The Avelo System

I became certified on the Avelo System in December 2023, completing two guided and three additional independent dives. I shared my impressions with Undercurrent in a March 2024 article Diving the Avelo System. Because Avelo is relatively unknown to many divers, I'll briefly explain how it works before diving into my second round of testing.

The Avelo System

The Avelo replaces the traditional tank, BCD, and weight setup. Its core is the Hydrotank, a high-pressure tank (rated to 300 bar/4350 psi) containing an internal flexible bladder.

The Jetpack includes the harness, backplate, battery, and integrated water pump. Weight slots are included in the tank boot.

What sets the Avelo System apart is its buoyancy control. Instead of a traditional BCD, you manage buoyancy via a button on the tank. This activates a pump that adds or removes water inside the tank, compressing or decompressing the gas bladder. In effect, it operates like a submarine -- adjusting its internal water volume to control buoyancy.

Crucially, there's no compressible/expandable air bubble as in a traditional BCD, eliminating buoyancy shifts due to depth changes. This makes for more stable and predictable buoyancy control.

Second Round of Testing -- October 2024, Bonaire

In October, my wife and I returned to Bonaire for a two-week dive trip and rented Avelo gear from Dive Friends for six independent dives.

During my initial experience a year ago, I found it difficult to reach the pump button on the Jetpack due to limited mobility in my right shoulder. Ahead of this trip, I contacted Avelo, and they repositioned the pump button 4.5 inches to the side and 1.5 inches higher. This minor adjustment made it easy for me to operate.

Before the trip, I installed the Avelo Mode on my Shearwater Teric computer. I used my personal 300 bar DIN regulator setup (Scubapro MK25/S600/C370 and Oceanic MH8A transmitter).

During my dives, buoyancy control was effortless. A single pump at the beginning of the dive and a slight adjustment halfway through kept me perfectly neutral throughout. As expected, buoyancy remained stable regardless of depth.

The Avelo Mode on my Teric displayed real-time data, including remaining gas percentage, workload (RMV), and buoyancy. These metrics are also visible in graph form via Shearwater Cloud. An Avelo summary tab lists average buoyancy, buoyancy range, average workload, workload range, and several other items.

Avelo also offers a Dive Analysis Tool, which provides additional insight into your buoyancy and system performance using downloaded dive data.

Performance and Cost

My air consumption (RMV) averaged 0.32 cu ft/min across six Avelo dives -- virtually identical to my average of 0.31 cu ft/min in traditional gear in Bonaire calm waters, an improvement from my previous Avelo dives in 2023.

The Avelo setup I used with a Jetpack and Hydrotank and weight was 15 pounds lighter than my standard warm-water kit (3 mm wetsuit) with my BC and AL80 weight. While not quite the dramatic weight savings advertised on Avelo's website, there is still a meaningful difference, and it may be important, especially to smaller divers or people with back issues. There would be a slightly greater weight differential if I used a 5- or 7-mm wetsuit.

Gas availability depends on fill pressure. To match the gas volume of a standard AL80 at 3000 psi, the Avelo 10L tank needs a fill of roughly 3300 psi. My fills were slightly under that.

My rental cost at Dive Friends Bonaire was $110 per day for up to three dives. This includes the Jetpack, three Hydrotanks, a regulator set, and weights. A dive computer is not included.

Avelo is Growing

It's been interesting to watch Avelo's expansion. They now have three professional training centers and 27 dive centers in Australia, Bonaire, Spain, and five U.S. states. They've also conducted training programs in Florida, Texas, Utah, and California. The Avelo system may be purchased for a very hefty $3990 at participating dive centers.

The Avelo Mode is supported on the Shearwater Teric, Peregrine TX, Perdix 2, Tern TX, and the Scubapro G2 console.

In Bonaire, certified divers can participate in a "Discover Avelo" experience, which offers a single dive without requiring full certification.

Final Thoughts

While I appreciate Avelo's depth-independent buoyancy and lightweight gear, I'm probably not the system's primary target user. My buoyancy, trim, propulsion, breathing, and relaxation are already well-refined, and I didn't see a major change in gas consumption.

However, the Avelo System could be helpful for newer or less experienced divers. It simplifies buoyancy, encourages proper weighting, and reduces task loading -- ultimately helping divers improve their control, efficiency, and air consumption. The equipment weight savings are moderate, but 15 pounds may be significant for some people.

Even the reduced weight may make it impractical for traveling divers to carry the entire system through airports, and repairs may be impossible if no Avelo operator is nearby. It seems most useful for people living near an Avelo operator.

If training agencies provided more comprehensive instruction on buoyancy and weighting, Avelo's value might be less. Still, the system offers benefits for many divers, especially those struggling with buoyancy control.

For more details, visit Avelo's website.

-- Craig Wood, Florida