Question Good first rebreather for non-cave diving?

[BoltSnap]

Yes.

Ouch

 

[Pressurehead]

Ouch

It is a requirement of Standards Australia that scuba cylinder testing be conducted. Each tank must be visually inspected and undergo a hydrostatic test every twelve months.

Who are they kidding [the ubiquitous they] quote : From standards 'this way the integrity of your dive cylinder can be maintained.'
Nanny state.
Anyway, back non topic.
Rant over.

 

[davehicks]

If suggest settling mCCR or eCCR to narrow the choices. If I were eventually looking at photography or anything else distracting, I'd pick eCCR. You might also do a try dive on the Choptima before committing (or at least wear one in the water) to evaluate the chest clutter with a camera rig in your hands. (I have no experience with a Choptima, but that was one of my concerns at the time.)

I would suggest the opposite. A mCCR is just fine with an mCCR unit. If you are so distracted shooting photos you forget to manage your ppo2, you should not be diving a CCR at all.

I have been diving and shooting photos on mCCR Kiss units for nearly 20 years.

 

[stiebs]

I plan to travel to get certified as there is almost no options within Sydney as far as I am aware but prefer to get certified either in AUS or USA. I'd love to hear everyone's personal experiences and preferences, as well as any advice or recommendations!

Do you mean that there are no options to get rebreather certified in Sydney, or no options to get rEVO or choptima certified? Pretty sure there's a number of CCR instructors in the area if you open your options up for the unit you want to dive.

 

[stiebs]

This is a real cost on top of everything else in Australia, our over testing of cylinders EVERY YEAR.
If you can afford it, well and good.

Yes, it is a pain and most would argue overkill. But if the cost is your gripe, especially in the context of rebreathers, the maths doesn't add up!! It costs $60 to hydro a tank. Last I checked that's 2/3 the cost of a single tank boat dive, or to get back on the CCR topic, half the cost of a single O2 sensor.

And it costs no more to service CCR tanks than it does OW, so ...

 

[davehicks]

Yes, it is a pain and most would argue overkill. But if the cost is your gripe, especially in the context of rebreathers, the maths doesn't add up!! It costs $60 to hydro a tank. Last I checked that's 2/3 the cost of a single tank boat dive, or to get back on the CCR topic, half the cost of a single O2 sensor.

And it costs no more to service CCR tanks than it does OW, so ...

Here is a suggestion for CCR divers. Get a booster and fill your own O2 and diluent tanks at home. Get a couple of big 15L bottles for O2 and Dil, boost them in to your ccr bottles, and those will be the only tanks you need to service yearly.

 

[stolfyadventures]

Do you mean that there are no options to get rebreather certified in Sydney, or no options to get rEVO or choptima certified? Pretty sure there's a number of CCR instructors in the area if you open your options up for the unit you want to dive.

One place offers the prism 2 or the posiden 6/7. That's the only place offering rebreather classes to my knowledge

 

[mr_v]

One place offers the prism 2 or the posiden 6/7. That's the only place offering rebreather classes to my knowledge

Sounds like you may need to ask a different question: What CCR should I get in Australia so that I can enjoy diving around the world and minimize maintenance and travel hassles?

 

[stolfyadventures]

Sounds like you may need to ask a different question: What CCR should I get in Australia so that I can enjoy diving around the world and minimize maintenance and travel hassles?

Yeah, they have more options in Melbourne and Tas, (Revo, chop, and jj come to mind at least) and I believe theres a couple mares horizon instructors around Sydney but a scr probably isn't what I intend to settle with.

 

[JMBL]

Concerning the Mares Horizon : 2 years ago, it was all the rage in France. Could see one in every dive shop, several dive centers offered training on it, even places which previously had no interest in rebreathers what so ever. Nowadays, this rig is absolutely nowhere to be seen and support from the manufacturer has been stopped.

Unless it's very different in Australia, I wouldn't care much for that rig.