Rebreathers are not just for tech divers, but they are the coolest way to dive!
I recognized the great potential rebreathers posed for deep diving over a decade ago and I have been diving rebreathers ever since. But, more importantly I recognized the great potential they posed for any active diver who’s looking to extend their bottom time with much less hassle than open circuit gear. You don’t have to be a deep diver to appreciate the benefits of diving a rebreather.
Many divers are under the impression that rebreathers are reserved for deep divers, tech or military divers only. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Rebreathers are just another way of doing what regular scuba does, but in a much more efficient manner. Imagine never having to haul huge tanks down to the dive shop for fills or down a long dock to the dive boat. How about never having to figure out the best nitrox mix for a dive because no matter where you go you’ll always have the perfect mix. Or, how about doing a dive to 60 ft. for three hours with nothing more than what’s on your back, and no decompression obligation? The reality is rebreathers offer the greatest benefits at recreational depths than at any other level.
In the early 90s Skindiver Magazine (now defunct) wrote a scathing article about the dangers of this new death gas known as NITROX! Today nitrox and trimix are both pretty much mainstream, and almost all certification agencies teach and promote nitrox and trimix training. As usual, many of these same certification agencies, as they have in the past, are taking the same approach as Skindiver did with nitox in regard to rebreather training. As in the past, they’ve simply stated that the average diver candidate lacks the intellect to dive a rebreather without killing themselves. The same thing they said about nitrox and trimix! Eventually they’ll see the light or the $$$ signs and adopt this new technology just as they did with deep diving, nitrox and trimix. But remember, they’re not just for tech divers. They’re just another type of diving equipment just as surface supplied and full facemasks are.
When Closed Circuit Rebreather (CCR) first became available to recreational divers large numbers of the technical diving community embraced them as another tool in the tech divers toolbox because of their efficient use of gas. This acceptance from the technical community quickly gave CCRs a technical diving connotation. The irony here is, is that open circuit technical divers use all of the same gear sport divers use, just more of it. The tanks are the same, the regs are the same, BCs, harnesses, etc. It’s no different with rebreathers! In fact, there’s even less, if at all to modify when using a CCR and going from a sport dive to a technical dive. My Inspiration has about 1000 hours on it now. I’ve done dives as shallow as 15′ and as deep as 300′ without making any modifications to the unit. I haven’t drilled any holes, mounted any brackets or any other doohickeys other than what was necessary to conduct the dive as safely as possible. It’s all the same gear just configured a little differently to suit the dive plan.
Rebreathers will probably never take the place of a singe tank setup, but if you’re an active diver that routinely uses nitrox, you may want to consider looking into rebreather diving. You’ll be surprised at just how simple dive planning and logistics will be.
What is your Rebreather IQ?
Take a quick survey to see what you know about Closed Circuit Rebreathers.
- Do you think CCRs are for deep dives only?
- Do you think CCRs are for technical divers only?
- Do you think CCRs are for military divers only?
- Do you think CCRs are death traps?
- Do you think CCRs are too complicated?
- Do you think CCRs cost more to operate?
- Do you think CCRs require too much maintenance?
- Do you think CCRs are too difficult to learn?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you answered wrong! And, you may consider signing up for a CCR intro to learn more.
Next group of questions.
- Would you like to dive with virtually an unlimited gas supply regardless of depth?
- Would you like to have the perfect mix no matter what depth you are?
- Would you like to have less gear to deal with?
- Would you like a warm moist gas to breathe?
- Would you like better buoyancy?
- Would you like to be warmer when diving in cold water?
- Would you like to hear what’s around you in the water?
- Would you like your dive planning to be easier?
- Would you like to have the best and most efficient way to dive?
If you answered yes, to any of the above questions you have just learned the benefits to diving a rebreather and may consider signing up for a course and join the growing number of silent divers!
Manuals:
 Evolution |
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 Inspiration |
 KISS Classic |
Deep Explorers, Inc.