Scary ain't it? I could not myself see teaching any kind of SCCR or CCR with less than 100 hours on it. Let me get on one regularly and that might change to 200!
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A dive instructor who teaches one brand of rebreather is like a carpenter who only has a 16 oz. framing hammer. If you want to frame a barn, you're golden, and posses the proper tool for the job. If you want to build cabinets, you need to expand your toolbox. I don't think a KISS is always the proper tool for the job.
Do you?
At DEMA this year I was encouraged to give up the idea of teach open water recreational Sidemount course that one of our branches has in development for one agency I cert through and try to focus on getting people into "recreational" rebreathers. Sidemount I was told point blank in front of several other instructors was "too technical".
But if I were to just get instructor certified on the Poseidon MkVI I could increase my revenue stream, RENT the units out by the day, and get people into them quickly. Now I understand that this was coming from the guy who wrote our instructor course for it, but Jesus. I looked briefly into what this would entail and wow, just to get one unit for myself is going run 5-6 grand, then the training, then logging the hours I would want to have before even thinking of teaching it, and it just seemed ridiculous.
Now in some areas it may make sense. But not for me and that's just on one unit. Getting certed to dive multiple units, log the hours, and then go through the process of getting certed to teach them makes little sense in my current location and life status in general. I have only been on one unit. An AP systems for a try dive. After the first of the year I'm scheduled to try a Hollis. Maybe if I had the kind of income to justify even owning one I'd think about teaching it. But I simply don't and don't foresee that happening.
I don't really agree that you get impartiality from an instructor (or salesman) that represents one brand or type. Your own comments reinforce that, Rob, when you say things like KISS rebreathers are the best or most robust or safest.
As someone who has looked into the world of rebreathers with curiosity, I think one of the biggest challenges for someone who wants to make that transition is, "Which unit is the best -- or at least the best for me?" It's hard for a non-RB diver to know what questions to ask, or to evaluate the answers. An instructor who only teaches on one unit cannot be depended upon to know a great deal about other units, and clearly has a bias, whether well-grounded or not will depend on the person.
But based on Frank's post it seems like if you went to Add Helium you'd be almost guaranteed to walk out the door with a Revo.