Valery Mukhin IDA59 SCR

Recently I received very information about the adventures of the Russian diver Valery Mukhin. Valery achieved to build his own semiclosed rebreather based on a IDA 59 ! Here you find his story.
© 2004

Dear Mr. Jan Willem Bech;
I would like to tell you about my experience as a rebreather homebuilder . I aquired a IDA-59M one year ago. I have altered this rebreather to a SCR which I named IDA-59SCR. I have made some dives with IDA-59SCR in the beginning of May of this year. (2004) The work to transform the IDA-59M to a IDA-59SCR had some stages.

Stage 1: I simply studied a design of the device and the operation manual. (here you find pictures of the original configuration)

Stage 2: I have mounted DIN sockets on the cilinders of the IDA-59M. In these sockets I have screwed the regulators:

In the scrubber I used a lime absorber instead of the original  substance called “O3”. Instead of trimix I used air. With an additional  hose  I have added the oxygen gauge.

I have tested the rebuild rebreather in the indoor pool:

Tests have shown the non stable contents of oxygen in an inhaled mix in such configuration.
Therefore I have made the decision on alteration IDA-59M in SCR.

 I have connected two sockets to counterlung. I have used the nozzle from Dolphin rebreather in one of which:

The Nitrox is carried in cylinders mounted  on the BCD:

I would like to thank Valery Mukhin for sending me these pictures of his homemade rig from Russia!
Dive Save and Silent,  regards; Janwillem Bech