Poseidon

Poseidon in South Africa

Poseidon is a Swedish diving company. Its own history puts the start in 1958, when Ingvar Elfström founded it, and the Cyklon second stage dates from that same year. Poseidon builds its regulators in Sweden and also makes closed circuit rebreathers. Here's how to choose within what we carry.

Cyklon or Xstream

The Cyklon 5000 Regulator DIN is the classic: a servo-assisted second stage with side exhaust and side purge, ambidextrous so it works from either side, on a DIN first stage with two high pressure and four low pressure ports. Poseidon builds it for cold water and names the Royal Swedish Navy and the German Navy among its users. The Xstream Black Regulator DIN is the technical choice. Its self-balancing first stage uses a ruby ball seal, and its Thermo Dynamic Antifreeze system keeps ice away without fluids. It's approved to the EN250 cold water standard, for use under ice down to minus 1.6 degrees Celsius without a cold water kit, and to 200 m under Norsok U101. It works with air, nitrox, trimix with up to 95% helium and 100% oxygen.

Poseidon says the Cyklon is popular with recreational divers. If you're heading into deep, cold or mixed gas diving, go Xstream.

A matching octopus

Poseidon's view is that the alternate should breathe like the primary, so each octopus is the same second stage in a different colour. The Cyklon 5000 Octopus is yellow and ambidextrous, easy for a buddy to take from either side. The Xstream Octopus matches the Xstream primary, with a safety valve that Poseidon says keeps it breathing normally, rather than free flowing, if a failure occurs.

Gauges

The Cirrus Pressure Gauge Black reads bar and PSI to 300 bar on an 80 cm hose, with fluorescent numbers on a black face. The Cirrus Double Console Black adds a depth gauge in metres and feet. Either works as your main instrument or as an analogue backup to an air-integrated computer.

Wing, harness and rebreather BCD

The One Wing 50 has 225 N of lift and a ClamRetract system that cuts size and drag when the bladder is partly inflated. Poseidon designs it to pair with the One Harness, developed with a backpack maker, with an adjustable spine length in Standard (M) and Large (L). They're sold separately, so buy both to build a back inflation BCD. The Rebreather BCD is for Poseidon rebreather divers who prefer a jacket to a wing, with integrated exchangeable counterlungs and an integrated weight system; the adapters to the rebreather are sold separately.

Cutter and cases

The Titanium Line Cutter has a hooked, serrated blade and a casing that mounts on a harness strap or hose, a sensible spare even if you carry a knife. The Ballistic Laptop Case fits 11 to 17 inch laptops and the Ballistic iPad Case fits tablets up to 11 inches, the laptop case is waterproof against splashing, spilling and dipping and the iPad case has a waterproof closure and a viewing window, so both suit the camera table on a liveaboard or a day boat. Browse more regulators and gauges and consoles.