28/06/2026
S7 mCCR and Portugal. Once again: a new month, a new experience.
Together with Anton, we extensively used this beautiful unit in Portugal.
Portugal is well known for its extremely challenging caves: very narrow passages, razor-sharp rocks, strong currents, long vertical drops, and crazy restrictions. So naturally, we decided to push our S7s to their limits.
Anton had just returned from his expedition to Morocco. His equipment clearly showed the signs of heavy use, and we wanted to make sure everything was still working properly. After all, you never really know what can happen during those explorations.
The S7 looked like a 200-year-old unit: deep scratches everywhere, almost as if he had used 60-grit sandpaper to make it look even more "beautiful."
Andrew provided us with a new prototype cave shield for the unit, finished in a bright red color. I'm pretty sure it's not only useful but also looks great.
Many caves simply cannot be entered with a backmount unit. Some restrictions can only be passed with a single-mounted unit, and some even require no mount at all.
There probably isn't an easier unit than the S7: unclip it, push it through, and continue. Because of its compact size, it almost feels like carrying nothing at all. It is also incredibly easy to share between buddies.
During these kinds of explorations, anything can happen, and having a versatile unit is essential.
We even intentionally flooded the unit and cleaned it inside the cave without any problems. Even in extremely narrow passages, where there is usually no room to perform these kinds of exercises, the S7 handled it perfectly.
Is this important? Absolutely. In this type of diving, you want to be able to deal with and solve problems wherever they occur.
The entire team is working incredibly hard to make this unit as simple and reliable as possible while continuously improving every detail. Even small aesthetic refinements have appeared since the earlier versions, and those small details really matter.
I fell in love with this unit right from the beginning, and that feeling has only grown stronger over time. Smiling in the morning while preparing the unit and carrying it to the cave entrance like a handbag says it all.
There is no perfect unit for every type of diving, and we all know that. eCCR is not mCCR, and we would never dare to make direct comparisons. It always depends on what you do and what you need the unit for.
For me, it is the perfect unit for exploration dives, but also for deeper dives in lakes or the ocean. It is equally well suited for simple fun dives and for traveling.
One thing I can say for sure: if you don't want an mCCR, the S7 might not be your first choice 😉
For me, however, it is definitely the unit I will always try to have with me, even when I don't plan to use it. At only 5 kg, it doesn't even bother your carry-on luggage.
Anton Zhuchkov
Andrew Goring
SUMP UK
