Broke even CCR vs OC fills costs!

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gotta say ive been diving rebreathers since 1997 (as a civilian ) and like to see the math too at 8 bucks a fill vs 5-8 k on a breather plus at least 1 k on training .......
Start diving to 300' and the training for that depth is still 2-3k on OC, but the fills are now $100-200, not $8
 
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The pro's and con's of rebreathers are a whole another discussion but if we really want to go down that road, the real deciding factor for me was "do i need one?"
And the answer for me was..."yes"
 
The pro's and con's of rebreathers are a whole another discussion but if we really want to go down that road, the real deciding factor for me was "do i need one?"

For me the answer is: not yet, let's see in a couple of years.
 
I do dive to that depth (I backed off my personal depth to max 250 now ) I also blend my own gas so I know full well what it costs, and for the record I have multiple ccr /scr breathers (and instruct on them ), I wasn't saying all the costs are that (8 bucks etc ) just that it takes mosy people years NOT months to recoup the cost of ccr ,........ and they do have their place. I just question the op time line that's all
 
depends how often, how deep, and how long you dive. I tec dive every weekend, generally 2.5+ hour dives deeper than 200ft. I amortized my CCR pretty quickly.
 
Congratulations Cameron!

Yes it does! Go ahead and buy a new unit. Oh yeah, and can I have your old one? :D

I did...another prism topaz, currently cached in Cozumel!

Another year on the loop, cost savings forgotton. It's hands down cheaper for ongoing operation after the initial costs were amortized in the first years.

I still dive a mix of OC and CCR. I enjoy the simplicity of OC diving for dives that don't "need" a rebreather.

Loving a CCR as a tool for quiet, depth or duration. It's changed my understanding of the freshwater critters I grew up with and redefined what a long or deep dive looked like.

But yes, feels good that I'm not rapidly burning money to do the dives I enjoy.

Cameron
 
My break even costs have never been calculated and I don't really care about those...

I could not do the dives I wanted to do on OC anymore. 2x 200ft dives per day for a week in Lake Huron? No wasn't happening without a CCR. The nearest dive shop with trimix is in Detroit, 3 hrs away. The charter could "sort of" support an OC diver - like one. But a 6-pack full of them? No wasn't happening, she can fill the boat with CCR divers who pay just as much and use less fuel (a CCR plus 2 BO al80s is a lot less weight than 2 sets of doubles and deco bottles per diver) and doesn't even want to bother with OC trimix divers.

Cave diving a week in Northern Vancouver Island? Nearest compressor is 2+ hours away at a fire station, they have air, and a yoke valve adapter... Trimix? No wasn't happening. Bringing my own compressor, helium, and OC tanks? Yes I did it a few years. Yes I had to replace the springs in my truck for over $500. The wear and tear on my truck and me from hauling OC tanks through the bush for what I'd call short (2hr) cave dives was brutal.

I might have broken even at about 200 CCR hours in 4 years, but that wasn't my purpose from the outset.
 
For the people who have spent 100+ hours on a rebreather, they just get it, and it makes sense. And you’ll never change their mind (provided it’s not a crappy rEvo or something like that)

If you haven’t done it, you won’t understand. But scootering mostly silently next to a giant manta for an hour, or being in a cave and not worrying about a time limit, or having fish come up to you to see what you are, the silence of it all.... you either get it or you don’t.

Honestly, I’m not sure what the cost would have to be for me not to be diving a CCR, it’s that good. 15k-20k? More? But I do remember absolutely hating the first 27 hours. I just barely tolerated the first 1000 (but then I sold the rEvo and bought an optima :) )
 
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

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