When leading deep wreck explorer Mike Barnette wanted a custom designed Rebreather wing capable of meeting his rigorous needs, he turned to the only manufacturer with the requisite experience: Halcyon Manufacturing. Halcyon’s long history of building leading-edge technical equipment, together with their in-house design team, proved a perfect match for the development of this unique product. This team effort resulted in a custom fabricated CCR rebreather wing. The CCR-35 is built using the same time-tested material found in all Halcyon wings: the 1680 ballistic nylon outer cover is coupled with a urethane coated, puncture resistant 400-denier Cordora bladder. This RF welded inner bladder is finished with Halcyon’s high quality OEM plastic inflator.

The CCR-35 has 35 pounds of lift tailored into a unique horseshoe style wing. Utilizing industry standard 11-inch, on-center grommeted holes, the wing will mount to most CCR’s. Rebreather divers will appreciate the carefully engineered lift dynamics that were built into the design. The Explorer CCR-35 limits lift behind the divers head, instead placing lift where it is needed most– under the cylinder valves and near the bottom of the rebreather system. This design facilitates ideal horizontal trim while enhancing a diver’s balance in-water balance. The offset inflator elbow is located between the cylinder and rebreather canister, allowing easy access to the lid for turning the unit on and off, as well keeping the inflator clear of the breathing loop and secure on the harness. The slotted wing allows hoses to be routed through the body of the wing and over the backplate, keeping the hoses streamlined and close to the body. The opv is positioned at the extreme lower perimeter of the wing, allowing easy dumping of gas and avoiding conflict with open-circuit bailout bottles.

Mike's team has been testing and refining the Explorer CCR-35 with the Megalodon Rebreather for the last several months. We also have extensive in-water feedback from divers using both the KISS Classic and Sport units. Preliminary testing has shown that the Explorer CCR-35 also performs with most other closed-circuit rebreathers that utilize inverted cylinders.