Justyfing the cost of a Rebreather.

MikeH

I feel that I can very easily justify the cost of an Rebreather. When doing trimix dives OC, I average about $45(all monies in US currency) an hour in gas. This doesn't even account for the cost of fuel for me to drive after every dive to get gas. For CCR, my calculated cost for sorb and gas is $10/hr($4 for sorb, $6 for gas). I don't account for batteries, O2 sensors, disinfectant, etc....because the fact that I will have less than half the number of regs and tanks to service makes up for that. I figure that, based on a total cost of $10,000(RB purchase and all training costs), I will have the RB paid for in 285 hours of use. That's about 1.5 years for me.

The other big reason for me being able to justify an Rebreather is the safety factor. If the brown stuff hits the rotating cooling device while I'm way back in a deep cave, assuming my RB is functioning properly, I have lots of time to sort it out. That time would be 8 or 10 times(at least) what I would have if OC. There was a double fatality last June at a cave called Eagles Nest, about an hour north of Tampa, Florida. IMO, if these guys had been on CCR, it would have been a scare instead of a double fatality. (Link: http://www.iucrr.org/20040612_01.htm).

I have a lot more money wrapped up in other hobbies than an Rebreather costs. I have almost $20k wrapped up in skydiving gear(3 full skydiving rigs, lots of specialty equipment including digital video and still cameras). I have more than I want to think about wrapped up in my airplane.....and I'm currently looking at buying a helicopter, which is even MORE expensive!

The bottom line is that this is a hobby for most of us. We make the choice as to what we are willing to spend on such hobbies....and we live with it(and enjoy it immensely).

Mike

silent running

[quote=silentscuba]

You can't really justify any type of leisure active for economic reasons. It is what we like to do in our spare time away from work and if you can afford it or make sacrifices so that you can, then that is all you need to do.

I second that. And I would also like to say that each of my motorcycles cost more than my Prism and while it was a good thrill to ride up 4 wheel drive trails into the Rockies, never, not even once, did I see a 14ft Bull Shark while riding my Enduro.-Andy

decoweenie

...but did you see any grizzly bear or mountain lion (you know what I mean) while diving you Rebreather ?

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"...after a while you get bored offering advice to a bull that like to keep butting the fence with its head rather than walking through the open gate..."

- Rebreather World PM

caveseeker7

Ice bear and lion fish?

Actually, after getting certified I dove under some skinny dippers,
and of them, she had a very griz****** Never mind.

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Stefan



"Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority,
and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media,
which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.!"

decoweenie

If you are into that, people who dives around Austin, Texas, will be able to tell you where "Hippie Hallow" is...

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"...after a while you get bored offering advice to a bull that like to keep butting the fence with its head rather than walking through the open gate..."

- Rebreather World PM

caveseeker7

That was about two and half decades ago, and once was enough. Grizzly.

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Cheers
Stefan



"Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority,
and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media,
which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.!"

silent running

Yes, as matter of fact, but they were wearing dry suits and moving kinda slow, not very scary.

abowie

I spent a lot less on my own compressor and a few fill whips; that saves a lot on tank testing :-)

As to the cost; well I'm with whoever it was that said something like "if I want one, I'll have one".

Bugger the cost I say.

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Andrew Bowie

Rebreather-friendly Buddy

Mark Chase

Sorry M8 no offence meant.

When you were talking about 4 mix dives a week to justified it I couldn’t figure it out

I read about people saying they get mix dives in for £50 for gas??? And I think how the hell do they do that? I pay 0.02pltr for He and 0.01p for 02. So a 7 of 02 is £16.45. Twin 12s at a moddist 19/30 would be £34 just for the helium. Add the deep deco gas and your well over £50 already. Obviously some people are lucky and don’t have to travel far for gas but round here driving 25miles for a fill is nothing unusual.


I have said it before on here and ill say it again. I like simplicity and the CCR (especially my one) doesn’t offer me that. I would much rather be OC diving but I would need to have my own private fill station and Js to make that work for me. I would also have to limit my dive time and depth, get a bigger car to carry all the gear and only go on CCR populated boats so the skipper will let me put alllllllllll my tanks on board for multi day trips. The last OC two day event we went on I think we overloaded the boat. The skipper charged us a fuel surcharge for the 20sets of twin 12 & 15's and the 40+ 7 & 10ltr deco cylinders we put on his boat for the 10 divers.


CCR was logical for so many reasons even I had to give up and sign up for the yellow side. If you’re serious about deep mix diving you have to be on a CCR IMHO.
The cost saving is a bonus it’s the logistics and safety issues which make it for me.

Mind you I didn't realise it was the safe option until I had been diving it for a while

ATB

Mark Chase

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Is it supposed to make that noise ?

I took my unit to the dive shop and demanded they bolt on every thing that would fit.

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"Doing It Chasey"Hammerhead Eccr Advanced Diving System

babar

Also any instructors, or dive docs, or hyperbaric techs should be able to deduct their kit as buiseness expenses, at least in the states.

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Babar
Evolution Plus
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