Noobish Question for Rebreather Users!

[DiveTub]

Sorry for posting this, but I always wondered, do Rebreathers have anything like a conventional Octo on them? I've seen the twin-hose rebreathers with a backup mouthpiece attached to a necklace type item, but if your buddy is in trouble do you have an AAS you can easily give to them? Just curious - trouble is I don't know anyone who dives a CCR!

Thanks in advance!

The diluent cylinder for the Rebreather is normally 3 to 5lt, and no where near enough gas if you need to breath off it in the event of a catastrophic faliure of the Rebreather or buddys gas supply.

So the rebreather diver should be carrying a redundant supply, usually in the form of a slung scuba tank with a OC regulator that has enough gas to get them or their buddy out of the **** when it hits the fan.

Here we see Craig showing an example of a CCR diver with slung OC bailout.

Cheers
Chriso

 

[Diver0001]

Please step off your haughty horse. Let the SME's (subject matter experts) state their perspectives without editorializing, or interpreting learner needs.

X

Well.... I would be the last person to try stopping you from stating your case. In fact, you stated your case..... I just commented that I didn't understand it and that I didn't suspect that a newly certified diver woud either. I'm sorry if you think I'm stepping on your dick for that.

As for what I wrote, if you have some objection to make on content, please make it.

R..

 

[DiveTub]

This is the way it's done on the RB80 utilizing DIR Principles (close to what you're describing): http://www.chaglandproductions.com/rb80_oog.htm

So good to see the "DIR Principles" breaking the most basic rule of Scuba Diving :shakehead

Cheers
Chriso

 

[caveseeker7]

May I ?

However, rebreather divers need

I object to people who don't dive rebreathers telling me what I need.
And while you're giving me advice here ...

... a bailout both for themselves and for their buddy ...

... may I ask how you justify that I as a RB diver am supposed to carry my bailout and that of the buddy? I'm his buddy, not his nanny. I do carry my own bailout, but I expect my buddy, OC, SC or CC, to do the same.

 

[Diver0001]

I do carry my own bailout, but I expect my buddy, OC, SC or CC, to do the same.

I guess I've hit a sensitive string here... I didn't realize that this was such an item with RB divers....

Personally, I've never gone down with a RB diver who refused to to cooperate on the gas plan (bailout scenarios for self/buddy) but I guess that it's possible that some divers adhere to an "every diver for themselves" philosophy. It certainly wouldn't be my fist choice for how to coordinate things but I guess it can happen.... I'm not sure this is the example, that the OP needs on this topic, however. As far as I know, OC and RB divers can get along just fine. I don't see any need for hostility.

R..

 

[Warren_L]

Personally, I've never gone down with a RB diver who refused to to cooperate on the gas plan (bailout scenarios for self/buddy) but I guess that it's possible that some divers adhere to an "every diver for themselves" philosophy. It certainly wouldn't be my fist choice for how to coordinate things but I guess it can happen.... I'm not sure this is the example, that the OP needs on this topic, however. As far as I know, OC and RB divers can get along just fine. I don't see any need for hostility.

R..

I don't think it's a matter of getting along, really, it's a matter of understanding how gas planning is done for both OC and CC. I dive both OC and RB regularly and I seem to get along with myself just fine.

But as an RB diver it's not the "every diver for himself" philosophy as you state. As I mentioned, I carry enough bailout gas for myself to make it to the surface from the furthest point in my dive. But if I am diving with OC buddy while I am on RB (not too common for me these days) I plan sufficient for either one of us to make it to the surface, not for both (i.e. whichever one, OC or CC, requires more, that is the one we plan for - as it is usually the OC buddy). As in a team of RB divers, all bailout gas is shared for the team, so the every man for himself situation kicks in if say, in a team of three RB divers, all RB divers experience problems and must bail out. As well, all at the same time. The chances of this happening are fairly remote, but we still plan for it. More typically, if only one or perhaps even two RB divers in the team must bail out, there is still more than sufficient gas amongst the team to do so safely.

 

[DiveTub]

=Diver0001
Personally, I've never gone down with a RB diver R..

Ohh you don't know what you are missing :11:

Cheers
Chriso

 

[wedivebc]

If I may add some clarity here:

off-loop sanity check of the gas that is circulating in the loop. With a buddy you would hand off your slung bailout bottle.

The loop is the closed circuit part of the RB that contains usually a safe breathing mix but because the oxygen and CO2 content is always in flux it may contain a not so safe mixture. We call breathing a known safe gas as in breathing off bailout open circuit, a "Sanity Breath"

...unless you subscribe to the 'Alpinist' philosophy.

Apparently refrerring to mountain climbers not using belaying (safety) line

When CCR divers are diving as a buddy team everyone carries their own bailout and backup gasses, no one is responsible for anyone but themselves.

That is one way but many technical rebreather divers use a team bailout strategy where each member of the team carries a portion of the gas required for any individual to complete bailout.

OK so lets just try to get along ?

 

[caveseeker7]

I guess I've hit a sensitive string here... I didn't realize that this was such an item with RB divers....

I don't see any need for hostility.

No animosity or hostility here. Initially you stated that the RB diver needs to carry the bailout for himself as well as the buddy, all I did was ask how you reason that. There was no mention of team bailout where, by definition, bailout gases are carried by both and shared. That's quite a difference, and when diving as a team quite common.

Having done the majority of my diving off SoCal cattle boats, I've been "paired" with divers in the past that I didn't know. And have set out put dives when I had the feeling (or knowledge) it would be the wrong person to dive with.

IMHO you can only be a useful buddy if you're capable of helping yourself when things go bad. Having a redundant gas source is that part of that, just having an Octo just doesn't seem sufficient to me. Hence my statement that it doesn't matter if one dives CC, SC or OC, one should bring an alternate breathing system.

I have yet to dive profiles that don't allow me to carry all my bailout, once I get to that point the number of people I dive with will go drastically down. Until then it seems to be a fair request to ask OC divers to bring along a pony tank if I do the same. And yes, I will share my bailout if need be, I just don't like the idea of having to haul around bailout for two and babysit other divers. Which you have to do with OC divers as an OOG situation usually translates into two or three breaths and your SOL.

On a rebreather, having to bailout only happens during a catastrophic loop failure which is extremly rare. When either out of O2 or dil there are usually other options one has while still being on the loop and at least utilizing the RB to some extend.

 

[Diver0001]

No animosity or hostility here. Initially you stated that the RB diver needs to carry the bailout for himself as well as the buddy, all I did was ask how you reason that. There was no mention of team bailout where, by definition, bailout gases are carried by both and shared. That's quite a difference, and when diving as a team quite common.
...

Fair enough. I gather I wasn't clear enough about what I meant. It sounds like we're on the same line but you explained it more clearly than I did.

R..