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Article: RF3 Coverage - Rebreather Mortality Rate Analysis
- Thread starter HowardE
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Just interested in where he came up with "creates 10 times the risk of failure than diving on open circuit". To know that, you'd have to have a pretty good idea of how many OC divers there are actually diving, or the number of dives from both camps. If I remember correctly, there are approximately 100 overall scuba deaths per year worldwide. Not having information on the numbers of both types of divers (or dives) makes a comparison difficult. In addition, I'd think many RB divers also dive OC occasionally. Did he mention his thoughts on the OC diver population, or the total number of dives OC versus RB?
OP
He used numbers released by a BSAC study on diver deaths in Australia, and took approximations. According to the study, the incident rate for scuba is 1:200,000 dives. By using that ratio, he calculated his assumption based on 14,000 active CCR divers doing 30 dives per year. Personally, I think his assumption and incident rate is high on that. I also think you're focused on the minor portion of this article. The biggest points are not his conclusion which is his theory, but rather the forward portion of the article which highlights actual numbers based on several studies.
Thanks for the information. I wasn't focusing at all, just interested. As a non-CCR diver, I am very interested in overall incident rates and also numbers for OC compared to CCR divers. I believe, but cannot prove, the CCR incidents skew the data for non-CCR divers. I also believe the risk is greater for CCR divers for exactly the reasons cited. Interesting study and great collaboration from the certifying agencies. Now, we need the OC data as well. Perhaps the dive agencies will open their books up as well...
OP
I think the scuba industry as a whole could/should learn from what the apex of the sport is doing.
OP
What would you call the top of the pyramid? Expedition diving is the highest level of diving, the top of the pyramid. Entry level recreational diving is the lowest (base). Fill in the middle appropriately 
Mustard Dave
Contributor
The article says rebreather deaths occur four times more than recreational divers. Most rebreather divers will fit in the 'technical' bracket, although some agencies (PADI probably more than others) are offering recreational rebreather courses.
The main reason technical divers choose to dive a rebreather is because of the efficient use of gas. The cost of trimix on OC is ridiculous. Then add the logistics of carrying multiple stages and the greater deco penalties on OC. For deep diving, a rebreather could be considered safer (less deco, easier gas planning and the option of OC bailout).
I would like to know how the mortality rate of rebreather divers diving beyond 80m compares with OC divers doing the same dives. It is widely acknowledged OC technical diving carries more risks (and one would expect the statistics reflect this) than OC recreational diving.
The main reason technical divers choose to dive a rebreather is because of the efficient use of gas. The cost of trimix on OC is ridiculous. Then add the logistics of carrying multiple stages and the greater deco penalties on OC. For deep diving, a rebreather could be considered safer (less deco, easier gas planning and the option of OC bailout).
I would like to know how the mortality rate of rebreather divers diving beyond 80m compares with OC divers doing the same dives. It is widely acknowledged OC technical diving carries more risks (and one would expect the statistics reflect this) than OC recreational diving.
I took from the original presentation, and from the summary that Howard posted, that the issue is user error... almost always if not exclusively. One hugely significant conclusion from RF3 was that in 100 percent of the cases involving one particular manufacturer, the investigators found no sign of a physical assembly or pre-dive checklist in the dead diver's kit. Most incidents also had contributions from potential challenges such as divers doing dives beyond the scope of their training, and units that had been modified from the manufacturer's original specs... which I am becoming more and more convinced can play a major role... a major negative role in unit performance.
Rebreathers -- their design, testing, manufacture and performance -- have evolved dramatically in the past decade. Rebreathers (a few brands at least) are "SAFE" in that they offer more options than OC when things go pear-shaped. However, the agency sanctioned training on CCRs is missing something... or perhaps it's just human nature... because rebreather divers are screwing up... less now than six or seven years ago according to the data... but every incident of a diver death on CCR (or SCR) that's come to light in the past four years or so, it is the DIVER and not the UNIT that was at fault. At least in my considered opinion.
Rebreathers -- their design, testing, manufacture and performance -- have evolved dramatically in the past decade. Rebreathers (a few brands at least) are "SAFE" in that they offer more options than OC when things go pear-shaped. However, the agency sanctioned training on CCRs is missing something... or perhaps it's just human nature... because rebreather divers are screwing up... less now than six or seven years ago according to the data... but every incident of a diver death on CCR (or SCR) that's come to light in the past four years or so, it is the DIVER and not the UNIT that was at fault. At least in my considered opinion.
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