Lightweight rebreather for a recreational diver

[rjack321]

True about the bailout bottle, but the bailout bottle takes the place of a pony since it's redundant, I have much more gas to make a longer dive and no bubbles. It may be a good system for photography.

Adam

Some of the suggested systems (like the Draeger mentioned below) don't offer much more (if any) gas/time than a large single tank or modest doubles. The Ray in particular is pretty small (but light). Draeger's would be lighter than doubles but still has some bubbles (as does the GEM and any other SCR). You started off asking for "light weight". I think you should refocus on what you want to accomplish and then figure out what equipment you need to get there.

 

[Mr.X]

I second Rjack's perspective. As a longtime user of RB...purpose is everything. You don't gain much with a RB with shallow water and it's lot less of a hassle to use OC, small doubles and call it a day. If you are going deeper (epic dives), penetrating a wreck, cave etc. these things become valuable as they give you gobs of time if you get in trouble, or working. That said - it's never fun to be in trouble, or crappy work and when you get out you pay bigtime deco. Being paid is nice though.

These days nothing makes me happier than small doubles, or a large steel with BP, wings, slinging a bailout and scooter. Far easier, more fun. The RB's I have are collecting dust because it just takes too much time and effort to clean, calibrate, buy new cells, pack scrubber, disinfect, fool around with stuff that eventually busts for sub 130 foot dives. I think in the past 10 years I must have spent close to (conservative estimate) 50,000-60,000 on the rebreathers that I have had???? That's almost the cost of a used Porsche 911.

X

 

[lemon]

poseidon mk6. ccr gives you a really nice deco profile in the 70 foot range. lots of no deco bottom time, etc. the mk6 is a great option for what you're looking for.

 

[Rainer]

A large single cylinder of 32% can get me 60 minutes at 70' with no deco obligation. That's about as long as most boats will let you dive anyway (an hour) and corresponds pretty well with the length of dive I like anyway. A single cylinder is a lot lighter than a MK6 with adequate bailout, and a WHOLE lot cheaper.

 

[lemon]

sure, and if you like diving OC thats great. nothing wrong with that. Personally, after diving rebreather the crashing of the bubbles drives me nuts after a while if i'm on OC. i can also stay down after the OC divers head for the surface because I have more no-deco. That's also when most of the fish/sharks tend to come back in...

 

[Mr.X]

sure, and if you like diving OC thats great. nothing wrong with that. Personally, after diving rebreather the crashing of the bubbles drives me nuts after a while if i'm on OC. i can also stay down after the OC divers head for the surface because I have more no-deco. That's also when most of the fish/sharks tend to come back in...

Purpose is everything. If you're shooting pro video, or snapshots the RB can't be beat. That said - the RB introduces a whole set of mechanical, user variables that weren't there before. For newer users you definitely have to consider the dark side. I cannot tell you how many people I have known personally have died on these things without a real good explanation of what went South. In fact, someone who I knew and liked died recently on a NE wreck. I had shown him the workings of the Megalodon some odd 6-7 years ago in Fla. and he liked the advantages of CCR. I remember Wes Skiles too. Nicest, and most competent diver around.

So, in my eyes if bubbles and putting up with other OC divers are a bother - take bigger tanks with mix, or use a scooter to save gas and get away from the herd. With a scooter - your bubbles trail behind you.

X

 

[knowone]

IDA 64 Rebreather


If you can build it you can come.

 

[Mr.X]

IDA 64 Rebreather


If you can build it you can come.

Come where?

 

[rjack321]

Purpose is everything. If you're shooting pro video, or snapshots the RB can't be beat. That said - the RB introduces a whole set of mechanical, user variables that weren't there before. For newer users you definitely have to consider the dark side. I cannot tell you how many people I have known personally have died on these things without a real good explanation of what went South. In fact, someone who I knew and liked died recently on a NE wreck. I had shown him the workings of the Megalodon some odd 6-7 years ago in Fla. and he liked the advantages of CCR. I remember Wes Skiles too. Nicest, and most competent diver around.

So, in my eyes if bubbles and putting up with other OC divers are a bother - take bigger tanks with mix, or use a scooter to save gas and get away from the herd. With a scooter - your bubbles trail behind you.

X

I certainly see the value of CCRs below about 250fsw, also for very remote places like Truk where helium is available in teaspoon quantities. Plenty of people are taking outstanding pics and video on OC though so while bubbleless might help that it can't make up for genuine photographic skill. So shallower and recreationally, I concur, their value is dubious.

 

[DwayneJ]

1. To get certified to run a rebreather to 200' requires 40-50 hours of running at NDL. My last two dives could have been OC but that would have been two hours less time on my unit. Certification to 300' also requires demonstration of accumulated run time to 200'.

2. A 70'/180 minute dive on CCR is a NDL dive whereas OC using 40% Nitrox and 100% O2 for deco is a deco dive (for a few minutes) requiring more than 440CF 40% nitrox. NDL time is greatly extended and gas requirements are greatly reduced on a CCR even within recreational depth limits.

Cost for a 70'/180 minute dive not including bailout/reserve gas...
OC - 440CF 40% Nitrox = 176CF O2 at $0.80/CF = $140
CCR - ~20CF O2 AT $0.80/CF = $16, Sofnolime = $12, Sensor Deprecation (per dive) = $10 = $38
... yes you could bank O2 for your OC dives to reduce costs but you can also bank for CCR achieving similar savings with a lot less O2 to bank.

My scrubber limit is 4 hours but O2 CNS Limits at PPO2 1.3 is 3 hours.

After ~30-40 of these dives you would have broken even on the cost of a mCCR plus still have a back to dive with. By the by, a friend was sharing details of an exploration trip he did with a group of OC and CCR divers - Trimix gas bill for the trip was ~$50 CCR and ~$750 OC per diver.