Rebreather systems

[Scubakraut]

Does anyone here use a rebreather system? I'd like to know more about it and experiences and prices. Thanks.

[woody]

Me thinks you want one.

[woody]

Here is what I have put out there before... Nothing new for those who are reading this again.
Basic Function of a Rebreather
To recycle some or all of the exhaled gas back in to the breathing ‘loop’ which allows the gas to be breathed again, hens Rebreather. As you inhale any gas, your body seeks to pull any available oxygen out of that gas and use it to sustain your life, so you must replenish that used oxygen and that is where the designs differ.

Types of Rebreather Designs
Rebreather design falls into 2 major categories, Semi-Closed Circuit Rebreathers (SCR) and Closed Circuit Rebreathers (CCR).

In a Semi-Closed Circuit Rebreather, as you exhale the expired gas is sent to a Counter-lung (a flexible storage container for your breathing gas). A small portion of that gas is expelled in to the surrounding water via a pneumatic or mechanical process. The volume of gas that is released is replenished with fresh higher O2 content gas to restore the total system volume. So as you breathe in you will metabolize some of the oxygen available in the breathing loop and exhale a lower oxygen content breathed gas. This gets mixed with the fresh higher O2 content gas from the cylinder and sent through a ‘scrubber’ to remove the carbon dioxide. The result will be an increase in the overall Oxygen concentration in the breathing gas from what was exhaled.

In Closed Circuit Rebreathers the functions are relative the same but carried out in different manners. The first is that you have 2 cylinders with different gasses in them. First is the ‘Diluents’ cylinder, this cylinder contains your breathing gas of choice, Air for nitrogen based diving or Trimix for Helium/Nitrogen diving. The second cylinder contains pure oxygen. Regardless of the unit or gas you are breathing the body functions the same, you breathe a gas in and exhale a gas of lower oxygen concentration out with increased levels of carbon dioxide. Your metabolized oxygen must still be replenished back in the breathing loop, but instead of adding a gas mixture of inert gasses and oxygen to compensate for the used O2, Pure Oxygen is added to replace just what was used. Since the volume of the breathing system it returned to where it started and not any larger there are no bubbles from every breath.

Originally Posted by Scubakraut

I'd like to know more about it and experiences and prices. Thanks.

They are an excellent TOOL. You really have to have a need in order to justify the expense and additional risk for rebreather diving.
As far as experience, you will have to relearn buoyancy again. As far as silence goes you will hear different noises, gasses moving through the breathing loop and injectors activating and occasionally gas venting out of the system. Work or breathing will increase compared to performance tuned regulator.


Prices
SCR
Used $1,000.00-$3,000.00 USD
New $3,500.00 - $5,300.00 USD

CCR
Used $5,000.00 - $7,000.00
New $7,000.00 - $12,000.00 (Up to 20,000)

Thanks,
Woody

[cheebaweebie]

I think I read a huge article on them in a recent scuba diving magazine also... Google search them... but Woody has the prices right... ouch... and the $ of the additional training must be alot as well.

[terrillja]

Originally Posted by cheebaweebie

the additional training must be alot as well.

Northeast Scuba charges 1250 plus consumables, plus 500 for the rebreather rental. This includes 3-5 lectures, pool classes, and up to 8 open water dives. They teach your choice of: Inspiration, Evolution, Optima, Megaladon, KISS rebreathers.

A bit too much for me.

[in_cavediver]

Originally Posted by terrillja

Northeast Scuba charges 1250 plus consumables, plus 500 for the rebreather rental. This includes 3-5 lectures, pool classes, and up to 8 open water dives. They teach your choice of: Inspiration, Evolution, Optima, Megaladon, KISS rebreathers.

A bit too much for me.

Its a tool. There are days that have me longing for the RB. Tanks are heavy and when it takes a couple trips to haul the tanks you plan to use, its time to think about the RB. I seriously doubt any rec diver would see the benefit of the full CCR rig. SCR yes, CCR probably not.

[medicdiver]

Thanks for all the valuable info on this. I would love to move into a Rebreather in the future.

[Scubastud16]

Check out Drager Dolphins. Great little SCR for recreational diving. I've been on one in a pool.

I'll do mCCR or eCCR one day.

Danny

[coyote]

Expensive, but not overly so. 10k would buy a nice fishing boat or a motorcycle. Or maybe a decent used camper. It all depends on how you look at things.

[in_cavediver]

Originally Posted by coyote

Expensive, but not overly so. 10k would buy a nice fishing boat or a motorcycle. Or maybe a decent used camper. It all depends on how you look at things.

And look at like this, if you want to dive trimix or have gas availability issues, a CCR is cost competive to a lot of trimix or a small compressor.