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

[techintime]

Took another step closer...did a Revo fam dive...not deep, (6m max depth), but a good 1+30 dive. I don't have anything to compare it to, but from what I hear/read, the Revo is about as good as they come. The decision on which type to buy comes down to the Revo or the Inspiration/Evolution for the simple practical reason of availability of instruction. Other than cost, any negative comments on the Revo? Thoughts of Revo versus Inspiration/Evolution?

 

[Dsix36]

Took another step closer...did a Revo fam dive...not deep, (6m max depth), but a good 1+30 dive. I don't have anything to compare it to, but from what I hear/read, the Revo is about as good as they come. The decision on which type to buy comes down to the Revo or the Inspiration/Evolution for the simple practical reason of availability of instruction. Other than cost, any negative comments on the Revo? Thoughts of Revo versus Inspiration/Evolution?

About the only negative you will hear much about on the rEvo is that it is almost impossible to clear water out from a flood, like any back mounted counter lung unit is. In my experience this has never been an issue. I have a couple of negatives about the AP units, but no personal experience so I will not speak of them.

 

[Mr.X]

Picking the right type of RB for the type of diving you might do helps. With a Inspiration type RB & front mounted lungs you can shed water out of the loop. Some units even have dump valves which allows you to easily shed water. My Meg, the PRISM etc. The Revo is a different story, but as mentioned by Dsix - not so much an issue and I think they're pretty cool RB's.

Personally, I like the ability to be able to dump water out of the loop as I desire, but then again I haven't had to do that other than a skill in any of my RB dives over more than a decade. And this involves all types of diving.

 

[techintime]

Took the plunge...bought a Revo and just finished Mod-1 training. The adventure continues.

 

[tstormdiver]

Just completed my Air Diluent No Decompression Diver course on my Prism2. Going to take it out this weekend for my first post- training dives.... Just go out & have some fun.

 

[Kevrumbo]

How many dives would it take to recoup/amortize that huge initial outlay for a good CCR System with the training?

For reference, my Bikini Atoll Liveaboard (M/V Windward) open circuit gas costs for 17 dives over eight days including crew gratuity: $3.8k. (Helium $5.66/cuft, Oxygen $1.70/cuft). Excess baggage total fees charged by United Airlines (each way -each flight leg!): $1.2k. My X-scooter itself cost $400 as check-in luggage. Additional gas costs for the Truk Lagoon week add-on $1.1k.

I work in Southern California Aerospace Industry, 9 to 12 hours a day, sometimes all seven days of the week for nearly a month straight. If all goes well and units delivered on time, I take the rest of the Quarter off and blow all my Overtime earnings on overseas tropical Scuba trips to SE Asia & Oceania/Micronesia. I have the best CCR instructor in the world here in SoCal -Jeff Bozanic- but don't have the time to dedicate for the training which he demands; I barely have enough free time to get in a mainland beach dive in Open Circuit. . .

My take is that I'd rather spend the $10k-$15k now for consecutive open circuit trips to Bikini & Truk and other Indo-Pacific WWII wreck sites, instead of blowing it all for a just year's worth of training on a new CCR system. . . (And I'd rather deal with the Devil I do know well --Open Circuit Deep Air-- than with the Devil I don't know at all --Rebreathers.)

 

[techintime]

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.

 

[down4fun]

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.

Welcome to the silent side. What unit did you get? ...edit just read you got a rEvo. Awesome. I have been diving a rEvo for 4 years now and I love mine.

 

[N2DeepInAz]

I'm in the midst of making the same decision. I did a RB dive in Grand Cayman earlier this year and also on a rEVO. It was a great intro and certainly stoked the fires more.

I've been OC tech diving now for a few years and feel it's just time to make the natural progression to deeper depths and longer bottom times. I'll be doing some serious homework at DEMA this year and looking to finalize the decision before it's over.

 

[Mr.X]

If someone is making six figures - you can probably afford a CCR and other plush things that go with that kind of income. That was pretty much the way it was in the early days of CCR usage. Dropping 17/18K, or more on Cis Lunar, Biomarine Unit was the norm. When a few of us / Seeker captain showed up with CCR's for Doria trips it was oh-and ah's. Within a few years most of the guys were on CCR's.

After a while all hardcore tank divers were on units. Inspiration, Prism, Biomarine, Cis, Meg. Even the odd Halycon refrigerator.

These days life is good with price points down a significant bit and a larger variety from which to choose. Including CCR instructors.