saturated:Hey guys....looks like its storming in happyville' Have to agree though, the box should be moved.
CCRBOY, granted everything causes cancer, people pass diseases and accidents happen....all the more reason to not breathe this crap.
Having been a CCR diver for well over 20 years I can tell you that UNKNOWNS SIMPLY DON'T FLY since most CCR guys I know are pretty anal (including myself)! MikeR is the worst though That insures long term survival, guys that are NOT end up NOT BEING. We do everything a specific way everytime, everything lines up or we dont dive. When people we respect and that are smarter than us tell us this could be an issue, it gets the brain going....most of us have learned over the years that if someone smarter than you says it may be an issue....generally it will be proven to be so down the line.
IMHO it would be better to simply change the configuration than to try and convince everyone its not an issue, the latter will never happen. Most of the guys on this thread are inspiration divers, a couple of them are respected inspiration instructors, I am an inspiration diver. All of us are highly defensive of our kits, but this does appear to be an issue that will take longer to prove than to correct. Most students today do their research. So given the threads on this exploding all over the internet...it could and will effect sales.
It also puts the instructors in an unfair position. When asked about the effects the battery gas will have long term the only truthful answer is I don't know.
Folks,
I repeated what Sat had to say, and added emphasis because this is the common-sense, realistic view!
Anyone can tell me: "Hey! Don't worry about it! There are lots of things more dangerous than this!" I may, in fact be willing to accept that for MYSELF. (I do not, but we'll pass by that for the moment.)
As an Inspiration instructor, I can not, and will not tell a student, if I am asked about this: "Oh, don't worry. You'll be okay!" I SIMPLY DON'T KNOW THAT HE WILL BE OKAY!!!!
Since I am also a Diver Medic Technician, I have to live by the medical directive: "First, do no harm." Without some kind of proof to the contrary, I HAVE to assume the worst, and respond by being safe and conservative.
When you ask me: "Should I breathe these gasses? Is it okay?" I have to answer with an unequivocal: "NO!!!" That is the only way I can fulfill my responsibilites as a medical person, to say nothing of my responsibilities as an instructor.
BJD :doctor: