OP
SFLDiver3445
Contributor
I think the idea is really cool (especially since I'm a photo bug) but I'm no where close to having the experience let alone wanting to pay the price.
Just curious how most people feel about diving with a group where only one or two people are using re-breathers?
This happened to us at Cobalt Coast in Grand Cayman on our first dive trip a few years ago. A British couple checked in mid-way through our trip and we found it kind of annoying to have them on the boat with re-breathers. I thought one of the main reasons to dive with them is because of increased bottom time which made no sense to me why they would be on a boat with OC divers that are much more limited. One of the divers had a ton of problems with their equipment/absorbent and was in the pool most of the day trying to fix the problem. I suppose part of our irritation was also that it just seemed like they weren't very aware of where people's things where when getting out of the water and their equipment took up a lot more room. That was the only trip that I've seen someone with a re-breather on though.
On the other hand, several of the workers at Cobalt are tech divers and we saw them go out on shore dives a couple times for 3 hours which made a lot more sense to me. I can definitely see an advanced or professional underwater photographer using a re-breather but diving is expensive enough for most people.
We're getting ready to do a liveaboard and I know someone else was mentioning bringing theirs along on the trip right after ours, I'm secretly happy I'm not on that trip.
I find this mindset very interesting, because it only further solidifies my opinion that people are scared of rebreathers, more because they do not understand them, rathere than because of the danger involved with using them.
Here in South Florida, I regularly go out on my local dive boats. As is most often the case, My buddy and me are the only divers on a rebreather, along with up to 15 or so other open circuit divers. I can't imagine for the life of my how me being on a rebreather adversely affects any other divers!!!
First, I always dive with an independent bailout bottle on me, so if anything were to happen, I just reach down for my completely independent open circuit regulator and breathe it - How many open circuit recreational divers carry an independent regulator and tank - Not many!
Secondly, because of the complex nature of the rebreather, 95% of the work is done before I get to the dock. By the time I get to the boat, I usualy only have to go through a short pre-breathe checklist and I'm in the water - How does that disturb other OC divers?
Thirdly, because of the complex nature of my rebreather, I double check every single item on my unit, via the use of vert detailed checklists. How many oc divers have really double checked their entire rig? On my checklist, items such as my wing inflator, internal regulator intermediate pressure, the volume of air in my wing (bc), etc. are all double checked. Most of the items are things that an open circuit diver could double check as well, yet they usually do not systematically do it - Doesn't that make me safer than other divers? Again, how does any of that adversely affect any other diver?
Furthermore, my rebreather is actullly smally than the size of a set of double that an open circuit diver would use. Fully assembled, it only ways somewhere in the range of 47 pounds. As I mentioned, it's always fully assembled by the time I get to the boat. My gear bag is tiny, because I uaually only have my wetsuit, fins, divemask, glaves and a reel in it. I carry a small either 30 or 40 cu ft bailout bottle, with the regulator already on it. Oh, and I never have to switch tanks between dives in a day full of diving - How do I inconvenience other divers?
Furthermore, people are under the impression that just because I can stay down 4 hours, I have too. When I'm on recreational boats, captains usually ask me if it's ok if they ask me to surface after only one hour, or whatever their schedule calls for. My response is usually the same, "Captain, you just tell me when you need me back on the boat, and I will be back at that time." - How does that inconvenience other divers?
Furthermore, I think we've all seen someone on board a dive boat, whether they were diving open circuit or a rebreather, that shows up with more equipment than they need and dodn't respect everyone else's space, but to assume that all divers, or rebreather divers for that fact do the same is simply jumping to conclusions.
Just like many new things in life, I think once it becomes more commonplace and people understand them better, their initial opinions will drastically be altered. I'm mean really, wasn't it not that long ago that nitrox was considered taboo, because the industry thought divers were going to go out there and kill themselves?
Again, I think people have a problem with the unknown and that can lead to irrational pre-conceived opinions being formed.
