diver1369

John/Bill's position on Rebreather's on the Tuna Seazure:

"I was recently told I don't allow rebreathers on the boat, which was quite a surprise to me. I need to find out why I’m the last to be told about the
allowed gear on the boat.

In the spring we will be posting a list of do'sand don'ts for diving on the boat. For now I feel the need to address this issue. My personal feelings on rebreathers are they are a relatively safe piece of dive gear. I have had very extensive discussions with some of the best rebreather divers around and feel they can be very safe when the right divers use them within their design limitations. For most divers I thinkthey are a very expensive answer to a simple problem (breathing underwater). They add quite a bit of additional work and skills while using them. I think the industry is way over populated with divers and instructors which shouldn't be teaching or diving them. Given a sloppy diver they can even kill you.


Now all that aside we have had rebreather divers on the boat for around 5
years, this past season we had quite a few doing some very stressful deep
dives. Everyone one of these people were very good, solid divers and what
they were using underwater was not an issue, you see it's about the diver
and his competence. A hundred dives at dutch springs does not provide a
person with the skills required to dive the ocean on any gear but much less
so with a rebreather. For some reason many people seem to think if they have the cert. card they should be allowed to do the dives they want. I don't feel this way; I think the card is only the beginning, not unlike a learners permit, the first step in driving. We will even be offering rebreather
training in the next year, but I can assure you this course will not be
easy. However I can also tell you you'll be a well rounded rebreather diver
ready to start logging some beginning dives when you pass the course.
I'm not certain how many dives you need to log before you dive our boat, but you'll need references from people you dive with. I don't take diver safety lightly and if it offends you that I alone will decide whether your ready to be out there so be it. Once you are ready you'll start with a dive buddy and we'll see how it goes. You have good skills and a decent amount of safe dives you'll be welcomed back.


The Tuna Seazure's whole reason for being is to be a training and
recreational dive platform. I would like to think that when you are ready to
try the deep dives our recommendation will get you on one of the fine boats offering deep tech. diving. I love to watch divers develop the skills to
dive out there and do actually enjoy watching them move on to deeper stuff.


You want to learn to wreck dive, gain skills, have fun come out with us.
You'll need to find another boat if you can't dive safely.

Capt. Bill and the crew of the Tuna Seazure."