Quote: (Originally Posted by
AD_ward9)
The figures all seem to point the same number, whether based on the amount of lime APD sell each year, the number of O2 sensors Teledyne sell them each year and R22Ds generally, the number of silicone mushroom valves APD buy each year from P****, the number of Inspos in dive clubs or Inspo cylinders returned for service. Statements Martin Parker has made to vendors. Build quantities people report in factory tours.
Go into a dive shop in a busy area, and how many Inspo cylinders or regulators are there for service? Speak to the technicans and how many have they serviced in the last year. One of the three companies I mentioned supply gas equipment to these dive outlets, so see a lot more dive shops than I do.
Not always meaningful info: eg I don't use inspiration mushroom valves as I have a BOV on my unit that uses other valves - and a lot of people do. I use Spherasorb instead of Sofnolime. Some people use their sorb for 4 to 6 hours, meaning that more dive time is logged than you can calculate out of the sorb quantities sold. Some people won't send cylinders or regs to a dive shop and do maintenance themselves. If cylinders needs testing you can bring them yourself to the hydrostation. If they need cleaning I clean them myself. I don't know how many people have their inspiration serviced by APD but I don't think all of them do...
I do agree that on the Classic Inspiration the number of units in the field is (way?) overstated: some people I know have 2 or 3 classics in their garage, usually 'teaching' units; others changed the Classic head to a Hammerhead, others took the Vision update.
I would really like to see actual figures of incidents versus rebreather makes/types. Unfortunately about the only number we can be certain of are the casualties - damn too much.
steven