30 days rebreather, sleeping underwater. Which Documentary?

[Boyan]

I came across this AMA in reddit: IamA Cave Diver AMA • /r/IAmA

Where one poster asks about a documentary, which sounds really interesting:

In the mid 90s, I saw a program on Discovery called Challenge.

It featured cave diving and they showed a rebreather that was capable of letting a person stay down for 30days, YES 30 days if my memory is correct. I cannot find anything on the web about it, so probably faulty memory. The only reason I dont think it was in my head is because they talked about the wierdness of sleeping in water and sleeping in the dark to conserve their batteries. They also talked about processes of keeping the skin from getting water logged and of using baggies for waste.

Have you heard of such a thing?

Unfortunately there is no response and I couldn't find anything about it in google. Which documentary is this? Does this sound realistic at all?

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

While I am not familiar with rebreathers I will say I searched the Discovery channel archives and there are only three shows they have aired with the word challenge in it. Eco-Challenge which aired in 2001. Full Metal Challenge (2003) and Scraphead Challenge.

I can't find anything on this and I like to think I am really good at internet research as it is part of my job here in cubicle hell.

 

[Boyan]

Its probably called something else... or it was even older than 2001? I looked in wikipedia, but also couldn't find anything meaningful with "challange" in the title.

 

[RainPilot]

I cant help with the program but I am not sure that the 30 days is accurate. Bill Stone did a 24 hour dive on one of the Cis-Lunar prototypes. These had the ability to change scrubber canisters underwater, so in theory i suppose there would be no limit to how long you could go if you had multiple scrubbers and a large supply of off-board O2 and diluent (not as necessary)

However your deco obligations at any kind of depth would be huge, effectively saturation diving so the bailout gas requirements would be huge.

Now, I can see a scenario where on a truly ridiculous push dive one might set up a habitat at depth for sleeping etc. This would allow you to conduct a saturation dive in a cave, the rebreathers would be normal (4-6 hours or so) but you might spend 30 days in the cave with support divers bringing fresh scrubber etc etc as required.

Those logistic problems would match your memory of the program I would say. It would be typical of non-diver journalists to hear "30-day dive during which we use rebreathers" to "rebreathers let you dive for 30 days"

I'll keep searching, I find these sorts of programs very interesting. I once did 24 hours underwater in a pool for charity, I cant imagine what 30 days in a cave might be like.

 

[Boyan]

I thought maybe they were literally sleeping in the water, with full face mask on, wake up, keep swimming. It was probably not like that.

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

I cant help with the program but I am not sure that the 30 days is accurate. Bill Stone did a 24 hour dive on one of the Cis-Lunar prototypes. These had the ability to change scrubber canisters underwater, so in theory i suppose there would be no limit to how long you could go if you had multiple scrubbers and a large supply of off-board O2 and diluent (not as necessary)

However your deco obligations at any kind of depth would be huge, effectively saturation diving so the bailout gas requirements would be huge.

Now, I can see a scenario where on a truly ridiculous push dive one might set up a habitat at depth for sleeping etc. This would allow you to conduct a saturation dive in a cave, the rebreathers would be normal (4-6 hours or so) but you might spend 30 days in the cave with support divers bringing fresh scrubber etc etc as required.

Those logistic problems would match your memory of the program I would say. It would be typical of non-diver journalists to hear "30-day dive during which we use rebreathers" to "rebreathers let you dive for 30 days"

I'll keep searching, I find these sorts of programs very interesting. I once did 24 hours underwater in a pool for charity, I cant imagine what 30 days in a cave might be like.

I would love to hear more about your 24 hours underwater. The logistics of it such as food and drink..what you did for 24 hours in a pool with nothing to look at...I am intrigued.

 

[RainPilot]

If @Boyan says it's ok I'll do a small thread hijack...

 

[alewar]

I would love to hear more about your 24 hours underwater. The logistics of it such as food and drink..what you did for 24 hours in a pool with nothing to look at...I am intrigued.

24 hours dives are not that unheard of. The WKPP did such dives in Florida using RB80 rebreathers, and so did the EKPP in Europe too about ten years ago...

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

24 hours dives are not that unheard of. The WKPP did such dives in Florida using RB80 rebreathers, and so did the EKPP in Europe too about ten years ago...

I understand they are done but I am still curious as to the logistics of it especially in a pool where you don't have any sea life to entertain you.

 

[Killerflyingbugs]

Sleeping under water is awesome, did it a few times when I was a hardhat diver. It was always in shallow water waiting on topside, best way to take a nap ever!