Why CCR?

[Scott L]

1. The risk is not necessarily the rebreather itself, but rather the diver who is using the rebreather.

A curious disclaimer that is often used with this argument. Rebreathers are as I understand quite demanding of their owners. To side-step this fact is border-line absurd with all due respect...The vast majoity of OC deaths are not equipment related either...

 

[Michael_Lambert]

Thanks Michael.. I am not blaming the unit so to speak. I know most of it is the divers fault. But I often wonder if being a CCR diver gives some of them a big ego that leads to poor decisions.

Sure does!

A RB is a tool, and depending on your needs which unit you require will change. I personally would never touch a electronic unit, diving a Manual unit requires you to watch everything.. regularly!

Not that i dive any unit, it also requires a crap load of maturity... lol

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

1. The risk is not necessarily the rebreather itself, but rather the diver who is using the rebreather.

Many rebreather divers are already deep, extended range, extended bottom time, trimix divers. The problem that arises is that many newly certified rebreather divers move too rapidly along on their quest for deeper and longer dives. I know my instructor recommended (and some agencies require) 50 hours of recreational use on their units before they take normoxic trimix. But in reality... some people just start diving trimix right away. People exceed their limits. It's not the rebreather; it's the divers.

A rebreather is a tool like any dive equipment. For me and my buddies; sometimes it's the right tool for the job. Sometimes, it's open circuit.

Diving itself is risky.

2. Rebreathers have many advantages including as you stated; less gas used, longer dive times, less decompression, no bubbles.

On a 60' 1 hour reef dive, there may not be advantages, but certainly practicing using your tools are good ideas.

Let's think about a week long dive excursion without the capability of filling tanks. With a rebreather, you can take a milk crate with enough tanks for a week. Bring 1 keg of sofnolime, and you're good to go.

With all of the accidents that have occurred lately, I've yet to see one where the rebreather is truly at fault.

Howard I agree with you and Micheal L.. I had a really good talk to Brian Armstrong a few weeks ago at a freinds party. I really think the zero to hero complex is a problem in a lot of this. You guys are pros, not excactly the average diver nowadays. I would be very surprised if I had to read about you in an accident thread.

 

[Jax]

Howard - I understand what you are saying - is it not like a youngster who buys more car than s/he can handle? They push the CCR further than their skills can handle.

So -- please consider the ignorant source (me) - a CCR is for those who wish to go places regularly that are outside the 'normal' dive limits: a wreck below 130, or caves - just not skinny ones. And the real issue is that since one is pushing way out there, they need a lot to bail themselves out - - which almost negates the benefits . . .

 

[Jax]

A curious disclaimer that is often used with this argument. Rebreathers are as I understand quite demanding of their owners. To side-step this fact is border-line absurd with all due respect...

Now analogize that with the super-fast performance car . . . It, too, is demanding of its owner, but again it is not the car's fault when you wreck.

 

[Michael_Lambert]

So -- please consider the ignorant source (me) - a CCR is for those who wish to go places regularly that are outside the 'normal' dive limits: a wreck below 130, or caves - just not skinny ones. And the real issue is that since one is pushing way out there, they need a lot to bail themselves out - - which almost negates the benefits . . .

Thats not true at all, infact i know a couple of our local divers who are diving Manual CCR units only to dive with in Recreational limits.

again pros they see with the units.

- MUCH warmer, breathing warm moist air.... Very nice when your diving waters that are regularly in the 50's.
- No more cotton mouth... again the warm moist air.
- Much more manageable for them than larger doubles for redundancy.
- Again best mix, Nothing like having that Nitrox blending stick on your back through out the whole dive.

Plenty of benefits to divers who are NOT technical divers or who do NOT want to exceed NDL.

 

[Jax]

Thats not true at all, infact i know a couple of our local divers who are diving Manual CCR units only to dive with in Recreational limits.

Manual CCR? What does an Automatic CCR do?

And if you silly boys didn't dive in the artic waters, you wouldn't need that warm, moist air . . .

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

MIke and Howard. I know you can hook your bail out gas to the CCR.. That would limit the amount you need to take. I dont understand why you would do that tho.. If there was a reason to go the the BO gas, seems to me that there is a problem with the unit or existing gas pressures ( too high PP02's, ect ) are bad. Looks safer to go to OC at that point or are you remixing if the gas supply is bad?

 

[HowardE]

Manual CCR? What does an Automatic CCR do?

And if you silly boys didn't dive in the artic waters, you wouldn't need that warm, moist . . .

Automatic or Electronic as they're called - have a solenoid that automatically injects oxygen into the loop to maintain your PO2 automatically. Manual rebreather - you add the O2 when you need it.

With either unit, looking at the handset and knowing your PO2 is essential. Some people argue that eCCR's encourage complacency.

MIke and Howard. I know you can hook your bail out gas to the CCR.. That would limit the amount you need to take. I dont understand why you would do that tho.. If there was a reason to go the the BO gas, seems to me that there is a problem with the unit or existing gas pressures ( too high PP02's, ect ) are bad. Looks safer to go to OC at that point or are you remixing if the gas supply is bad?

If you asked me. If there's a reason to go on the bailout gas... you're bailed out. Dive over.

However, in certain extremely technical dives, ending the dive isn't an easy proposition, depending on decompression obligations. For some extreme dives, people use support divers, or stage additional gas. But for most "recreational" technical applications, divers can carry the gas they'll need easily.

 

[Jax]

MIke and Howard. I know you can hook your bail out gas to the CCR.. That would limit the amount you need to take. I dont understand why you would do that tho.. If there was a reason to go the the BO gas, seems to me that there is a problem with the unit or existing gas pressures ( too high PP02's, ect ) are bad. Looks safer to go to OC at that point or are you remixing if the gas supply is bad?

That went over my head. I need to study more! Thanks for answering, all!