A lot of people have asked whether or not Russian dive gear is any good.

The answer is, of course, Yes.  And No.  I will attempt here to analyze and present the various aspects of each system in such a way that you, the ultimate user, can use to figure out what each means to you, in real-world terms.  Remember too, comrade, that when people say Russian, they really mean Soviet, which now may be manufactured in any of the Borat Republiks.  When I say Russian in the context of this article, I mean any soviet-era item, including current production of any soviet style designs.  You will find that many of these "cold war" items are freshly manufactured.  Is this a good thing or a bad thing?  I suppose if you are a collector, then bad, but if you are a diver, good?  I let you decide. 

The easiest systems to rate are the regular, open circuit scuba systems.

OPEN CIRCUIT: 

Recommended only for collectors and the simply curious.  Why? simply put, though the stuff is OK, it lacks a decade or two of western refinements.  That by itself would not be a negative, just a personal preference issue.  However, few if any Russian tanks will have a DOT/CTC stamp on them, and therefore, will not be fillable, transportrable, or servicable by companies in the US.  If you want to dive them, be sure you have everything you need in that regard.

COPPER DIVE HELMETS:

The Russian dive helmet comes in three light or four light configuration.  The three light comes with a handle on top, which is nice for the topside crew, and also provides a mount for a flashlight. Otherwise, I greatly prefer the four light.  There are no extras on these, they are wired for basic comms and have a headbutt op valve mounted in back, which is non-adjustable. 

Your non-return valve is made of leather.  Might want an in-line on that. Interestingly, the air fittings are standard. The face plate is non-hinged, so you have to unscrew it. there is no spit valve.   None of the soviet helmets are removable from the suit by the diver.  Even the 12 bolt is basically a 3 bolt with an adapter. I find this the most irritating part of the whole system.

 This is a very functional, bare-bones helmet, but it ain't no mk-V. Of course, at one fifth the price, that is what you expect, no?  On the three light, the air duct to the front light is not soldered in place, but attached with post mounts.  This is not normally a problem, but once, my helmet recieved a severe jar which popped one of the mounts, and the duct fell down in front of my face, which made everything real difficult from that point on. 

 The dive suits for these helmets are rugged and stiff, and seem to me to be larger than standard dress sizes in the west.  The three bolt, of course, is the most miserable of the lot. You cannot get in or out except through the neck hole.  Good luck. Also, they have a penchant for three finger gloves, which I definitely would replace with cuffs at first opportunity. Their boots are more often cast iron than lead, and they prefer giant medallions over harness weights.  Overall, I prefer to dive these for recreational purposes, without the suit, in tropical condiditons. This is actually a great way to go, but I recommend a neck dam, which can be made out of an old wet suit, and sandwiched between the helmet and corselet. And bring a bail out and spare mask. 

About the only one I think I would buy for professional reasons is the deep version, which includes a mixed gas plenum, and then only because its about the cheapest thing out there in that category.

   REBREATHERS

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