There are a lot of rebreathers out there and we are fortunate to live in a time where we have so many awesome, functional units to learn on. The XCCR stands out from the crowd, and is the rebreather I primarily represent. I have dove others, some only as try-dives and others for hundreds of hours. I am an instructor on other units but the XCCR is still my primary recommendation.
Quick Connect Fittings
Quick connect fittings are a huge benefit of the XCCR for convenience and safety. Mistakes are going to be made when CCR diving. It’s paramount to be vigilant but good design and no-tool assembly makes assembling and disassembling the XCCR more like popping together legos than constructing a life support system. Units that don’t have a design like this tend to fall in to human factors traps where the user doesn’t take the time needed to properly check or disinfect their units. Even the sensors are COAX style connectors which are incredibly easier to deal with compared to molex.
Robust components
The XCCR has a lot of metal and delrin components. Those components are tough as nails. I’ve seen them break, but I’ve seen way more examples of situations where ABS units would snap or get crushed. The design and quality of parts on this unit are very tough and that’s an important part of the purchasing decision for me.
Simple Configuration
The XXCR is a simple design that ends up with clean routing and assembly. It integrates into a traditional DIR style harness with ease and doesn’t get in the way of bailout, cameras, scooters etc. The X looks like many other standard backmount units and it is - but the simple configuration and build make the unit a breeze to integrate on any level of diver.