Used rebreathers

[madmole]

I'm sorry but I disagree whole heartedly. The skills required on the 2 units are different and diving an SCR does NOT prepare you for a CCR. The skill sfor eaither are easy to understand (nitrox)

I started straight on on a CCR and had no problems at all. In fact having dived Inspirations, Dolphins, Rays and Azimuths I'd actually say the Inspiration is the easier unit to maintain and learn and is a lot safer than the Dreagers and Azimuths as without a 3rd party O2 sensor the SCR units all break the golden rebreather rule "Allways know your PPO2". Computer control is not "evil" as some have you belive, but a backup and assistance to YOU diving the unit and will control it fine should you be so stupid as to stop monitoring the unit (provided you turned it on!!!)

Military/commercial divers are a bad source of information as the dives they do, the training they get and the units they use are not remotely related to the units available to recreational divers

All of the units have major failure modes that can kill. On the Inspiration for example failing to turn on and calibrate will not be good. (but is very easilt prevented by routine), on the Semi closed, outbreathing it on the surface is just as deadly (but without a PO2 monitor youd be totally unaware. A blocked jet (very common in the Dolphin) can be just as deadly.

One of my dive partners runs the "Unnoficial Draeger Users Group" and is one of the plug everything in it brigade, he certainly knows the unit well, yet we've had to abandon the last 2 dives because he had jet blocks and his PPO2 dropped to 17% during descent, without a gauge he'd be dead!!!!)

You are very lucky in that your in-experianced OC skills have yet to be fully driven home and this would be an ideal time to swap and unlearn them. I picked up a second hand Inspiration for the price you are quoting for SCR's, but they are advertised on the Inspiration lists and unless youve done the training you wont see them. There are plenty about. Once youve done the training you will easily be able to judge if the unit is good or bad. Only the stupid would not budget to change the O2 cells instantly (many who sell remove them anyway)

A large percentage of Inspiration owners are ex SCR owners, Ask your self why? How many Dolphin users are ex CCR owners, very few if any!!!!

Ask yourself why, with an SCR you have severe depth limits (rather shallower than OC) you can get round this if you plumb in extra gass feeds and jets, but then the cost and complexity far outways a CCR in the first place. A CCR will not limit your diving (once the initial training is done) and will cope with any thing you can throw at it

If you are dead set on an SCR take a look at the Azimuth, IMHO its a nicer unit than the dolphin and doesn't have the very deadly jet blocking problem. Remember to budget for a PO" meter of some description (Oxyguage, VR3 etc) in either case. The RB80 is also very very nice but again needs a meter as it too has a single point of failure that can kill without warning

 

[caveseeker7]

I agree with you, Stephen. If anyone wants to go through all the training and expense that come with rebreatherdiving, might as well do it for a CCR. No PO2 is unacceptable in any rebreayher. And if anybody considers an SCR, at least let it be an RMV-keyed SCR. With PO2 monitor. Unfortunately the only one of that design that's kinda available is the Halcyon RB80. Expensive, hard to come by, large, heavy ... . The K2/3 and CORA have been build, and a few are around, but as far as I know they're not available. Dive Rite has been playing around with such a design, too, but that's still in prototype testing.
So a well designed and build CCR is still the best option. For all CE mark divers that means Ambient Pressure. Here in the US, the Megalodon appears to be a viable alternative.

 

[UWMadman]

I guess Im still on the fence, after hearing madmoles reply. I thought I had my mind made up, but the CCR sounds even better, again.

I think price is probably the overriding issue right now. I could buy a SCR now and start getting more bottom time, Im tired of OC and want a change. Or I could wait a year and buy a CCR.

 

[madmole]

Sell the kids, put the wife on the street corner, flog the OC stuff and get a CCR now

You wont regret it

before going down this road you need to ask yourself the important questions

1) Am I prepared to spend extra time preparing my dive equipment
2) Am I prepared to become anally retentive about my predive checks and proceedures
3) Am I prepared to disasemble and rebuild my life support equipment repeatedly
4) Am I prepared to be pointed at and s******ed at by the masses who know no better
5) Am I prepared to be hated by GI3 and all DIR zeolots
6) Am I willing to do all the training and accept I am a complete novice again and do simple shallow diving for a season

If the answer to an ANY of these is NO, then a rebreather is NOT for you

If the answer is YES to all, then I would suggest you spend the money on a training course for the unit you think is your preferred. After a week of diving it every day you will either be convinced you want one or know its not for you. If you decide against it youve spent $600 but saved $4000, if you love it then youve not wasted any money and now know the unit and can search for second hand ones or go for new

Good luck in your search, I know what its like when I was comparing a Dolphin to a Inspiration. One dive on each told me which was for me (The Dolphin's flow valve dug in my back!!!!), The Inspiration was more comfortable and easier to breath from

S

 

[madmole]

??? Since when has shouted (thats S H O U T E D) been a bad word and need *****ing out?????

 

[cactus frogman]

seals train on ccr with very little bottem time on oc. It would take a half a life time to loge 500 dives just to prepare for ccr.

 

[PerroneFord]

What do you want the rebreather FOR? Are you doing mostly recreational depth (less than 120ft) dives and just want to become one with the fishes? Do you have aspirations of technical diving with deep or long bottom components to the dive?

I've been lucky enough to have a VERY well respected RB instructor as a mentor. I've watched a lot of people go to rebreathers. Some with 20 years or more of diving under their belt, some with less than 2 years.

I will say this, and I will step out of it. If you want to make the jump to a rebreather, you can't be "cheap". You can try to do it while monitoring your spending, but you absolutely cannot be cheap.

If you'd like to watch your pennies, and you want a quality unit, look into the KISS Sport. It's a nice recreational CCR, at a fair price. It demands that you stay on top of your game, but it is a nice unit.

-P

 

[divinginn]

very old thread

 

[ScubaAndDreams]

well did he buy one...5 years ago?

 

[DiveDryCarter]

haha that is what we'd all like to know

well put HUE