The CCR One Year Later - Some Random Thoughts...

[nadwidny]

I think that anyone that has taken a class and is certified to dive a rebreather realizes the risks.

Wrong.

 

[matt t.]

Wrong.

Instead of your snide one line answers, maybe you could elaborate a little. I said they were aware of the dangers, not that they pay attention them. That's up to each individual diver. We all have our personal limits.

 

[kanonfodr]

I certainly didn't mean to step on anyone's toes. I'm not trying to slam rebreathers, but I do think they are dangerous. I certainly didn't mean to hijack the thread. I apologize, Rick.

Yup, Rebreathers are dangerous. Just like motorcycles are death-traps, guns kill people, baseballs destroy windows, and golf clubs harm the poor, defenseless grasses. Quick, everyone!! Take the golf clubs away!!! :shocked2:

In every activity there will always be a group that takes it to the extreme (even Bible Recitation) and they may or may not respect the risks involved in doing so. But 95% of everyone else doing those activities are not really pushing any limits and just doing whatever they are doing for the enjoyment of it. Some activities are far less forgiving of error than others, and folks will die doing those. It's the circle of life, Simba: suck it up!

Peace,
Greg

 

[padiscubapro]

I know I bumping an old thread. I just think rebreathers offer too much risk and not enough reward. More power to you if you feel comfortable taking those risks, but I wonder if some realize those risks. I remember a member here named bigjetdriver I believe he died due to a failure on a rebreather a few years ago.

Maybe in the future there will be a system that can have less risks. One thing goes wrong and it could be all over. I guess to each their own.

I was good friends with Rob, and yes he died on a rebreather, but its not as simple as that.. In the end I would classify his death as a diver failure not a rebreather failure. Rob is sorely missed...

 

[DiveNav]

....... But 95% of everyone else doing those activities are not really pushing any limits and just doing whatever they are doing for the enjoyment of it. ......

I agree with you 100% ... almost ..... it is all about knowing YOUR personal limits - and stay below them, but some time "fate" gets involved and all your plans go ballistic ... like that time - back in Italy - I was out for a nice ride and an old drunk decided - at the last second - to cross the road just in front of my Guzzi V7 Le Mans (with me on it) ... guess what ... nothing happened to the old drunk, but I made a nice - and long - slide on the pavement and ended up at the local pharmacy for stitches and bandages :depressed:

Alberto (aka eDiver)

 

[BB1]

I think you'd have liked our instructor during Deep cavern and then Cave training.

A friend of his turned up who has both an RB and sidemount OC for a weeks diving. He decided to jump in the training sinkhole for a skills warm up with his RB.

At this point our instructor said excellent, you never know when you might be diving with an RB diver or meet one underwater when one or the other of you might be in trouble so lets mix this up a little.

What followed was everyone doing blind air sharing exits using the RB diver's bailout bottle reg and then the instructor hit him with an equally good practice routine scenario for the RB diver:

RB unit fails, bailout reg freeflows. Get air from OC diver and exit while blind.

Ah it seems like so much fun now after the training......

This was a fun read. So many things on the original list struck me as funny, or true. I am not a RB diver, but have spent 2 days on a Meg in a training environment, and have played with the KISS, and other units.

Many of my dive buddies when I was diving regularly were RB divers. I think RB divers with OC buddies really need to take some time and educate them on some basics. Like how to check setpoints, how to get you to OC if necessary, how to close your loop, etc. I took part of a RB course SPECIFICALLY because I had so many RB buddies and wanted to understand it better.

I can totally understand the appeal of the RB to those doing more complex dives. At one point, I felt I'd go that way myself, but have since changed my mind. I do find the comments about the "lack of safety" do be somewhat misplaced, but most people who make such statements are generally quite unfamiliar with the units.

And while some may certainly disagree, I've known several RB divers who've perished with RBs on their backs, but I don't know a single one who's perished while following basic safety protocols, and been diving a properly prepared rig. Missing o-rings... old sorb leading to breakthrough, failed oxygen sensors, unwillingness to leave the loop, diving solo, etc.

 

[PerroneFord]

LOL! Sounds like a good time. I remember my first mixed dive was with one of my instructors. As we were prepping for class (there were two OW divers) I went through my routine with the OW diver getting ready, then walked over to the instructor and asked, "Ok, so how do we rescue you on that thing!" He was very pleased and took the time to do a quick walk through.

He was wearing a KISS that day with a BOV so that made things quite easy. Later I would dive with Optima, KISS, Meg, Boros, and Inspo divers, and learned all I could about them all, including unboxing and putting together a Meg and an Optima at our shop.

A little curiousity, and some basic education can go a LONG way toward safer mixed team diving.

-P

I think you'd have liked our instructor during Deep cavern and then Cave training.

A friend of his turned up who has both an RB and sidemount OC for a weeks diving. He decided to jump in the training sinkhole for a skills warm up with his RB.

At this point our instructor said excellent, you never know when you might be diving with an RB diver or meet one underwater when one or the other of you might be in trouble so lets mix this up a little.

What followed was everyone doing blind air sharing exits using the RB diver's bailout bottle reg and then the instructor hit him with an equally good practice routine scenario for the RB diver:

RB unit fails, bailout reg freeflows. Get air from OC diver and exit while blind.

Ah it seems like so much fun now after the training......