CCR dangerous?

[jmohns]

well, it looks like we got this forum buzzing again, at least for now! ;D



I run rebreathers through the FD I am employed through, though they are not the underwater type, they do the same job minus the adjustable o2 concentration. They are a complex simple machine. BUT when s--t hits the fan you don't seem to know until it is too late. They are really cool and I would love to dive with no bubbles, but I will be honest here, the underwater ones just flat out scare the hell out of me! I am sure alot of it is my own ignorance on them, but I just do not want to trust my life to a possable failure.

OK all of you CCR guys, I am now a target!!! give me your best shot, I know it is coming!

Did anyone here what the COD was on the second fella?

[Vtach]

I wouldn't say they scare the hell out of me, but I sure do respect the fact that complacency will get you killed on one of these things very silently.  It definitely is a change of mindset from me from OC (open circuit) diving but I don't see that as a bad thing.  In fact, I wish that I would have had that much respect for OC.  It is something that all divers should take into consideration.  We are diving in a pretty hostile environment and regardless of OC or CCR, if you are unprepared and complacent either can get you into trouble.

There have been some relatively recent advances in rebreather accessories (or standard equipment in some units) that have made some strides in their safety also.  The HUD (heads up display) and BOV (bailout valve) have really helped from a safety perspective.  The HUD is positioned, in most cases, right on the mouthpiece and is easily visible.  The key duty is to alert the diver of a change in PO2 (oxygen level).  This will alert the diver immediately to pay attention to the unit.  The BOV is basically an second stage regulator built into the mouth piece and is operated by a lever or valve in order to go from closed circuit to open circuit in the even of a problem. 

[Vtach]

If you want to learn more about rebreather diving go to



Good reading if you decide to wade in. ;D

[systematic.entropy]

First of all, to my knowledge, the most recent fatality off Port Washington was open circuit. But let's not discuss that here.

Second, as a relatively new CCR diver, they still scare the hell out of me, and I'm thankful every time I get out of the water after a rebreather dive. Even with all the most recent advances in CCR technology, they are still very temperamental machines, and using one is pretty much as close to being dependant on a machine for life support as you're going to get outside of a hospital.

With the above being said, I can say I have never been nervous about my rebreather underwater while on a dive. I can only attribute this to training that has made me confident in my ability to handle any problem I could encounter. And meticulous assembly and maintenance on my rebreather. It's the same way I feel about cave diving. Thinking about a dive, and even afterwards gives me a little bit of the willies. But as soon as I hit the water, it's autopilot. But, yes, check out rebreatherworld.com for loads of in depth information.