CE Requirement in Europe

[Subcooled]

The M26 was nothing to do with safety. It was all to do with vested interests, or if you are anti EU, corruption.

The reason it is so roundly ignored in many countries is because it makes no sense, it is only there to benefit a few manufacturers, it stinks of hypocrisy.

It is the law.
About everyone involved wipes his/her ass with the law.
Even the most obedient ones.

If you want to pass a law, you will need at least some people that actually believe that it is good.

 

[JMBL]

Does this also apply to plongée souterraine? No?

No CE required on your rig if you're cave diving, which is outside 'code du sport' (sport regulations). Still some filling stations might required M26 for mix over 40% O2.

 

[ThePope]

Edit...
The UK's still accepting the CE markings. For some reason the UK's also talking about "UKCA" approval. Bluntly there's so much political bollocks resulting from brexit around this, it'll take a while to resolve.

CE markings are still mandatory for items which they apply, not merely accepted.

 

[Stevegriscti]

Malta
Nobody cares if your unit is CE or not for diving. M26 valves/regs are not standard either.

 

[Joris Vd]

If the rebreather is not CE-approved they will cause issues in France or Italy as mentioned above. (This will mainly be in the big commercial diving areas, think Genoa, Hyères, etc).

Nobody will care if you have altered your rb somehow, it's all about wether the RB is CE-approved.
So KISS-CLASSIC ohlalala non non non , triton or revo: oui oui oui, you're welcome on my bateau.

I have a friend who dives a KISS-classic and ended up diving OC in Hyères.
It seems the french think it's safer to dive to a 53 meter deep wreck on a 12l single tank on air, than a non ce-approved RB.

 

[Wibble]

If the rebreather is not CE-approved they will cause issues in France or Italy as mentioned above. (This will mainly be in the big commercial diving areas, think Genoa, Hyères, etc).

Nobody will care if you have altered your rb somehow, it's all about wether the RB is CE-approved.
So KISS-CLASSIC ohlalala non non non , triton or revo: oui oui oui, you're welcome on my bateau.

I have a friend who dives a KISS-classic and ended up diving OC in Hyères.
It seems the french think it's safer to dive to a 53 meter deep wreck on a 12l single tank on air, than a non ce-approved RB.

Must keep the vested interests happy.

We like diving as there's no dive police. Unless you're in Spain, France or Italy...

 

[Subcooled]

More "am paid to work". Different from "employed". Good example is a dive instructor; if you pay them then they're "at work". If you don't pay them, e.g. a club instructor like BSAC, then they're not "at work".


Must buy an M25 to M26 adapter if going to "Europe", or France at least.

Sorry for not being clear in my wording.

1) Employed divers:

I meant that a professional diver (commercial/military/public safety/sewer/research diver or an employed instructor or dm) probably requires that the employer provides them with safe (CE-approved, for a start) tools.

2) Independent divers:

An independent instructor could opt for non-CE equipment, because it is his own choice. Same applies to those who dive for fun or adventure only.

3) Not so rich divers:

If **** hits the fan and one needs to rely on an insurance, then one can only hope for that the insurance policy does not require one to comply with "safety rules" such as CE-approval and to only dive on dry land etc. etc. etc. If the insurance policy requires CE-approval and there is no free(ish) public health care available that includes recompression treatment, then non-CE gear is a risk.

4) Divers that are (or their employer is) responsible for the safety of customers:

A completely different thing is what is required from a dive buddy or a customer. If there is a customer, there is typically a duty of care, and allowing non-CE equipment to be used thus constitutes a risk: if an accident happens, then can you prove, that the customer was duly taken care of, and that (s)he was informed enough to dive with exotic gear, thus relieving yourself of responsibility (if even allowed by the law)? When a diver is dead, many questions rise.

A dive buddy might also be interested in the capabilities of the gear (especially breathing apparatus) if the dive is planned to exceptional depths or in a challenging environment.

An example: If I am diving to a depth of 30m/100ft in open water then I do not really care what kind of gear you use. Emergency ascent is possible and depth related issues are minor. However, if we ice dive in -1c or near freezing water and swim any significant distance from the entry point, then I DO REQUIRE that you have 1) two first stages, and 2) cold water approved regulators CE and ISO, and 3) dry air in dry tanks. If you do not, I dive solo.

 

[Subcooled]

Must buy an M25 to M26 adapter if going to "Europe", or France at least.

If I would require M26 from customers (to make it impossible to partial pressure fill non-clean cylinders with oxygen),
then I would strictly forbid adapters, too.

 

[Wibble]

If I would require M26 from customers (to make it impossible to partial pressure fill non-clean cylinders with oxygen),
then I would strictly forbid adapters, too.

Vive la France!

 

[Subcooled]

The M26 was nothing to do with safety. It was all to do with vested interests, or if you are anti EU, corruption.

You say: "or if you are anti EU, corruption"

I am for the EU. I might not say "corruption", but I would not say "vested interests" either.

I believe that the M26 standard was created by misguided decision makers, not necessarily corrupt, but mislead by lobbyist from the regulator manufacturers.

The reason it is so roundly ignored in many countries is because it makes no sense, it is only there to benefit a few manufacturers, it stinks of hypocrisy.

Amen.