Why Rebreathers?

Rebreathers are awesome tools for exploring the underwater world. They have unique benefits and unique risks compared to traditional open circuit scuba equipment. From a diving perspective, the primary benefits of rebreathers are:

1. Extended Dive Times: Rebreathers recycle the gas you breathe out, removing carbon dioxide and replenishing oxygen. This efficient gas management allows for significantly longer dive times compared to traditional scuba.
2. Reduced Gas Consumption: Rebreathers use gas more efficiently, as they prescriptively add gases and recycle the gas you exhale. Rebreathers use a fraction of the gas that you’d use on a traditional open circuit dive.
3. Mix Control: Rebreathers perscriptively add oxygen and diluent to achieve a specific partial pressure of oxygen in the breathing loop at all depths. It’s like blending your custom nitrox for the whole dive. This gives us the ability to do fixed partial pressure of oxygen (PO2) diving, instead of fixed fraction of oxygen (FO2) diving.

On the fun side – Rebreathers offer a bubble-free experience which increases wildlife interaction and is a great option for photographers trying to get shots close up. They also have warm, moist gas so you don’t get the cold dry gas of open circuit scuba.

Cave Diver at Devil’s system in FL

Rebreathers also have unique risks when compared to open circuit. Your risk of hyperoxia, hypoxia, and hypercapnia are all increased on a rebreather. You have added risks like chemical injuries from wet scrubber. We mitigate these risks with training and procedures, but in general, there is more risk on a CCR than on open circuit and you should only dive a rebreather when the reward outweighs the added risk.

It’s important to note that while rebreathers offer many advantages, they also require specialized training and maintenance. Proper training and adherence to safety protocols are crucial for safe and enjoyable rebreather diving. Additionally, they are not suited for all types of diving, and the choice between rebreathers and open circuit scuba depends on the diver’s specific goals and preferences.

When it comes to selecting a rebreather, the Dive Rite O2ptima CM is plug-and-play with your existing open circuit configuration. If you’re interested in trying a rebreather or signing up for a course, contact me for opportunities.