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schwerve · 10th January 2006, 15:33

Hey all,

I'm not an Rebreather diver yet. I'm thinking more and more about it, as the market starts offering decent RB's that I may actually be able to afford within the next decade.

I'd love to see an article here on Rebreather World - or, several articles - that lay out the pros and cons of many Rebreather's in wide use, and then rate on the following:

1) Most Value for Money. Yes, you can get a Sport KISS for US $4800. Does that translate into a reasonable "dollar per feature value" compared to an Inspiration, or a Meg, or a Boris?

2) Most User-Serviceable. I'm not big on taking stuff apart, especially when my life depends on putting it back together correctly. I'll swallow my reluctance if I get an Rebreather; still, not everyone is an engineer. An RB is this complex thing with all these parts and I-don't-know-how-to-fix-it! and The-LDS-doesn't-service-it! and What-do-I-do?!? While education goes a long way toward alleviating such concerns, it'd be great to have the article say that Rebreather x is childishly simple to tear down and rebuild, Rebreather's y and z aren't so bad either, but don't even think about an Acme Rebreather.

3) Most Off-the-Shelf (can't think of a better term). Whether you're in Indianapolis (where I live) or in Indonesia, will you be able to run by the LDS for parts - or, hell, Wal-Mart - if your Rebreather craps out? Yes, yes, you'll have a spares kit, but what if you wish to replenish the spares you had to use to fix your RB? Will you need to spend $500 and wait three weeks while proprietary parts ship from the manufacturer?

4) Most Travel-Friendly. As you may know or guess, central Indiana isn't exactly a hotbed of diving activity. Local diving consists of cold quarries with 30ft vis on a good day. The closest interesting diving is four hours away, and it's still farking cold. So, I supplement my two-local-dive-a-month diet with trips to the tropics. If an Rebreather will cause me to pay for overweight baggage all the time, I ain't buying it. Neither will other people in similar situations.

5) Most Friendly to Casual* Divers (speaking of two dives a month). Well, maybe an Rebreather isn't terribly cost-effective for a casual diver such as myself. Price isn't a factor for most divers anyway; diving is definitely not a poor man's sport. Besides, we want warm gas, dangit! Casual divers don't need mixed gas, nor do we need a 600ft rating. Maybe we'll go deco, but it's doubtful.

6) Most User-Friendly. Since I'd like to fiddle with my gear as little as possible during a dive, I wouldn't mind electronics. Or would I? Help me decide.

7) Most Friendly to OC Buddies. My buddy isn't a big fan of Rebreather's at all; the DIR Kool-Aid seems to have gone to his head.

Other divers out there have the same problem; they'd like to switch to an Rebreather, but their buddies don't. If you've gone unconscious, can your OC buddy rescue you with a minimum of gauge-reading or futzing with your gear?

8) "Least" in Failure Modes. Most Rebreather's share the same general oh-no factors - hypoxia, hyperoxia, hypercapnia, water in the loop, etc. - but the causes can vary from RB to RB. Is there armor in the breathing hoses? Do the counterlungs have sufficient protection from punctures? Which side is the oxygen injected on, and what implications does that have? Will a solenoid fail open or closed?

Finally, the category I care the most about at this stage:

9) Most Beginner-Friendly. Think of what you would've loved to see in your first Rebreather, then tell us what RB currently on the market comes closest to that ideal.

I'm sure you all can think of other categories to add. Fire away!

* The word "casual" has become a loaded term in some circles. I use it as shorthand for "divers who don't dive all that much, but are smart enough to keep their skills up for when they have a serious stretch of diving, and it hasn't been three years since their last use of SCUBA gear in any setting, they're wearing 50lbs of lead with nothing but a swimsuit, and after their first giant stride off the boat they thunk into the bottom at full speed."

10th January 2006, 15:33	#1 (permalink)
schwerve New Member Current Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Other Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Indy Posts: 12	Comprehensive Rebreather comparisons? Hey all, I'm not an Rebreather diver yet. I'm thinking more and more about it, as the market starts offering decent RB's that I may actually be able to afford within the next decade. I'd love to see an article here on Rebreather World - or, several articles - that lay out the pros and cons of many Rebreather's in wide use, and then rate on the following: 1) Most Value for Money. Yes, you can get a Sport KISS for US $4800. Does that translate into a reasonable "dollar per feature value" compared to an Inspiration, or a Meg, or a Boris? 2) Most User-Serviceable. I'm not big on taking stuff apart, especially when my life depends on putting it back together correctly. I'll swallow my reluctance if I get an Rebreather; still, not everyone is an engineer. An RB is this complex thing with all these parts and I-don't-know-how-to-fix-it! and The-LDS-doesn't-service-it! and What-do-I-do?!? While education goes a long way toward alleviating such concerns, it'd be great to have the article say that Rebreather x is childishly simple to tear down and rebuild, Rebreather's y and z aren't so bad either, but don't even think about an Acme Rebreather. 3) Most Off-the-Shelf (can't think of a better term). Whether you're in Indianapolis (where I live) or in Indonesia, will you be able to run by the LDS for parts - or, hell, Wal-Mart - if your Rebreather craps out? Yes, yes, you'll have a spares kit, but what if you wish to replenish the spares you had to use to fix your RB? Will you need to spend $500 and wait three weeks while proprietary parts ship from the manufacturer? 4) Most Travel-Friendly. As you may know or guess, central Indiana isn't exactly a hotbed of diving activity. Local diving consists of cold quarries with 30ft vis on a good day. The closest interesting diving is four hours away, and it's still farking cold. So, I supplement my two-local-dive-a-month diet with trips to the tropics. If an Rebreather will cause me to pay for overweight baggage all the time, I ain't buying it. Neither will other people in similar situations. 5) Most Friendly to Casual* Divers (speaking of two dives a month). Well, maybe an Rebreather isn't terribly cost-effective for a casual diver such as myself. Price isn't a factor for most divers anyway; diving is definitely not a poor man's sport. Besides, we want warm gas, dangit! Casual divers don't need mixed gas, nor do we need a 600ft rating. Maybe we'll go deco, but it's doubtful. 6) Most User-Friendly. Since I'd like to fiddle with my gear as little as possible during a dive, I wouldn't mind electronics. Or would I? Help me decide. 7) Most Friendly to OC Buddies. My buddy isn't a big fan of Rebreather's at all; the DIR Kool-Aid seems to have gone to his head. Other divers out there have the same problem; they'd like to switch to an Rebreather, but their buddies don't. If you've gone unconscious, can your OC buddy rescue you with a minimum of gauge-reading or futzing with your gear? 8) "Least" in Failure Modes. Most Rebreather's share the same general oh-no factors - hypoxia, hyperoxia, hypercapnia, water in the loop, etc. - but the causes can vary from RB to RB. Is there armor in the breathing hoses? Do the counterlungs have sufficient protection from punctures? Which side is the oxygen injected on, and what implications does that have? Will a solenoid fail open or closed? Finally, the category I care the most about at this stage: 9) Most Beginner-Friendly. Think of what you would've loved to see in your first Rebreather, then tell us what RB currently on the market comes closest to that ideal. I'm sure you all can think of other categories to add. Fire away! * The word "casual" has become a loaded term in some circles. I use it as shorthand for "divers who don't dive all that much, but are smart enough to keep their skills up for when they have a serious stretch of diving, and it hasn't been three years since their last use of SCUBA gear in any setting, they're wearing 50lbs of lead with nothing but a swimsuit, and after their first giant stride off the boat they thunk into the bottom at full speed."
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