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The rebreather information site. |
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“Rebreather Purchase”
Published with permission from the author |
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Thinking of buying a Rebreather?
Rebreathers are a contentious subject! There are certain groups and individuals who believe rebreathers are inherently dangerous. Others including myself believe they are safer than Open Circuit (OC) and the future of diving. In my opinion, OC is dead for technical diving and rebreathers will be the SCUBA of choice for nearly all technical and many recreational divers. It may be another 10 or 15 years before general acceptance, but it will happen. If you are one of the growing numbers considering a rebreather purchase then read on because Rebreathers have arrived! There are simply too many advantages. · Gas efficiency, · Deco efficiency, · Helium cost efficiency, · Warmth, · Hydration · Silence These advantages all add up to a better way to dive. Rebreathers are certainly not a panacea for all diving ills and there is a down side. · Discipline and good training is imperative. · Expense. · Time for mastery · Complexity. · The diver These shortcomings are not unique to rebreather diving and also apply to OC technical diving. However the weak link, the human factor can be magnified in the case of rebreather diving. With the death of Open Circuit as a form of diving, actual deaths in rebreather diving have occurred and will occur again as the units and diver methodologies evolve. These deaths in all instances will come down to the training, attitude, experience and ability of the individuals diving the unit rather than the unit itself. There are no rebreather problems that can’t be recognized and remedied by the educated and aware rebreather diver.
Open circuit diving is open to pretty much everyone. You can start a PADI course at age 8 and continue to dive until you are 80. Other than a desire to take part and reasonable health they are few things that should preclude anyone from taking part. For rebreathers this does not hold true. Not everyone is suited to rebreather diving. A greater degree of awareness and discipline is required. It is not difficult it just requires one not be complacent. If one seeds responsibility to the machine it can be fatal. A real example. A diver had been using his FCC rebreather for only a short while. He had become comfortable quickly diving his unit as it was simple and reliable. He decided he was capable to teach others while using the unit. He became sidetracked by his students while preparing to enter the water and never turned his unit on. Hypoxia occurred and he died. The vast majority of accidents on rebreathers are caused by something as simple as not turning on the Oxygen or handsets. Before you purchase a rebreather be prepared to dive it for an extended period before doing the type of dives you used to. ©
This article is not intended to explain how different rebreathers work. If you are considering buying a rebreather you should educate yourself on the different rebreather types and how they work. For a full explanation on rebreather modes use the information guide listed below. Rebreathers have been around for a long time, a lot longer than OC. The idea was first conceived in the 17th Century with the first working system in 1878. A number of different rigs were used in the first and second world wars with units taking on their present design in the 1960’s The difference now is that commercial interests have further fueled their evolution. This has minimized the failure points and made them a viable proposition for the technical/recreational market. At this point, over 7 to 8000 technical and recreational divers are deciding that rebreathers are the tool of choice for their diving. Many more are looking to join the loop but are not sure of which rebreather make or mode they should buy? This article will not tell you what unit to buy but rather what to look for and what to avoid when deciding on a purchase. So why should you listen to my opinion?
I have over 1500 + hours of rebreather time. I first dove a rebreather (LAR V O2 rebreather) in 1987 with the military. Since then, I have purchased 4 different rebreathers, a Cis Lunar, an Inspiration an Atlantis and a Megalodon I have dived at least 8 other rebreathers including the Mk15.5, The Prism (the latest one) Dolphin, BMD, TP2000, CCR500 and others. I am an IANTD rebreather Instructor Trainer for the Cis Lunar and Inspiration. I waited 18 months (on a 3 month promise) after I paid a deposit on the Cis Lunar before delivery. On receipt it didn’t work and I waited another 6 months before it worked properly. I received the Inspiration pretty much on time. I waited 12 months on a 6 week promise for a Megalodon. With Mad Dog Expeditions our technical dive company I have dived and supported rebreather trips around the world, in areas as diverse as the Arctic and Amazon. I have used them for Cave and Wreck diving and dived up to depths of 450ft. Although my rebreather purchasing experience has not always been positive the whole rebreather experience has and nothing could make me give up my closed circuit equipment and dive OC again!
From this experience I have compiled a set of criteria, in no particular order (except for rule 1 which should always be at the top of any rebreather list) to aid in the purchasing of a rebreather.
