Folly cove on RB

[JohnL]

Very cool... Opens up all kinds of possibilities. You could always do Folly to Lanes Cove or Cathedral to Back beach No worries about having lobstermen drop bricks on you as you have no bubbles is also a huge plus.

I do hate hearing how they are easy enough to use beach diving too...makes it harder to fight the urge to get one!

 

[almity1]

Congrats. Need more RB guys there.

Yes Congrats, we need more RB Guys everywhere.

In my case, when I am not teaching I am on the RB.

The main reason why I got the RB was for the photography (for the silence and ability to dive longer), whether it is from the beach, off rocks or off a boat.

Here in Sydney we are very lucky, you do not have to rely on a boat we can dive off the shore. The depth varies from 3m to 30m, with 10m being the average.

I am slowly getting the name "Rock Hopper" because it looks like I am the only RB diver jumping from the shore with an RB, I know a few more who are Rock Hoppers but they are not in Sydney, one being a biologist - scientist, who uses his RB (A Sports KISS) for research and photography and never dives past 30m.

The RB has proven more than once that for Photographic Based Diving it is indeed an asset.

Each to their own and horses for courses but the setting up of the RB is terms of time is half an hour as opposed to OC and in my case much more convenient.

When I was looking at the Optima as an option for my RB purchase I found the EAC had both Pros and Cons.

The Pros included, no Caustic Cocktail
The Cons included the price.

If and when you buy a RB regardless of make or brand, my advice will be DIVE IT!!!!!!!!

 

[edasque]

No going back to OC when you have a rebreather, no matter what brand. Most work for most use anyway. The only OC you should do is when you regularly practice bailout !

 

[Mr.X]

No going back to OC when you have a rebreather, no matter what brand. Most work for most use anyway. The only OC you should do is when you regularly practice bailout !

I will add that there is a romance period with an RB. When everything works they are terrific. When things go a tad funny (this happens a lot) they can be a pain in the butt. These days for a job under 100 feet I use OC. Anything deeper is all RB.

On a quick note I will add that my last go around took a cumulative 8 + hours with the Meg.

1. Changed frames to Narked at 90 stand. Small bolts....had to get stainless ones. Took a while to source. A few hours here and there.
2. Bad cells right out of the bag ...had to order new cells. Call up and wait.
3. Bad connection...troubleshoot and reconnect Molex - 3 hours + ordering
4. Low battery on handsets because of time & troubleshooting - hours, make up a set or order new ones. Not a big deal on a Hammerhead which is great!
5. Clean up rust off "stainless steel" bands - 1/2 an hour + fill tanks
6. Drive to location...hours in stuck traffic - 8 hours


X

p.s. on another note I bet you could dive at the harbor at Bearskin Neck without anyone noticing a bubble. How much fun would that be? I bet there are some interesting things at the bottom?

 

[SFLDiver3445]

I will add that there is a romance period with an RB. When everything works they are terrific. When things go a tad funny (this happens a lot) they can be a pain in the butt. These days for a job under 100 feet I use OC. Anything deeper is all RB.

On a quick note I will add that my last go around took a cumulative 8 + hours with the Meg.

I know what you mean about things taking time to troubleshoot and repair your rebreather. Personally, I am very fortunate to live only a few miles away from fill Express (a.k.a. Dive Rite Express & Rebreather Express - Rebreathers and Accessories. Full Warranties. Free Shipping.) which have every conceivable part I could ever need for my Dive Rite Optima in stock. They are also very good about helping me make any needed repairs asap. If it were not for my proximity to them, I might view the use of my rebreather differently.

Consequently, especially since I only have 20+ hours on my Optima and still working on gaining experience, I try to exclusively dive my rebreather. Yes, it can be burdensome dealing with all of the required extra effort, before and after the dive, but it all becomes worth it when I'm silently flying the unit underwater in our warm and beautiful South Florida waters!

 

[Mr.X]

I know what you mean about things taking time to troubleshoot and repair your rebreather. Personally, I am very fortunate to live only a few miles away from fill Express (a.k.a. Dive Rite Express & Rebreather Express - Rebreathers and Accessories. Full Warranties. Free Shipping.) which have every conceivable part I could ever need for my Dive Rite Optima in stock. They are also very good about helping me make any needed repairs asap. If it were not for my proximity to them, I might view the use of my rebreather differently.

Consequently, especially since I only have 20+ hours on my Optima and still working on gaining experience, I try to exclusively dive my rebreather. Yes, it can be burdensome dealing with all of the required extra effort, before and after the dive, but it all becomes worth it when I'm silently flying the unit underwater in our warm and beautiful South Florida waters!

I hate you! LOL! Have visited Fill Express for some of my tech trips down South - boy are they ever helpful anf fully stocked. Also, the warm waters of Fla. are really something. Cheers! Around the NE it's a bit more cumbersome.

I came into the RB game in the 90's. RB's at the time were just starting to show up and had teething issues. Chief among them - the Cis Lunar. Nice piece of kit, prone to all sorts of funny things. The Insp. was relatively solid with the exception of leaking handsets. The Prism - slow production. You had to wait years to get one. The current generation of RB's certainly have improved in terms of reliability., I'll be interested to see how the Third Generation of Hammerheads prove in terms of extended reliability.

X

 

[scubamarkp]

Hey Edasque

I love Folly's Cove. You can have great viz and the bugs are good size also. I was lucky enough last year to find an anchor of the left hand out around the corner. It has been dated to the 1800's and is good shape. I would love to do some more diving of there to see if there is anything else.

I am certified in a Dolphin Rebreather, but have not found one yet for a good price.

Mark

 

[edasque]

saw two on sale at: Two Dolphins SCR for sale - Rebreather World Forums

 

[scubamarkp]

saw two on sale at: Two Dolphins SCR for sale - Rebreather World Forums

Hi Edasque

Thank you for the info on the Dolphin Rebreathers. I dove PTown this weekend looking for bottles.

Found one Pepper Sauce bottle.

Mark