I would venture a guess that more than half the active CCR divers out there will never do a 300’ dive, most will never see 500’.
For me the risk is mitigated with excellent training, practice of vital skills (bailout, SCR mode, trim and buoyancy), and a near zealous obedience to certain rules (never start a dive with a known failure, always have enough gas to get you out of the water safely).
Once you decide that you don’t have to follow the rules, you’re already potentially dead, you just don’t know it yet. Of course, I’ve seen CCR divers who do a full written checklist every time, and they still screw up.
Do I take risks? Of course. But they are calculated risks, where I do as much as I can to account for the risks and prepare for them. Some risks I don’t take. My wife has requested that I don’t do solo rebreather night dives. I try to respect that and be out of the water before dark if I’m solo.
To each their own. I know for a fact that I do certain dives that other divers won’t do. Everyone has their own lever of acceptable risk.
Sinbad....sometimes I think you post just to stir the pot. You do a good job.