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> As for rebreathers, well...that's a totally different beast. I'm not sure
> that anyone right now has the best answer for `How to train on a
> rebreather?'.

I suspect the USN has the best and most insightful answer to that one.  
The German military might be just as qualified.  Not many others yet...

> I'd be willing to bet that becoming a safe and proficient
> rebreather diver is going to involve more than what most think is
> sufficient now.

That's an understatement.  However, I am becoming increasingly convinced 
that tons of experience on open-circuit scuba is not necessarily a 
beneficial prerequisite to rebreather diving.  In fact, such experience 
may be harmful in 1) providing undue overconfidence, and 2) establishing 
habits which need to be deprogrammed.

While it is true that the amount of training required by a non-diver to 
become a qualified rebreather diver is much greater than the amount of 
training for a non-diver to become a qualified (not certified) scuba 
diver; it is NOT necessarily true that the amount of training required by 
a non-diver to become a qualified rebreather diver is much greater than 
the amount of training required by an experience trimix diver to become a 
qualified rebreather diver.

Some of the qualities a prospective rebreather diver should have are:

1) Enormous discipline
2) Humility
3) Solid comprehension of gas physics
4) More discipline
5) Patience
6) Good mechanical abilities (and brain)
7) Yet more discipline

I'd be very interested if any of the other rebreather divers on this list 
have different viewpoints.

Aloha,
Rich

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