Rule # 1. Training, Instructors and Diving attitude. There have been a number of fatalities on rebreathers. In most incidences it always came down to diver error. The time to start good habits is with a good instructor. Skilled instructors, providing comprehensive training is important in all facets of diving, but even more so in rebreather diving. If you pay $5.00 for training you get $5.00 worth of training. You pay peanuts you get monkeys! Once you have completed training build experience slowly and never become complacent with your rebreather or your © emergency skills. Consider renting a rebreather for your course. This way you will find out what rebreathers are all about before making the big investment.
Rule # 2. Learn about the different modes and models of rebreathers. What type let alone what model of rebreather is hotly debated? Here is a quick précis of the types. At the bottom of this article there is a list of web sites, videos and books that you can use to further educate yourself on the rebreather specific types and models. There are 4 basic types of rebreather. 1. The Fully Closed rebreather, such as the Inspiration, Cis Lunar, Megalodon, Prism, CCR1000, and MK15 series. (no bubbles electronically controlled) 2. The Kiss rebreather (metering/ manual addition of oxygen and diluent. No bubbles). Kiss rebreather 3. Semi Closed Passive rebreather. Halcyon, Halcyon 80, Odyssey, K3 and BMD, (Occasional venting of bubbles, gas addition keyed to respiratory need) 4.The Semi Closed Active rebreather: Dolphin/Atlantis, Azimuth, Drager Ray (mass flow bubbles every 5 breaths or so.)
I believe there are many well designed rebreathers and none of the models readily available on the market are inherently dangerous. All have points that could be improved and some will suit certain types of diving better than others. Many people find it hard to admit that the unit they paid 1’000’s of dollars for has shortcomings. Regardless of the unit you purchase, I guarantee there will be parts that you would like improved, removed or added.
Rule # 3 What will you use the unit for? Buy a unit suited to the type of diving you are doing now and intend to do in the future. The Dolphin SCC rebreather is a starting point for many people because of the price point (around $2500-3300). This is not a good investment if you ultimately intend to dive beyond 130ft/40M want to dive for more than a couple of hours and enjoy the benefits of a fully closed system. Speak with people who have experience with the different types of rebreather you are looking at and are doing the type of diving you intend to do.
Rule # 4 Get as much information as you can. Some of what you hear will be goodand some poor… so be aware. Individuals who own or teach a particular brand of rebreather will naturally have a bias towards that unit. Take that into account when you absorb that information. Interview your potential mentors. Ask them about their total experience with regards toward rebreathers. Keep in mind that OC teaching experience is not relevant to rebreathers. SCC experience is not really relevant to CC (closed circuit) experience either.
Rule # 5 What is the makeup of the company selling the unit. A number of rebreather manufacturers have come and gone in the last 10 years. Some taking deposits with them into bankruptcy. Cis lunar has stopped making units, although it services them. Biomarine has gone out of business, as did the manufacturers © of the Odyssey (US), BMD (Canadian), UT240 ( US ) K3 (US) and Fieno (Japan). You can’t buy a new Mk 15 series unless you pay Carlton 50K. In some instances, there are cottage industries that service these units and do a good job of it. When you purchase a unit you may want to consider whether the unit is being made by 2 people in a garage, or if there is a company with assets and history behind it. Just because a unit is made in a home shop doesn’t mean it’s bad though! It just means they are far more susceptible to problems in production, maintenance and vagaries of the economy. Ambient Pressure Diving – an entity of AP Valves - (Really its AP Valves with changed names for legal purposes) the manufacturer of the Inspiration is far and away the largest manufacturer of FCC rebreathers, with shipped units numbering around 5,000 worldwide. AP Valves has been around for 30 years and it’s a fair bet they will be around for a while yet. Consider whether the manufacturer will be around in the next 4-5 years?
Rule # 6. Will your unit have a second hand value? You may decide you want to sell your rebreather, to trade up or to take up golf. Either way it would be nice to know you could sell it. Many units have a decent second hand value. A second hand purchase is a good option but buyers beware. Also be aware of the person selling the unit. There have been a number of scams on E Bay. Don’t pay the money until you get the unit.
Rule # 7 How many units have been sold. Find out how many units have been sold and the history of those units in service. Reliability of electronics, reliability of parts, work of breathing, comfort, surface attitude, its buoyancy characteristics, and manufacturing failure points are all considerations. The best test for how these things stand up is for the units to be out there and dived by Joe Public, or Joe Military. If a unit has been dived by a large number of people you will get a better idea of its performance. Unless you are part of a design team for a rebreather it is not a good idea to be a Beta tester for a rebreather company. If you are diving one of the first 20 units produced by a company then in all likelihood you are a guinea pig. From experience it can be incredibly frustrating to wait months for a unit only for it to fail.
