Second Thoughts About Rebreather Class

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Dude, you’re in Rensselaer County NY? You don’t think you’re close to a lot of tech diving?! You are *ONE hour* from the St. Lawrence River with numerous wrecks such as the Jodrey and the JBKing. You have deep wrecks off Kingston and Point Petre in Ontario. You would for certain get lots of use out of a rebreather.

I wish I was only an hour away friend. Depending on what part of the river I’m about 3.5 to 4 hours away from the Saint Lawrence. I actually used to travel to the Massena Port of Entry pretty routinely for work. I will admit that I haven’t really thought much about the St Lawrence though, and I will look into it some more for a closer dive destination for some good wrecks. Thanks for the website, I will definitely look into it some more.

I ultimately am left with the same problem though. It doesn’t appear that the depths are crazy enough to require a rebreather in and of itself. And I’m still far enough away that it’s not likely that I’d be able to dive there more than once a month in the summer time. I just don’t think the cost outlay for gas would be enough to make it such that I would rather dive CCR, a style that just wouldn’t be as relaxing as I would want, based upon economic factors. I just don’t know if I can get myself to want to have to concentrate so much on the mechanics of my life support system while diving. OC regulators really are pretty simple, and while I generally check my wrist computer about once a minute in OC and don’t mind doing that, I don’t really feel like I’m monitoring the actual life support equipment itself. From the sounds of it CCR equipment itself requires so much constant monitoring that I feel like my OCD tendencies would take a great deal of the fun of diving away from me when placed in an environment where safe and sensible diving requires so much monitoring of the actual life support equipment itself.
 
I wish I was only an hour away friend. Depending on what part of the river I’m about 3.5 to 4 hours away from the Saint Lawrence. I actually used to travel to the Massena Port of Entry pretty routinely for work. I will admit that I haven’t really thought much about the St Lawrence though, and I will look into it some more for a closer dive destination for some good wrecks. Thanks for the website, I will definitely look into it some more.

I ultimately am left with the same problem though. It doesn’t appear that the depths are crazy enough to require a rebreather in and of itself. And I’m still far enough away that it’s not likely that I’d be able to dive there more than once a month in the summer time. I just don’t think the cost outlay for gas would be enough to make it such that I would rather dive CCR, a style that just wouldn’t be as relaxing as I would want, based upon economic factors. I just don’t know if I can get myself to want to have to concentrate so much on the mechanics of my life support system while diving. OC regulators really are pretty simple, and while I generally check my wrist computer about once a minute in OC and don’t mind doing that, I don’t really feel like I’m monitoring the actual life support equipment itself. From the sounds of it CCR equipment itself requires so much constant monitoring that I feel like my OCD tendencies would take a great deal of the fun of diving away from me when placed in an environment where safe and sensible diving requires so much monitoring of the actual life support equipment itself.

You would be fine on a rebreather. The typical Shearwater controller you just need to glance at it and if there is no red you are good. Actually reading the numbers once a minute, that is more than many do. Also there are heads up displays (various types from the full computer of a NERD to just a couple of color coded blinking lights) that keep you informed of your life support status. Even being super OCD it isn't that distracting.

As for only diving once a month, that is about me. There is only one option for a day trip to a local lake, just to keep me wet. Beyond that it is a road trip to salt water and that is a weekend. Or a plane ride for a week or two. I still work for a living so those plane rides don't come often. Even the weekend trips put a dent in the pocketbook and I can only do those so often. I do my best to do a handful of dives at a time when I do go out just to make it worth it.

As for being relaxed, I am now much more relaxed and comfortable on the rebreather than I was on years and years of open circuit. That transition was quick. You may not be the same.

Have you dove with some rebreather divers yet? Talked to them in person and not just cyber surfing the idea?
 
You would be fine on a rebreather. The typical Shearwater controller you just need to glance at it and if there is no red you are good. Actually reading the numbers once a minute, that is more than many do. Also there are heads up displays (various types from the full computer of a NERD to just a couple of color coded blinking lights) that keep you informed of your life support status. Even being super OCD it isn't that distracting.

As for only diving once a month, that is about me. There is only one option for a day trip to a local lake, just to keep me wet. Beyond that it is a road trip to salt water and that is a weekend. Or a plane ride for a week or two. I still work for a living so those plane rides don't come often. Even the weekend trips put a dent in the pocketbook and I can only do those so often. I do my best to do a handful of dives at a time when I do go out just to make it worth it.

As for being relaxed, I am now much more relaxed and comfortable on the rebreather than I was on years and years of open circuit. That transition was quick. You may not be the same.

Have you dove with some rebreather divers yet? Talked to them in person and not just cyber surfing the idea?

You know, in all honesty my experience with rebreathers is all second hand. I do plan on doing a “try it” dive some time this spring or summer and maybe my fears will not match up with the reality. I still think regardless of how the diving is, I will find the extra maintenance to be a pain in the butt. I do appreciate these type conversations though, it definitely gives one a lot to think about.
 
Which would you rather be worried about?

You are twisting the gist of my post.
Since we are answering a new to rebreather diver, I thought worth reminding him that, while having lesser stress in case of a problem arising is certainly true, you are getting out of your planned dive, and if a second Murphy call arises, you are deep into it. In other words, you don't plan a CC dive any differently than an OC dive. At least I believe you shouldn't. I know there are some different schools of thoughts out there.
So yes, I'd rather not have to worry about running out of gas, but when the first problem arises, you bet I'll pray that this is my lucky day.
 
You are twisting the gist of my post.
Since we are answering a new to rebreather diver, I thought worth reminding him that, while having lesser stress in case of a problem arising is certainly true, you are getting out of your planned dive, and if a second Murphy call arises, you are deep into it. In other words, you don't plan a CC dive any differently than an OC dive. At least I believe you shouldn't. I know there are some different schools of thoughts out there.
So yes, I'd rather not have to worry about running out of gas, but when the first problem arises, you bet I'll pray that this is my lucky day.

You're correct on the general observation that on CCR you are limited by your bailout situation, but it is not correct to say that planning closed circuit dives is the same as OC. I'm sure it isn't your intent, but this and the other post make it sound like the rebreather is something you take in addition to what you would be taking with you on an OC dive -- and that just isn't accurate.

BO gas needs to get you safely to the surface from the most inconvenient spot in the dive. Typically, in non OHE, you have enough OC bailout in the buddy team to get 1.5 divers to the surface.
 
BO gas needs to get you safely to the surface from the most inconvenient spot in the dive. Typically, in non OHE, you have enough OC bailout in the buddy team to get 1.5 divers to the surface.

I mentioned team bailout in the first post. My "contradictor"'s tag is "Solo Diver". As a solo diver, I do need to be able to come back on my own. No team bailout here. I use a rebreather because I wouldn't want to carry a set of double and pay for the gas, listen to the gurgling noise, etc., not because it gives me more time than doubles would.
 
I get it, but the point is that even solo, your gas planning is not the same OC and CCR. It's obvious, I know, but the way you described it might mislead a newb. The fact is, except in OHE, you need vastly less deep BO than you would be carrying on an OC dive.
 
You are twisting the gist of my post.
Since we are answering a new to rebreather diver, I thought worth reminding him that, while having lesser stress in case of a problem arising is certainly true, you are getting out of your planned dive, and if a second Murphy call arises, you are deep into it. In other words, you don't plan a CC dive any differently than an OC dive. At least I believe you shouldn't. I know there are some different schools of thoughts out there.
So yes, I'd rather not have to worry about running out of gas, but when the first problem arises, you bet I'll pray that this is my lucky day.
actually what @broncobowsher wrote is exactly what i was implying - i think you post is using false comparisons
if you overstay your time and wrack up more deco obligation you still have options- do that with OC you have major issues
a complete failure of your ccr and you have BO gas -a complete failure of OC and you have major issues
to have a fair comparison you need to compare overstaying OC with overstaying CCR and OC failure with CCR failures

what your comparing is overstaying AND failure together, if you use that argument with OC diving then to make a similar comparison you would would argue to take extra gas for that contingency too -appreciate your trying to safeguard me but i do have a good understanding of BO requirements
 
actually what @broncobowsher wrote is exactly what i was implying - i think you post is using false comparisons
if you overstay your time and wrack up more deco obligation you still have options- do that with OC you have major issues
a complete failure of your ccr and you have BO gas -a complete failure of OC and you have major issues
to have a fair comparison you need to compare overstaying OC with overstaying CCR and OC failure with CCR failures

On OC, in principle you have 1/3 of your gas to sort out the problem (with no gear failure). You shouldn't put yourself in a position where you may need more than that. At least I would guess so, since I never did tek OC... But I get your point.
My position was that on CC, once you have staid up to the point where an OC diver would have run out of main gas, you are on an equal footing if your unit fails to what the OC diver would experience if his or her back gas failed.

It slipped my mind that by that time, in the absence of additional failures, the OC diver would be panicking and out of option in the absence of a supporting buddy.
 
You know, in all honesty my experience with rebreathers is all second hand. I do plan on doing a “try it” dive some time this spring or summer and maybe my fears will not match up with the reality. I still think regardless of how the diving is, I will find the extra maintenance to be a pain in the butt. I do appreciate these type conversations though, it definitely gives one a lot to think about.

It's divine. Quiet, and surreal.

I get the concern though, it's been a pretty bad year for CCR'ing. There seem to have been a good number of fatalities on modern units, and the cause is often never published public (or known.)
 
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