Why Rebreathers?

[spacemanspiff1974]

I'd love to get a rebreather...but the cost....

I'd have to quit buying dive equipment and taking dive trips for a while to save up or have the dollar rise sharply against the pound...Yes I want a sentinel.

Kind of defeats the whole purpose if you don't dive so that you can get the $$ together for a rebreather.

Maybe if I got one I could impress the Kiss rebreather girl.

 

[Tienuts]

Andy,

Less to manage on OC - Absolutely
Less to go wrong on OC - Correct
Less chance to get into a life threatening situation on OC? I disagree with you there.

For a diligent diver, I can't think of a scenario where, if the CCR diver follows the rules, they would end up dead. CCR gets a bad name, when divers stop following the rules, and start becoming cowboys. It's like cave diving. Many regard cave diving as extremely dangerous, but the reality is there are much fewer accidents and deaths involving divers with full cave training who follow the rules.

I submit that vacation recreational OC diving is the most dangerous diving of all - you have people who dive infrequently, who's skills are rusty. Gear which is marginally maintained at best. Emergency skills which have not been practiced since their OW class. Unfamiliarity with dive sites. You get the idea.

If you would like to engage in a friendly debate, give us (the CCR divers) some problem or failure scenarios, and let us respond to them.

 

[H2Andy]

For a diligent diver, other than a catastrophic loop failure, which is akin to a shark attack, I can't think of a scenario where, if the CCR diver follows the rules, they would end up dead.

you are missing the point. of course if you follow the rules you won't die using a rebreather ... just like you won't die using scuba if you follow the rules.

and since no one ever dies using scuba or rebreathers, we know that this isn't an issue, right?

but you must agree that there are a lot more rules to follow and a lot more chances to screw up with a rebreather (which is my simple point)

your argument basically is: assuming a perfect diver, rebreathers are safe

my argument is: since there is no such thing as a perfect diver, imperfect divers will get less chances to screw up using scuba than rebreathers

with rebreathers, you are introducing more variables, more chances to screw up, and more chances to die. bottom line.

can they be managed? of course. can a good diver go a whole lifetime and never screw up on a rebreather? of course.

but please don't argue that rebreathers are just as simple as scuba and are no more inherently risky. that's just refusing to accept the realities of the technology.

 

[Tienuts]

Actually, my argument is, that all things being equal with the diver, CCR is safer than OC.

 

[H2Andy]

Actually, my argument is, that all things being equal with the diver, CCR is safer than OC.

all i am arguing is that rebreathers have more variables, are more complicated, and can go wrong for a variety of reasons that don't exist with scuba

those things need to be managed; thus, you need to be a much more error-free diver with a rebreather or the consequences are dire

assuming the same level of attention, a rebreather is far more risky than scuba. why? because you need to pay a lot more attention to a rebreather, or you will get in trouble quickly

the level of attention needed is on a whole different plane

or let me put it this way. if you dive a rebreather with the same level of attention you could use to dive scuba safely, you can get into trouble easily

on the other hand, give scuba equipment the level of attention required by a rebreather and you'll be safe and sound

 

[Tienuts]

the level of attention needed is on a whole different plane

Well you got me there - I cant argue with that.

 

[wedivebc]

This is the most sensible thread on rebreathers I've seen on Scubaboard in ages.
Lots of good points here.

 

[wedivebc]

Actually, my argument is, that all things being equal with the diver, CCR is safer than OC.

Statistically that is not true. From an individual standpoint it could be true provided an individual rebreather diver can stay away from the tendancy to become complacent they can be quite safe. Unfortunately many RB accidents read like a shopping list of stupid mistakes.

 

[Tienuts]

Statistically that is not true. From an individual standpoint it could be true provided an individual rebreather diver can stay away from the tendancy to become complacent they can be quite safe. Unfortunately many RB accidents read like a shopping list of stupid mistakes.

What statistics are you basing this off of? Do you have figures you can point to?

Don't forget, Tom Mount is the one who first made the claim "for the diligent diver, CCR is safer than OC."

 

[jepuskar]

This is the most sensible thread on rebreathers I've seen on Scubaboard in ages.
Lots of good points here.

That's because some of us from RBW are posting on this thread.

:luxhello: