How Soon Before Everyone is Using a Rebreather?

[ScubaDadMiami]

If you like ID sell you mine at a discount.

I might know someone that would be interested.

 

[Life-Is-Good-Diver]

I might know someone that would be interested.

NP, I'm hoping to be done with it in about a week, I'll let ay know, its a great book

 

[Life-Is-Good-Diver]

I might know someone that would be interested.

BTW, how do you like your Optima CCR ?

They sure are giving the sport Kiss a run, they seem to be very popular.

I'm looking very closley at the two, they are both very nice units

 

[UnderwaterBumbleBee]

SFL Diiver -

I apologize. When I wrote that comment I thought that someone (a single person) was going to be diving alone on a rebreather on the same trip I just got off of where a diver on OC was lost. My point was only that I knew the crew is probably going to be a little more cautious than they were. I thought this person said they were going to be diving deep and I also assumed alone because of that. I was talking with the Captain and Lieutenant on the boat and they are the ones that used the words "we are not equipped to deal with rebreathers". My impression of the discussion I had with them was that they had no knowledge of how rebreathers work, cannot assist someone in deep depth situations and that the equipment would be more difficult to fit or work with on their dive deck. I happen to know now that the particular diver is more than qualified to dive alone and is not planning on doing so on their trip.

I'm not saying you can't be on a rebreather and I realize I haven't had much exposure to people using them. I understand some places will cater to or have special liveaboards weeks or hotel stays for people that are only diving rebreathers. Personally I just think if I had invested all the time and money into one, I would want to dive for as long and possibly deeper than you can on OC. I still think it all sounds cool I just don't think it's for everyone. Anyways, I doubt I'll invest in that anytime soon so I'll skip the book offer but thanks.

 

[jepuskar]

Asking DadMiami how he likes his Optima is like asking a preacher how he likes church.

I'm just checking in here...is everyone using a CCR yet?

Oh and I'll take that book on discount if the offer is still out there.

 

[College Diver]

I have been on a few dives w/ rebreather divers and I cannot picture people moving directly into CCR or SCR. I understand there was a "fully automatic" eCCR model on display at DEMA that has been built specifically for the recreational diver. I think that is dangerous. I just think you need a much higher level understanding of the fundamentals of diving, the physiological impacts of diving CCR (e.g. hypoxia, hyperoxia, hypercapnia, etc.), and fundamental diving skills to move quickly into CCR. Letting people fly these things on autopilot forfeits the need to attain these fundamentals and put people at risk. People are already bashing the industry for cranking out OW students too quickly, tech divers too quickly, and I think the impact of pushing people into CC would compound that. I see myself eventually getting into closed circuit, but I want to get a few more years under my belt and explore the limits of OC before I make the change. It may be a matter of needing more education on my part, but I'm still a little scared of those things.

I completely agree - well said

 

[Tienuts]

The thing about rebreathers, for me, is that they introduce a bunch of NEW possible problems. It's very clear, from reading about them, that you have to be quite meticulous and careful about assembly and preparation, and about pre-dive checks. And then there is the issue of bailout, which really negates a lot of the weight advantage for me, in comparison with the small doubles I dive. And bailout issues get worse when the dives get technical.

Every time I read about rebreathers, I come back to the GUE approach, which is to do the dives you can on OC, and turn to a rebreather when the dive you want to do is simply no longer practical without the time extension available from rebreathing. Since no dive I will ever do comes anywhere near meeting that criterion, it's highly unlikely that I'll ever switch.

I think you'd find them simpler than you realize. When I first took my CCR class, I remember looking at the checklist thinking "damn, what am I getting myself into?" The Optima is really a simple unit, and a complete assembly of the unit by the checklist takes me only about 10-15 minutes. Maybe it doesn't bother me since I was so meticulous about my OC gear.

As far as bailout, the team bailout concept keeps your bailout easily manageable for long duration or deep dives.

This is coming from a former hog diver. While I never had any GUE training, I considered my OC diving more DIR than the GUE folk around here - most of whom have no concept of physical fitness.

I'm not trying to convince anyone to dive CCR - in fact I think there are many people diving CCR who should not be, as they give CCR divers a bad name.

 

[jepuskar]

As with every hobby, everyone wants something different out of it. Everything comes down to personal decisions or more specifically how much risk are you willing to accept in your hobby.

When deciding to dive a CCR hopefully along the way you will have a honest talk with yourself. And hopefully this is not audible to others. It's a gut check. Are you willing to accept the additional risk involved in order to enjoy the benefits of your CCR?

It is a tool. How you decide to use it is up to you. Some use it to save alot of money on Trimix fills, some use it for photo/video, others use it for extended no-stop diving...and ofcourse alot of people use it for all of the reasons above and then some more. Others see no need for CCR's at recreational depths.

Ohh yeah, also some people are gadget freaks..always tinkering with their gear, adjusting, trying out new stuff, modifying, etc etc...for them a CCR can be just fun to modify.

I would much rather listen to someone get talked out of getting into rebreathers then listen to someone being convinced. This is not something you should need talking into...its not bowling. On the flip side though if you feel very strongly about getting into rebreathers someone elses opinion should not persuade you differently.

(Ohh and this isnt in response to anyone in particular, I just felt like babbling as this helps me with my own personal decision. )

J

 

[Silent Diver]

On the flip side though if you feel very strongly about getting into rebreathers someone elses opinion should not persuade you differently. J

From the moment I took my first breath underwater I KNEW I wanted a rebreather and now two years later I have recently completed my MoD 1 course on my Inspiration Classic.

Over the last 6months one of my regular dive buddies did nothing but try to talk me out of it but I was adamant I wanted to switch to the dark side so I did it and now I believe it was the best thing I ever did.

The benefits of carrying that mobile nitrox blending station around are unbelievable and right now I am limiting myself to around the 20-25 meter range, (the no stop times at these depths are unbelievable), while I build up my experience and confidence then hopefully this time next year I will be ready to go over to Trimix Rebreather.

 

[jepuskar]

That is a cool little story. I was interested in rebreathers back in '03, about a year or so after being certified..did the research and decided it would have to wait for numerous personal reasons.

Now I think the time is right for me to make the move. I never really thought I would be getting a P-Valve installed...looks like its gonna have to happen.

J