broncobowsher
Contributor
Air travel is where things really change. OC you just bring a handful of gear, rent some tanks locally and go dive.
Air travel with a rebreather really means you are overseeing the transport of a rebreather. Many don't fly that well. The rEvo micro was really designed as a carry on for air travel so it does better than many others. But that still leaves the logistics of a rebreather. Finds sorb, then how much will you use? O2 and Dil. It is doable, just not as easy.
About 3 years ago I flew the rEvo for the first time to do a warm water dive on the U352. Flew into town on Thursday night and were going diving Friday morning. The rest of the people just picked up there pre-filled tanks of air/nitrox. I had to plan a little further ahead, ship the tanks cross country so they could be filled and ready for me Friday morning. Otherwise I would had to arrive the day before just to get my O2 fill. Sorb was another pain, but a friend was traveling by RV and offered to haul back the rest of the keg for me. I really need to get the smaller packaging for trips like this.
But while there on the cattle boat, I found it way more enjoyable. Often the first in and close to the last out. Not listening to my own bubbles (I really hate how loud OC is now that I am on a rebreather). I am not pressed for time, watching the SPG and thinking of the couple minutes I have left before I have to turn. The in water stress is gone. Doing a 45 minute dive, knowing that if I had to it could be a hour or two.
But driving, having everything local, all those issues are gone. I actually find it easier than OC. I am not at the local dive shop (which isn't that local) getting tanks filled all the time. Switching between a deep tech dive and a simple recreational dive is just the matter of changing out 2-3 items, what DIL and what bailout(s).
Air travel with a rebreather really means you are overseeing the transport of a rebreather. Many don't fly that well. The rEvo micro was really designed as a carry on for air travel so it does better than many others. But that still leaves the logistics of a rebreather. Finds sorb, then how much will you use? O2 and Dil. It is doable, just not as easy.
About 3 years ago I flew the rEvo for the first time to do a warm water dive on the U352. Flew into town on Thursday night and were going diving Friday morning. The rest of the people just picked up there pre-filled tanks of air/nitrox. I had to plan a little further ahead, ship the tanks cross country so they could be filled and ready for me Friday morning. Otherwise I would had to arrive the day before just to get my O2 fill. Sorb was another pain, but a friend was traveling by RV and offered to haul back the rest of the keg for me. I really need to get the smaller packaging for trips like this.
But while there on the cattle boat, I found it way more enjoyable. Often the first in and close to the last out. Not listening to my own bubbles (I really hate how loud OC is now that I am on a rebreather). I am not pressed for time, watching the SPG and thinking of the couple minutes I have left before I have to turn. The in water stress is gone. Doing a 45 minute dive, knowing that if I had to it could be a hour or two.
But driving, having everything local, all those issues are gone. I actually find it easier than OC. I am not at the local dive shop (which isn't that local) getting tanks filled all the time. Switching between a deep tech dive and a simple recreational dive is just the matter of changing out 2-3 items, what DIL and what bailout(s).