What's up with the rebreather group?

[john j]

Been kind of quiet in this group lately. Any of you rebreather divers been out diving locally yet? I've been to Wazee a couple times already. Water temp is about 40F which isn't too bad considering how early it is. Visibility is good too. Anyone dove Superior with a rebreather yet this year?

[LKunze]

Yeah...no doubt. Where'd everyone go?

[john j]

Maybe I need to post something controversial to get things going again....here goes...
"rebreather diving is cheaper and safer that open circuit"

That ought to start some conversation. ;D

[DRE]

Given the fact most rebreather divers have very short lived diving careers, I can definitely understand the cheaper issue - you don't have to keep forking all that money for mixed gasses until your senile

[igotoofar]

Or it could be that they are all out diving rather than Checking message groups like us

[Inspirationdiver]

DRE:

Just curious, how did you come upon the "fact" that rebreather divers have very short lived diving careers?

[DRE]

Just referring to the alarming number of Inspiration divers biting the dust for a while - seems like things are much more under control now...

[Groovekitty]

I do believe that was a joke, son.

[ghosch]

My intent is NOT to start another rebreather/OC crusade. That being said, a brief review of DAN's report from 2002 indicates:

Less that .5% of injuries were reported on on SCR's
0% of injuries were reported on CCR's

0% of fatalities were reported on SCR's
0% of fatalities were reported on CCR's

This is not to say that every diving incident gets reported to DAN, and one certainly has to take into account that rebreather divers represent a minute portion of the diving community (I have heard around 1%, but I can't swear to the accuracy of that statement).

One should also note that the above occured in the midst of a rising quantity of diving related injuries (though falling numbers of fatalities). When you take into account that on average, rebreather (esp. CCR) divers are diving deeper, longer, and that more and more people are diving rebreathers, it sends a positive message about the trends in rebreather safety.

As I am currently enrolled in CCR (Inspiration) training, I can honestly say that the training is more rigorous than any dive training I have taken to date, and that SCR training was the most rigorous training I had taken prior to CCR.

Though certainly not new technology (rebreathers were around a long, long time before OC) the use of rebreathers in the recreational market is certainly in its "early childhood" (if not its infancy). Technology, research, training and dialog have all served to make rebreather diving (and the diving community as a whole) safer and more enjoyable.

I personally have enjoyed reading the debate around rebreathers, it has caused me to do a lot more research than I otherwise would have done, and actually convinced me that I "needed" to upgrade to CCR.

[DRE]

Yeah, but that's like what the primary difference is between DCS I and DCS II? 8)

Anyone...?