Here's a not-too-clear photo of the rig standing on my bench. Note the key word: Standing. Yup, *finally* a rebreather that can stand up on it's own feet, so to speak. You only need to have dealt with another rebreather that's impossible to rack with twinsets on the dive-boat to realize how useful a rig can be when it can be handled like any other technical diving system.

Here's why it stands: The manufacturer has seen fit to install a neat spring-loaded stand on the bottom of the rig. It must be pulled out to extend it (as I am doing with my free hand while managing the camera with the other), and then the rig stands-up.

Yet, when the diver begins to stand-up after dressing into the rig, the feet spring-back into a retracted position for diving. This is a good human-factors design, and deserves attention by other manufacturers. I wish my Mark-15 had this sort of system installed! 

Here's the view from the back, still standing on the bench. Notice the two cylinders across the bottom of the rig, and the substantial carrying handle-cum-ballast weight across the top. Notice also the integrated wings for buoyancy control.

Another view of the front, showing the carry-handle at top, and the integration of the bailout regulator and wings.

This shot shows the very cleanly streamlined shape of the shell of the rig, which really fits the divers back wonderfully. Guys, this is one clean design. No snarl of hoses or other snagging hazards. Dreager Dolphin users, eat your hearts out. 

A ton of attention has been made to keeping hose-runs neat, and streamlining every part of the system. Here, the 2 HP gauge hoses and the feed-hose for the wings can be seen exiting the shell at the left shoulder. Notice also that, for once, the main breathing hoses actually come towards and over the divers shoulders, not straight out of the top of the rig. As can be seen, the carrying handle also serves as the hinge-point for opening up the top part of the shell.

OK, I promise I'll stop bragging about the handle, but I REALLY like it. It's heavy enough to retrieve an unconscious diver into a boat. It's comfortable to grip. And when you grab it in one hand and the folding foot in the other, the rig is easy to carry to the boat or down the beach. Have I said "I like it" enough time? If not, let me say that I LIKE IT.....

That little round thing in the middle of the back is the exhaust valve. That component in itself is worth it's own page, which is why it *does* have it's own page. Go see it when you are done here.

Regulators are, no surprise, Mares MR-12 with Nitrox fittings installed. This is a real advantage over the Dolphin, as Mares first-stage parts are common worldwide and the regulators are very easy to service. Since the original Voit MR-12 was a US made design, and since the same internal parts fit many of the first stages of it's era (US Divers Conshelf, among others), and since the current Mares equipment still uses these same components, fixing these in some hellhole backwater part of the world will be easy.

Here's another detail of the regulator. It's obvious from a legal standpoint to use the Nitrox fitting, but I must point out that replacement valves with a standard DIN outlet are available, and that the actual first-stage can have a DIN fitting added to replace the Nitrox one. I guess the question is, "why bother", but I'm just mentioning it since I know that somebody will ask.

Cylinders are Faber 4 liter steel ones, with a 200 BAR working pressure. Valves are the standard European Nitrox outlet.  The cylinders are now US DOT approved, so local filling is not an issue for US users.

Once again, the manufacturer chose to use a valve with the same internal parts as are used on just about every SCUBA supply valve made since the 1950's. The valve seat and other components are interchangeable with US Divers, Scubapro, OMS, and the rest. Easy to field service, and an excellent touch.

The real core of the rig is the constant mass flow dose unit and manifold, which is attached to the harness at the belt. This device has it's own page, so go there when  you are done here for a detailed look.

Laying on it's back, we can see the excellent integrated harness, the folded foot, and the bailout regulator and gauges. Enough D-Rings are present on the harness for attachment of the usual stuff, but not so many that you end up looking like a caricature of a technical diver. Bottom line is that it's just right. The harness is a cummerbund design with good quality fasteners, and double leg-straps similar to a parachute harness are designed to keep the rig positioned low on the back so the centroid of the counterlungs is in a  position for low work of breathing,

Even though it's NOT a "Mares Azimuth" any longer, the association will last forever. All of the other system components are of Mares manufacture. Shown are the 2 HP gauges, the bailout regulator, and the wings inflator. All top of the line stuff, and easy to service at the local dive shop.

Little details abound: They decided to include a version of a HP gauge with a thermometer into one of the two gauges. Essential? Nope. Nice? Yup! Just detail oriented. I like that approach!

Once again, no off-brand junk is installed. This is the bailout regulator.

To open the shell, just unthread the webbing from the buckles and hinge it open. At first I thought this to be a low-tech approach, but I got used to it, and found that it works well. Simple = good, and this is simple.

Opening up the shell reveals the scrubber , exhaust valve, and counterlungs. These are shown on their own pages.  

Suffice it to say that when the scrubber and counterlungs are removed (no tools, and 30 seconds), this is what's left. This is viewed from the top-down, with the open shell lid hinged towards the camera, and the stowage area for the cylinders at the top of the photo.

A parting view of the whole mess. That's the yellow bailout regulator hose exiting the rig right where it belongs, at the top right shoulder. Once again, you can see the very streamlined and clean design.