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On Friday, Dennis Pierce Wrote... >thirty five years ago (or so) rebreathers hit the market, do the lack of >proper training and unresponsible divers they quickly got "bad press" >and even now are struggling in their return... *that* is a damn shame. While I would believe that most of us feel for the sport of diving, and agree with your concerns, I also believe that THIS forum is exactly the place where ANY topic of technical nature should be discussed. We can't spend all our time worrying about who sees it, because they will hear it somewhere anyway, or, worse yet, dream it up for themselves. ***I'll prepare 2 good posts to throw around some ideas*** As far as rebreathers getting bad press....I would really find it hard to believe that simply because of a couple of rebreather deaths, that rebreathers faded from the market in general... It PROBABLY goes something more like this... Rebreathers were involved in the deaths of a few divers, some trained, some not. It was decided by the companies that there was significant danger in the use of the equipment, with the existing technology, and should therefore be slowed to small scale until reliable and safer designs could be produced. Rebreather manufacturing probably took a down turn until some technology came out to make it worth the while for the consumer (i.e.deep). Now that the consumer desires deeper, the consumer WANTS them, so they are around. It is a supply and demand thing.....more divers = more deep divers = more need for rebreathers. If there is an EXTRA liability issue with the rebreathers, it is probably based more on OPINION of the insurers than the deaths of people years ago, as the general public is extremely STUPID about diving and equipment in general. They view it as High tech equipment to go really deep (which it is), while we see it as a SAFER way to do special dives, where SCUBA may not be as "safe". It is all a viewpoint issue, which will dissolve itself if these rebreathers ever get into full scale use in the United States. Technology WILL be the difference and here in the U.S. we are constantly trying to make things better. SOOOOOO...(sorry so long) If mix becomes regulated, that will be very bad for the sport, but don't think that people dying here and there will cause that quickly, because with the advent of Tech. diving TRAINING, you always have the crutch of "well, he wasn't properly trained", and I'm sure than the untrained would understand if this was explained to them. I myself would be viewed as completely untrained (In TECH., that is) by some, but I also feel that I have ingested a significant amount of knowledge.....MORE SO THAT WOULD SAVE MY LIFE DOING MY TYPE OF DIVES THAN WOULD _CAUSE_ MY DEATH. We have to leave some room in there for the divers who simply for the lack of AVAILIBILITY have not become trained BY AN INSTRUCTOR, but HAVE taken the time to prepare their equipment, AND secure the available knowledge....that is what this forum is for. I have been trying for a while now to get a NITROX instructor course, but until recently through John Crea, have found it almost impossible to get one. There ARE those people wwho are capable of special types of Tech diving, even though they hold no card, ALTHOUGH they had better take the diving VERY seriously and do it VERY actively. I dive 250-350 dives per year minimum, but hey, if you're not doing 75 dives per year, don't dive deep with me. THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY FACTORS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT. I gotta stop this post before it take EVERYONES day....more later. P.S. Dennis, I liked your last message, and hey, I can tell you're down to earth about this stuff too...just watching out for the new diver, and the DANGEROUS diver. P.S. to everyone... If you're reading this forum because you're "newly certified" and are interested in technical diving...Start by pushing your limits THOROUGHLY so that 130 fsw is an EASY dive....then find someone who'll go with you if you do more....but take your time, please. EXPERIENCE SAVES LIVES. Sorry so long. Tim Olson "You are NOT responsible for ME....I AM" ----------^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ God I love that line.
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