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Joe · 12th October 2006, 05:16

I am not going to argue or debate the merits or lack thereof of what I do. I am simply going to state it and my logic. If anyone disagrees please don't get upset. If you have a calm, lucid counterpoint, I am happy to listen. I just don't want this to turn into a big argument. I am NOT trying to sell the idea. It is simply what I do and why I do it.

I have button gauges on both my O2 and my dil. I always dive with FULL (boosted) bottles so there is no question that I have enough gas.

That said, I also always dive with adequate OC bailout which can also be plugged into the loop. I maintain my bailout skills and am confident in my ability to plug into the loop. I always dive with a buddy who can look at my gauges if necessary, plus, his presence doubles my bailout options, and, I can plug into his onboard gasses if need be. I "fly" my unit manually and I dive minimum loop volume.

So, for me, running out of gas is not a big traumatic event. When you fly manually you can sense low tank pressure by the sound and intensity of the gas flow through the valve. If you suspect you might be running low you can plug your bailout into the loop so when button "A" fails you press button "B". Or, lets say worst case, it catches you by surprise. On min loop volume it is not a crisis because the diminished volume warns you that you need to add O2 but you still have a few breaths before it becomes even close to critical, so, worst case, you continue to breathe slightly short breaths until you plug your bail out in and turn the dive.

The ONLY plausible way I can see someone running out of gas (other than Darwinian inattention) is if they have some unexpected event such as a massive leak or free flow of some sort, in which case, the gauge will not do any good.

What everyone likes to ignore here is that you have OC bailout which is typically 2 to 4 times or more the volume of the onboard dil and you have OC deco gases also in far greater volume than the onboard O2, both of which can be plugged into the loop, and, that low or OOG problems on CCR are not an immediate crisis like they are on OC.

For me, the 2 extra gauges and hoses are unnecessary clutter and failure points. Button gauges have 2 failure points. The oring and the gauge itself. SPG's have 5 - the gauge, the 2 spindle orings, the hose oring and the hose itself.

Now, it also has a lot to do with your personality and your willingness to maintain skills. If bailing out is even slightly a concern to you, if you are of the ilk that will become worried about not knowing *exactly* what you have, if you are the type that will become very upset if a tank runs dry on you, and, if you are not able to take comfort in the fact that you have 2 to 4 times the volume of gas you really need, DON'T EVEN CONSIDER THIS OPTION. You need to be comfortable with what you are doing.

12th October 2006, 05:16	#17 (permalink)
Joe RBW Member Current Rebreather/s: Megalodon Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Florida, USA Posts: 330	Re: Thinking gauges for a minute...... I am not going to argue or debate the merits or lack thereof of what I do. I am simply going to state it and my logic. If anyone disagrees please don't get upset. If you have a calm, lucid counterpoint, I am happy to listen. I just don't want this to turn into a big argument. I am NOT trying to sell the idea. It is simply what I do and why I do it. I have button gauges on both my O2 and my dil. I always dive with FULL (boosted) bottles so there is no question that I have enough gas. That said, I also always dive with adequate OC bailout which can also be plugged into the loop. I maintain my bailout skills and am confident in my ability to plug into the loop. I always dive with a buddy who can look at my gauges if necessary, plus, his presence doubles my bailout options, and, I can plug into his onboard gasses if need be. I "fly" my unit manually and I dive minimum loop volume. So, for me, running out of gas is not a big traumatic event. When you fly manually you can sense low tank pressure by the sound and intensity of the gas flow through the valve. If you suspect you might be running low you can plug your bailout into the loop so when button "A" fails you press button "B". Or, lets say worst case, it catches you by surprise. On min loop volume it is not a crisis because the diminished volume warns you that you need to add O2 but you still have a few breaths before it becomes even close to critical, so, worst case, you continue to breathe slightly short breaths until you plug your bail out in and turn the dive. The ONLY plausible way I can see someone running out of gas (other than Darwinian inattention) is if they have some unexpected event such as a massive leak or free flow of some sort, in which case, the gauge will not do any good. What everyone likes to ignore here is that you have OC bailout which is typically 2 to 4 times or more the volume of the onboard dil and you have OC deco gases also in far greater volume than the onboard O2, both of which can be plugged into the loop, and, that low or OOG problems on CCR are not an immediate crisis like they are on OC. For me, the 2 extra gauges and hoses are unnecessary clutter and failure points. Button gauges have 2 failure points. The oring and the gauge itself. SPG's have 5 - the gauge, the 2 spindle orings, the hose oring and the hose itself. Now, it also has a lot to do with your personality and your willingness to maintain skills. If bailing out is even slightly a concern to you, if you are of the ilk that will become worried about not knowing exactly what you have, if you are the type that will become very upset if a tank runs dry on you, and, if you are not able to take comfort in the fact that you have 2 to 4 times the volume of gas you really need, DON'T EVEN CONSIDER THIS OPTION. You need to be comfortable with what you are doing.
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