Important features when choosing a rebreather

[_Ralph]

Should you move into deeper / longer / more challenging diving, would you consider your sidemount rebreather to be the basis of a bailout rebreather? Thus removing the need for lots of additional bailout cylinders?

Not at this point.... carrying 3 bailout cylinders is the most I would carry with the sidemount unit (not including the LP85 DILOUT).

Moving deeper with a backmount unit, that would be at least 4 bailout cylinders worth of gas (plus the rack on the back) before I would even consider the complexities of using a BoB... still quite a ways away, if ever (...... famous last words)

This is all open water.


_R

 

[rjack321]

Not at this point.... carrying 3 bailout cylinders is the most I would carry with the sidemount unit (not including the LP85 DILOUT).

Moving deeper with a backmount unit, that would be at least 4 bailout cylinders worth of gas (plus the rack on the back) before I would even consider the complexities of using a BoB... still quite a ways away, if ever (...... famous last words)

This is all open water.


_R

For your water temps (and mine, all <10C, some as low as 3-4C) I would say your thermal limitations on deco and suit floods etc far outpace your BoB needs. Basically by the time we are maxed out on what we can do on OC BO, we are far beyond what is plausible thermally and a BoB is just never going to be necessary.

 

[_Ralph]

For your water temps (and mine, all <10C, some as low as 3-4C) I would say your thermal limitations on deco and suit floods etc far outpace your BoB needs. Basically by the time we are maxed out on what we can do on OC BO, we are far beyond what is plausible thermally and a BoB is just never going to be necessary.

I consider your salty water 'tropical' compared to our lakes (well, until mid Aug when they hit double digits at significant depth until Octoberish when they quickly drop back down to 2-3C)

One just warmed up about 2 weekends ago above 5C in the shallows .... unfortunately, the longish 12m stop was right in that transition zone last dive.

Goal is this fall to loose my spring covid weight to get the 400g and vest back under the suit again... Then 2hr dives in <4C will be possible again.

_R

 

[rjack321]

I consider your salty water 'tropical' compared to our lakes (well, until mid Aug when they hit double digits at significant depth until Octoberish when they quickly drop back down to 2-3C)

One just warmed up about 2 weekends ago above 5C in the shallows .... unfortunately, the longish 12m stop was right in that transition zone last dive.

Goal is this fall to loose my spring covid weight to get the 400g and vest back under the suit again... Then 2hr dives in <4C will be possible again.

_R

do you have suit heat?

I've done 3 hrs in 3-4C and I was warm enough (45mins of deco with heat) but it was pretty dicey feeling.

 

[_Ralph]

do you have suit heat?

I've done 3 hrs in 3-4C and I was warm enough (45mins of deco with heat) but it was pretty dicey feeling.

Absolutely... wouldn’t do the dives without it!

Below 6/7C it’s on all dive, above that, and it depends on how ‘cold’ it feels how long until I turn it on.

Mainly dive wet gloves, but heated gloves when the water drops below 5C and usually bump up to the 400g from 200g around 4C in the winter.

Spring/Summer is a bit different... usually the water needs to be warmer before I start dropping the heavy undergarments and dry gloves.

I try to spend more time in the ocean over the winter where the heat is really needed above 9m with the snow and freshwater layers..

Summer PNW ocean... usually the 3rd or 4th hour of diving in a day the heat is on before hitting the wobbly green thing...


_R

 

[TTPaws]

Choose something common, standard and where you have people around you using it. Look at the boxes on your dive boats: JJs, Inspos, Megs, Revos and the less common ones: Kiss, X-boxes, etc. Have *never* seen a sidemount rebreather.

I'm feeling a little left in the cold But I really, really like my APD Evo plus, and since so many 'scientific divers' use it I find YBOD people every where.