Rebreather diving

[Dennis]

I would like dive a rebreather, but i'm not sure with what kind off rebreather i should dive. To give an indication the the average depth i dive would be 20 meters with a max off 40 m. Should i go CCR or SCR ?? inspiration (expensive !) Dolphin or kiss ??

dennis

[Inspirationdiver]

There are many factors to consider when deciding which rebreather might be right for you. They all differ considerably in things ranging from cost, ease of use, maintainance, durability, warranty coverage, etc.. I would say to start out by doing your research and trying to decide whether a SCR or CCR unit would fit you best.
My first reaction would be to go SCR based on the depth you plan to be diving. There are definate advantages to a CCR but in my opinion the increased cost and maintainance isn't justified unless you are planning on doing some deeper dives.

[john j]

I know your situation well. I went through the same thought process.

If you know for sure that you will never want to go much below 40 m, and you will never change your mind, then an SCR would work for you. It will be slightly less expensive to purchase than a CCR, and the maintenance will be less. Certainly less task loading during the dive with a SCR too. You use more gas though than a CCR but still much less than OC, so consider also where you dive. Do you dive in remote areas or from your own boat for example?

My problem was that I quickly outgrew my Dolphin. I liked the unit, but you have to do so many dangerous tricks to dive deeper than 40 m, that if you anticipate doing that, consider a CCR now.

You should also think about how many dives you plan to do in a year. My thought is that if you will do less than about 35 dives per year, stay away from CCR becasue your skills will get rusty and that can lead to problems. A CCR is more than just a piece of dive gear. It is a comittment. It is no different than the requirements that airplane pilots have where they need do to a certain number of takeoffs and landings and fly a certain number of hours per year to maintain their license. Once you are certified on a CCR, there is no legal requirement to maintain certification, but to maintain your skills you really need to dive and practice frequently. After 300+ hours on my Inspiration, I'm still practicising all my skills regularly and staying focused on never becoming complacent.

You have a tough decision to make and I'm sure you'll go back and fourth in your mind many times. There are places you can try these units before you buy and you can also meet CCR and SCR divers at Wazee to help you decide.