Its curious to me the sheer numbers of people taking the CCR class, esp folk who had no interest in the RB80 as a tool for extended range/ deeper diving. That little fun tidbit plus the fact that you can take the course without owning the unit (a massive shift from the way the RB80 class is offered) makes me wonder how many of the CCR folk are in it for 'dress up'. There are for SURE dudes out there that need a CCR for their diving (logistics, remote sites, limited space on a boat), but that number seems exceedingly small relative to the number of people taking the class. In my mind, once you hit the OC limits that T2 gives you, its probably time to consider a rebreather. Similarly, when its time to consider a CCR, I feel that a diver should have exceeded the limits of the existing SCR platform that's really been central to some bad ass scuba dives.
I think its no question that a CCR is a more complex machine than an RB80, although perhaps simpler to dive (when everything is working. See "complex machine") due to the lack of gas switching. With any tool, adding complexity has to have a real reward. Imo, if you aren't bumping the limits of one technology, switching to a more complex technology doesn't make a lot of sense.
Lowering the pre-req to T1 would certainly rustle my jimmies a bit, and I honestly think that won't happen. Giving someone a ridiculously powerful tool when they barely know how to OC deco seems folly to me. When the RB breaks, you're suddenly an open circuit diver again. OC skills degrade if they aren't used.
