Question Regretting buying rebreather

[broncobowsher]

I regret buying a CCR in the sense that it impacts my lifestyle - I could own a nicer car, live in a nicer place and go on more varied holidays if it wasn’t for all the diving …

I look at it as I have taken holidays that I would never have taken without owning a rebreather. It has added to my diversity of destinations, not hampered it.

 

[grantmac]

Selection of right CCR is extremely important for rest of the events to be unfolded. I have seen people got frustrated about diving rebreathers just because of wrong choice of unit. Then when try better suiting unit for them and type of diving they do, things turn around pretty fast.

I am biased towards and recommend JJ for majority of divers because it is bulletproof, any diver can fix, repair, replace anything on that unit even decades after Jan’s funeral and it is doing its job flawlessly.

Just like myself, everyone biased to certain rebreather(s) one way or another, some may want to sell the unit and/or instruction to earn living, some may want to get rid of the unit they regret buying, some may want to develop buddies for same unit they use etc., and only way to avoid regret is making an educated decision.

While spending $10k plus, it is not going to hurt to get certified few units that same instructor teaches, yet crossing over into another unit isn’t probably enough to know everything about that unit, still provides insight.

The big rationale for the JJ where I am is that there are lots of units being dove so when you inevitably have to send the head to Europe for months you aren't out of the water.

That doesn't sound like a benefit for me.

 

[Dave Whitlow]

15 years ago, during a dive on U2511 (off Malin Head, Ireland) after turning by the rudder I saw my dive buddy was far away recording a video, and I felt quite alone and paused to consider how effective my shutdown drills might be at 65m, and whether the gas I retained would be enough to reach my planned gas switch at 40m (a long swim away). I felt unsure... and resolved to get a CCR. My buddy was diving a CCR.

As soon as I got home I emailed my intended instructor and we arranged to do mod1 on the AP Inspiration, with a recreational trimix, rather than air diluent. The Inspiration was my choice as all the CCR divers I knew used the same unit so spares and mentoring options were better.

Two months later, having completed the course, I was offered the option of buying the CCR I'd used for the course. With modifications, that is the same unit I dive today, and I view the decision of switch to CCR as one of the best decisions I have made. I should have switched sooner!

People have raved about alternative CCR choices, which all do pretty much the same, except I have a temp-stick to visualise the state of the scrubber, and I find that reassuring.

 

[Kay Dee]

Just curious to know. Anyone? And why?
Cheers.

Regret buying one? Yeah me, I regret buying one, well actually (the) ones it turned out I did not like (and hence sold poste haste at a $ loss).

However I do wish I had bought my first CCR (a 15.5) sooner, but the only other one that was 'commercially' avaiable at the time was the Inspo (well there was the Prism, if you could actually get Pete to build you one ) and I wasnt going to buy one of those, an Inspo, not then anyway.

So yes, some regrets (but very very few).

 

[evandroairton]

15 years ago, during a dive on U2511 (off Malin Head, Ireland) after turning by the rudder I saw my dive buddy was far away recording a video, and I felt quite alone and paused to consider how effective my shutdown drills might be at 65m, and whether the gas I retained would be enough to reach my planned gas switch at 40m (a long swim away). I felt unsure... and resolved to get a CCR. My buddy was diving a CCR.

As soon as I got home I emailed my intended instructor and we arranged to do mod1 on the AP Inspiration, with a recreational trimix, rather than air diluent. The Inspiration was my choice as all the CCR divers I knew used the same unit so spares and mentoring options were better.

Two months later, having completed the course, I was offered the option of buying the CCR I'd used for the course. With modifications, that is the same unit I dive today, and I view the decision of switch to CCR as one of the best decisions I have made. I should have switched sooner!

People have raved about alternative CCR choices, which all do pretty much the same, except I have a temp-stick to visualise the state of the scrubber, and I find that reassuring.

I am a bit suspicious, but love my YBOD

 

[211ratsbud]

There are some who sell after the class. I bought a used sidewinder from that very scenario. It’s a commitment but definitely more enjoyable for several reasons I’ve found. Complete silence essentially, makes for a very enjoyable dive, not just for the fish life but for you as well. I find myself enjoying the dives a lot more when I’m weightless and quiet in the water - like if you had gills or something.

I would probably enjoy CCr less if I was dependent on a manufacturer for repair and parts. A rebreather that can be fixed with readily available sourced parts like a cable makes it much nicer. If one can figure out how to go mCCR, they can avoid a lot of the high cost equipment repairs.

Ah the simplicity

 

[ChrisMBC]

The big rationale for the JJ where I am is that there are lots of units being dove so when you inevitably have to send the head to Europe for months you aren't out of the water.

That doesn't sound like a benefit for me.

Inevitably? I know one person who had to send theirs to Europe, and it was a second-hand analog unit. On the DiveCAN units, things are more modular and there’s very little that requires a factory rebuild (rather than RebreathersUSA) as far as I know.

 

[Kay Dee]

Ah the simplicity

Argh yes, the simplicity.

 

[211ratsbud]

Argh yes, the simplicity.

Indiscriminate use of adjustable spanners

 

[mr_v]

Indiscriminate use of adjustable spanners

I was about to say the same.

@Kay Dee - that picture hurts. Not one, but two!