adjustable. The Tetradon wing provides better horizontal trim by adding more lift at the bottom end of the CCR and is rated at 50 pounds (22.67 kg) lift. The wing does not interfere with access to the cylinder valves and also provides a side mount anchor point for side mount systems.

Does APECS include depth/time/decompression information?

The primary handset APECS controller does not include depth/time information or decompression computer functionality. Full decompression CCR dive computer functionality is available in the Pursuit secondary handset. The Megalodon is also available in a configuration with APECS only electronics for both the primary and secondary handsets. The APECS only configuration requires using an independent CCR dive computer (or bottom timer and tables) for monitoring depth/time/decompression status.

Does the Megalodon accept a fourth Oxygen sensor?

Technical divers will be pleased to know the Megalodon has provisions for an optional fourth oxygen sensor. ISC offers special fourth sensor counterlung and cable with Fischer connector compatible with a CCR dive computer such as the Delta P VR3, HS Explorer or the forthcoming Dive Rite Nitek-X. The additional dive computer allows independent monitoring of the fourth oxygen sensor and together with the Megalodon handsets provides triple redundant monitoring of PO2.

Is the Megalodon capable of diving with mixed gases?

Yes, the Megalodon can use trimix and heliox diluents. On extended range dives, a helium based diluent mixture is used in the Megalodon for the benefits of minimal narcosis and improved decompression.

What is the Megalodon maximum dive time and depth?

Rebreathers carry many hours of breathing gas regardless of depth. The Megalodon can accept auxiliary outboard plug-in gas supplies as well, so dive time is no longer limited by gas volume. As with most rebreathers, the Megalodon diver is typically limited by the duration of the CO2 absorbent, so multi-hour runtime dives are routine. As with open-circuit nitrox diving, rebreather divers must also track their decompression and oxygen exposure; depending on the dive profile these may also limit the dive time. The Megalodon rebreathers are suitable for diving at all sport depths and have been tested to a depth exceeding 300 feet. There are some individuals who routinely dive the unit that deep and deeper. Although the rebreather can function at depths much deeper, there are numerous additional considerations. The Megalodon rebreather is a popular choice for divers who wish to dive to extremes.

Does the Megalodon take a long time to maintain?

Yes and no; many rebreather sport divers, including Megalodon divers, find they spend noticeably more time on equipment compared to open-circuit because the rebreather diver must always be careful and disciplined about maintenance. If you have been habitually careful with your open-circuit dive equipment and treat your equipment with respect, as an experienced Megalodon sport diver you will spend only slightly more time with your Megalodon maintenance than you did with open-circuit. In multi-dive days and multi-day diving, because the Megalodon rebreather needs very little attention between each dive in a series, considerably less total time may be spent on setup and maintenance than with open-circuit.

How well does the Megalodon travel?

The very modular design of the Megalodon makes travel very convenient. Less cylinders, divers are able to travel by air with the Megalodon as carry-on luggage in most circumstances. Regardless of the brand of rebreather it can be annoying to travel with cylinders because they are carefully examined by security personnel, and occasionally even confiscated. You may prefer to rent cylinders at the destination or ship the cylinders ahead by a package carrier such as UPS or DHL.

How is an Megalodon different from other rebreathers?

All of the major rebreather models are good quality units. There is no perfect rebreather; they all have strengths and weaknesses that make each uniquely more or less suited to your needs. Beyond the features of the rebreather itself, you should consider the supplier along with how the model was designed and has been supported. The ISC Megalodon is the only rebreather from a US based dive equipment company that is ISO 9001:2000 certified. As an independent dealer, we stock Megalodon units, spares and consumables with online ordering and same day shipping.

Is the Megalodon rebreather safe?

The Megalodon is a tested modern electronic CCR design. One expert on recreational sport and technical diving has said closed-circuit rebreathers are safer than open-circuit for the diligent diver. No type of rebreather can be said to be categorically safer than another. The quality of training is a major factor affecting rebreather safety. No rebreather is foolproof, and the fact remains that compared to open-circuit there are a disproportionate number of rebreather fatalities; nearly all of which have been attributed to diver error. Your safety while diving is controlled by you, not by your rebreather.