Minimum training standard to start with a rebreather

[Akimbo]

<devils advocate> A well trained and disciplined CCR diver who follows his checklist and his training is as safe or safer than most open circuit divers today...

Maybe, but that is a meaningless comparison. A well trained and disciplined diver will always be at lower risk on open circuit Scuba than &#8220;most&#8221; divers today. The same divers will always be at higher risk on a rebreather than on OC Scuba because there is a lot more that can fail. A poorly trained and undisciplined diver is a danger to themselves and everyone around them. Apples and Oranges.

 

[hroark2112]

Ok, how about this?

A rebreather is designed to supply breathing air to a diver, either at a set PO2 or a PO2 controlled by the diver, in an underwater environment. That is what they are made to do.

Assuming the diver is properly trained and equipped, IMO it is the proper tool for any dive within the design rating of the unit.

Thats ts just my opinion. I know many people disagree.

 

[PfcAJ]

Ok, how about this?

A rebreather is designed to supply breathing air to a diver, either at a set PO2 or a PO2 controlled by the diver, in an underwater environment. That is what they are made to do.

Assuming the diver is properly trained and equipped, IMO it is the proper tool for any dive within the design rating of the unit.

Thats ts just my opinion. I know many people disagree.

So for a 30ft reef bimble, its the 'proper tool'? Rly? Its WAY more complex with WAY more failure options (some obvious, some not) than OC. You're needlessly increasing the risk of the dive for no benefit.

 

[danvolker]

I see a rebreather on a 30 to 60 foot reef, as alot like the complexity/failure prevention complexity of using a Space Shuttle to fly from NY to Florida, by way of a quick orbit.
Sure the track record can be good with diligent prep work....but for such a minor adventure, the family car would be easier and less prone to catastrophic failures.

 

[Xaryo]

I see a rebreather on a 30 to 60 foot reef, as alot like the complexity/failure prevention complexity of using a Space Shuttle to fly from NY to Florida, by way of a quick orbit.
Sure the track record can be good with diligent prep work....but for such a minor adventure, the family car would be easier and less prone to catastrophic failures.

however, before you fly the space shuttle to orbit, you'll have done smaller , less difficult fly before. same thing for the breather. Some dive are just perfect place for training and get together with your machine before big dive.

agree, on some of these easy training dive, OC is still best.

the right tool for the right job,

 

[Akimbo]

I see a rebreather on a 30 to 60 foot reef, as alot like the complexity/failure prevention complexity of using a Space Shuttle to fly from NY to Florida, by way of a quick orbit...

True, unless some of the rebreather’s attributes compensate for the complexity. No bubbles for a photographer or naturalist for example. Duration and maximizing NDL for another.

I have been thinking about building another pure Oxygen rebreather for several years. Talk about dirt simple. My biggest problem in the past was meandering below the 25' limit that I am comfortable with. It would be simple enough to build a pressure-activated valve that would automatically inflate the bags or wing. There is a lot to see in this area above 25' and the thermal conservation from respiration plus the exothermic reaction of the sorb would be a plus. No bailout required in 25'.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

So for a 30ft reef bimble, its the 'proper tool'? Rly? Its WAY more complex with WAY more failure options (some obvious, some not) than OC. You're needlessly increasing the risk of the dive for no benefit.

Unlikely to be true, though you wouldn't catch me building, pre-jumping, and then cleaning/breaking down a CCR for that dive. If someone's getting time and experience on the unit, that alone is a significant benefit. That they're doing it on a 30' reef bimble means they're gaining that experience in a relatively risk-free manner (still riskier than OC under the same conditions, but so is crossing the street).

 

[PfcAJ]

Unlikely to be true, though you wouldn't catch me building, pre-jumping, and then cleaning/breaking down a CCR for that dive. If someone's getting time and experience on the unit, that alone is a significant benefit. That they're doing it on a 30' reef bimble means they're gaining that experience in a relatively risk-free manner (still riskier than OC under the same conditions, but so is crossing the street).

I can get down with the 'getting hours' idea. I've done that myself. But just for grins? No wai.

 

[Dr. Lecter]

I can get down with the 'getting hours' idea. I've done that myself. But just for grins? No wai.

No debate there. I think RBs are the opposite of fun diving for anything shallower than 200' or shorter than 90mins runtime. I spend an extra half hour just building the thing and tearing it down, and that's assuming everything works great and I don't have to address any stereo-check or cell issues. But when I can spend peanuts on gas and get half a dozen or more 100m dives out of that single inexpensive run to a fill station with one set of BO bottles and 3 sets of CCR bottles...there's something there

 

[PfcAJ]

What's stereo-check? That's something I've never heard of before.