which is cheaper, Open circuit or CCR?

[ajduplessis]

CCR will always be cheaper to run gas wise that OC. I do however want to point out that you don't need to dump gas from your OC system if you have a Haskell. Since we bought a Haskell to do the compression of O2 and He we save loads of cash & gas and never needed to dump expensive He. We are also able to get the last couple of bars out the source cylinders!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[northernone]

Resurrect the dead?

I'm debating taking the plunge to ccr since I'd need build my own fill station for blends on OC. The equipment cost differential is negligible it seems.

Considering ongoing compressor maintenance and hauling gas OC vs ccr maintenance, kegs of lime and a small booster off a pair of lp135s as an O2 bank for the CCR.

Well, as the years pass, have the original cost estimates in this thread changed much?

 

[jeffgerritsen]

Northernone,
Not much has changed. Helium pricing has moderated a bit, Rebreathers have improved a lot, while pricing has stayed about the same - baring some modest price increases. The old adage still applies, if you tec dive a lot go to a rebreather.

 

[Germie]

Don't forget the 4000-10000 euro/dollar to buy a unit. That must be earned back too.
I dive shallow most on oc twinset (air/nitrox) and deep or in caves I take my ccr. In narrow caves I dive oc sidemount.

Here sadly some fillingstations ask a minimumprice for a fill, so a 3L ccr cylinder will cost more then. So a 5 euro fill will now cost at least 10 euro, regardless if there is more or less helium in it. I try to avoid that fillingstations of course. The reason they say: we have to do the same procedures for a 3 L cylinders as for a twinset.