Rule # 8 Time your purchase. A general rule of thumb! Anything you buy in the rebreather world takes 3-5 time longer to arrive than the manufacturer promised delivery dates. In my experience, the only exception to this is Ambient pressure Diving. However, even with the most reputable of dealers you may have to wait for months if you buy during the wrong season. Many people buy in spring just prior to the diving season. There are 2 shortcomings in this thinking. First, everyone is doing the same, so you may end up having to wait. Second, you are opening yourself to the temptation of diving beyond your limit. As a bare minimum (for the qualified OC Trimix diver) it is recommended that one does 25-30 hours on one unit with air at depths less than 30m/100ft. The next 25-30 hours with HE to depths less than 180ft/55M. If you buy the unit in the off season, you are giving yourself the time to build experience before the temptation of deeper diving appears.
Rule # 9 $$$ cost and approximate unit numbers. The figures below are in some cases best guess. For exact details call the manufacturer and ask them. Contact info at the bottom of article. Fully Closed rebreathers. © · Inspiration $6,500.00-$7,000. Second hand $4,000- $5,500.00. Units produced 5000+. · Megalodon $6,5000 to $7,500.00. Second hand unlikely. Units produced 20. · Prism $7,800.00 Second hand $5-6,000.00 Units produced 50. · MK15 series. Second hand only. $10,000-12,000.00 Many 1,000’s made for the military since the 60’s though hard to get hold of. · Cis lunar. Second hand only $8,000 to $14,000.00 Units produced 80. · CCR 2000 $15,000.00 according to web site although I believe recently reduced to 10K. Units produced 20-40? Semi Closed Active rebreathers, · Dolphin $3,500.00 Second hand $1,-2,000.00. Units produced 1,000’s
Semi Closed Passive rebreather. Halcyon 80 $8,500 Units produced less than 50. Kiss rebreather.
Rule # 10 running costs, maintenance. Operational expenses are not much more than standard OC with most rebreather. For individuals doing a lot of HE diving it can be considerably cheaper. This is not the case with all rebreathers, the Cis Lunar for example is very expensive to run and maintain. You will also need to factor in the cost of Sofnolime/absorbent, maintenance, batteries, and training. Rebreathers are not something you can afford to be cheap with once you have purchased it. For a FCC course expect to pay around $1,000-$1,5000 for training and do minimum 4-5 day course with at lest 500 minutes of dive time. Always remember! The real issue with rebreathers is not the unit! The real issue is the training you receive, the attitude knowledge and ability of the diver using the unit. In essence you must rely on your self. If you can’t do that don’t buy a rebreather.Here is a list of useful web sites, books and video on rebreathers. Learn as much as you can before purchase. 1. http://www.maddogexpeditions.com 2. www.nwdesigns.com/rebreathers The original rebreather web site. 3.http://www.bishopmuseum.org/research/treks/palautz97/lgrb.html One of the most informed rebreather divers out there is Richard Pyle. His information and advice is some of the very best. 4. www.iantd.com IANTD is the largest and oldest technical agency and teaches nearly all the rebreathers out there. IANTD website is at 5. www.ambientpressurediving.com Inspiration Rebreather site 6. http://www.electricfilm.com Kevin Jurgensen. Site information on MK15 Cis Lunar maintenance and Inspiration additions such as the Hammerhead. 7. www.rebreather.com CCR2000 website © 8. www.steammachines.com Steam Machines Prism rebreather. 9. http://divenet.com/divematics Tracey Robinette. 10 http://www.jetsam.ca/index.php Kiss rebreather web site.
11.www.halcyon.net. Halcyon rebreather web site.
12. http://www.customrebreathers.com Megalodon rebreather web site.
13. http://www.rebreather-azimuth.com/rebreather-engl.html Azimuth rebreather web site. 14. http://www.btinternet.com/~madmole/divemole.htm An excellent site on all things Inspiration. 15. The Simple guide to rebreather diving. Barsky, Thurlow and Ward, Best Publishing. 16. Mastering Rebreathers, Jeffrey E. Bozanic, Best Publishing 17. http://www.rebreather.org.uk/ Web site of Bob Howell. Bob is a very experienced rebreather diver who makes all sorts of high quality additions for rebreathers.
© Copyright: Andrew Driver / Mad Dog Expeditions. |