Is it worth the risks? To me, yes, it is because my plans are to use my unit in cave diving (also risky). My take on it is,.... if someone has been well & thoroughly trained & stick to their training,... the risks, though there, are minimized. When diving a rebreather, you MUST pay attention to what the machine is doing & how your body is feeling. I was very fortunate in my training because it took me 10 months after I received my unit until I completed my MOD1 course (equivalent of OW). I got my unit in late Nov. After my instructor went through assembling the unit, I went & assembled it a dozen or so times (by check lists) before I even got it in the pool. I then spent the winter & spring putting it in the pool & learning how it worked, working on my buoyancy (totally different) & the little nuances of rebreather diving. I had over 40 hrs on the unit before I even got to Open Water. In June, my instructor & I started going to the local quarry to do the Open Water portion. We worked on skills & just getting familiar with depth changes & such through early Oct. After completing the course, I did a couple dives on it, before it became too cold to effectively dive, so back to the pool I went for the winter. My training was slow & VERY thorough, since I teach & work at my LDS, so my instructor constantly drilled me on formulas, problems, troubleshooting & procedures & he still does. This past spring & summer, I dove it every opportunity I got (just for fun or after teaching OW dives) & even took the unit to Bonaire & dove it, until the head flooded & the salt water fried the electronics. Once I got back, I was offered a fantastic deal on a newer unit with the Can Bus electronics, so I jumped at it. My take on the risks is the same as those in my technical diving- If I'm going to dive it, I am going to have my head in the game & be prepared. I will not be rushed in my preparations. It is not worth it. The water is not going anywhere.
