To CCR or not to CCR...that is the question

[Superlyte27]

I think that it is silly to try to justify buying a CCR to save money. It's an expensive upfront cost and then you need parts, reg overhauls, new stuff to customize it and fix your trim etc. Diving is expensive. Tech diving is more expensive and CCR diving is grossly expensive. If you really want to save money, quit diving or at least quit tech diving. The gas comparison costs for OC dive profiles similar to CCR dive profiles is an academic exercise in futility, because it is impractical to do similar dive profiles so the gas cost comparison is just a silly exercise. For me the decision to go CCR was never about saving money. It was about opening up the next level of diving (depth/bottom time/exploration) where OC is just not the right tool. I started this thread with a practical question, but eventually just threw practicality to the wind and just said WTF, I'm doing it. I'm a believer that you regret the things you never do a lot more than you regret the things you do. I will be diving CCR for the next couple of years while I live in a place where I can dive regularly. After that I will see if it makes since to keep diving CCR or just sell it and go back to diving OC doubles. Cost wise, there is absolutely nothing practical about it...but I did it anyway and I'm having a ball.

I didn't buy a rebreather to save any cash, but nearly two years into my purchase, it is cheaper to dive my rEvo than it is to dive OC if you dive deep a lot. I haven't taught a lot of deep classes this year, but during a normoxic class and a hypoxic class we dove every day for 6 days straight. 2 classes, that's 12 days. Our students spent roughly $170/day each on gas. That's $170 x 12 = $2040. My dive cost just about $20 daily. And that's just for two weeks of diving. I usually dive at least once a week, but some times several times a week. That $2040 is almost half what I paid for my used rEvo. And yes, I have bought two sensors in the past two years. That's $150. I bought two mushroom valves. That's $35 bucks. But that's about it. The rebreather costs me $10 bucks per hour to dive regardless of depth.

Rebreather diving isn't for everyone. And quite frankly, tomorrow I have to buy another bucket of sorb that will cost me $100 which sucks. But for the most part, I am happy.

 

[Mr.X]

during a normoxic class and a hypoxic class we dove every day for 6 days straight. 2 classes, that's 12 days. Our students spent roughly $170/day each on gas. That's $170 x 12 = $2040. My dive cost just about $20 daily. And that's just for two weeks of diving. I usually dive at least once a week, but some times several times a week. That $2040 is almost half what I paid for my used rEvo. And yes, I have bought two sensors in the past two years. That's $150. I bought two mushroom valves. That's $35 bucks. But that's about it. The rebreather costs me $10 bucks per hour to dive regardless of depth.

Rebreather diving isn't for everyone. And quite frankly, tomorrow I have to buy another bucket of sorb that will cost me $100 which sucks. But for the most part, I am happy.

I bet your students are probably thinking about the value-added bit related to CCR diving vs. the $$$$ they put down for gas.
During post dive shares, dinner and fraternal beer session their little 'devil' guy sitting on their shoulders is probably saying "let's buy a RB like the one Superlyte" has. While the fiscal guy on the other shoulder is nodding his head saying get it ASAP.

Of course, there's no wife* involved in this imaginary scenario who says - "What you' talkin' bout Willis?"

* sanity check

 

[techintime]

This is a dive from a couple of weeks ago. It was a planned dive to make the video for the dive shop here. About 30 hours on the machine now. I'm the guy on the Revo. Having a ball. I'm really glad I made the jump.
https://vimeo.com/80873796