???Future of Open Circuit Mixed Gas and Rebreather Diving???

[AnotherDiverHere]

What is "the future?" 2024? 2030? even 2035 is less than a dozen years away right now. Some of us have been diving far far longer than that already.

Valid question,
I did not really think of a time frame just thinking in the next few years. It will be exciting to see all the developments over the next ten years.

Hopefully in 2035, its nothing like 12 Monkeys!!

 

[AnotherDiverHere]

Would be interesting to know what’s the forward curve for helium, I.e. is it forecasted by the market to go lower at some point.

I'm sure there are studies somewhere. Maybe someone can pull one up

 

[berndo]

Be interested to know what it costs to get started with CCR.

About 10 to 15 grand.

 

[BlueTrin]

About 10 to 15 grand.

You basically need:

• to buy the unit
• get a few tidbits that will make your life easier, for example spare parts, a cup to dry your head maybe, other random bits
• Get a class with a CCR instructor (this is where you’ll get your unit, usually)
• Get some dives to build back to your previous level of diving (don’t underestimate this bit, it’s much longer than many people believe at first)
• Depending of your goals and agency, you may need a second class to get where you wanted and do the dives you wanted

Once you got the first clas, you have to work your way back to your previous level, so there is a bit of a hidden cost in the sense that you will do for a certain time, dives that are maybe easier on average than what you used to dive.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Would be interesting to know what’s the forward curve for helium, I.e. is it forecasted by the market to go lower at some point.

Maybe production will increase and prices will drop.

Along with energy prices.

 

[Marie13]

Be interested to know what it costs to get started with CCR.

Here are my costs from last fall:

$8500 new Kiss Spirit
$700 4 pin Fathom HUD (didn’t want the hardwired one from Kiss)
$1800 training
$300 for incidental during training (sorb, swivel, etc)
Travel expenses: gas, hotel, food for three full weekends four hours away in WI (I live in the Chicago area), plus one day up in Madison, WI at dive shop for classroom/pool - I never bothered to add this up.

Units can often be had used, but it depends on what you’re looking for. You may also spend a good bit restoring an older unit. Travel costs could easily run into the thousands depending on where you live and where your training is.

 

[Nick_Radov]

Will Open Circuit Tech Diving Go the Way of the Dinosaurs?

Closed circuit rebreathers have arguably become the platform of choice for BIG DIVES. So, does it make any sense to continue to train divers to conduct deep, open circuit mix dives? Here physiologist Neal Pollock examines both platforms from an operational and physiological perspective. The...

gue.com

 

[TuckerIdaho]

Maybe production will increase and prices will drop.

Maybe I'll win the lottery.

 

[BlueTrin]

If you buy an used unit, it may be worth factoring a servicing.

A buddy of mine who did the CCR class with me got a very good deal on a JJ because he had a friend selling his, I think he ended up paying 5.5k GBP for a JJ with less than 30 dives which was about 2 years old and that included servicing by the person giving the class.

This is vs about 9k GBP for a new one …

 

[broncobowsher]

Be interested to know what it costs to get started with CCR.

A used rebreather that is a bit out of date and not the hot ticket, but still good, $3k. Another $1k in training will get you started. If the training is local and there are no other travel costs, etc. But that is only started. This assumes you already have enough tanks and regs to make your bailouts. Didn't include consumables. And by started I am only referring to air diluent no decompression rebreather diving. But you only asked about getting started, not full in committed.

Reality is most are in it way deeper. $10-20k is probably a much more accurate window for what people actually spend.