On  Monday, June 30, 2003 2:01 AM, Lee Bell wrote:
(snip)
> > There are obvious situations when their use is invaluable, but in the
> main -
> > with the exception of longer dive times - their disadvantages far
outweigh
> > their advantages.

> This is more opinion than fact.

No!  It's fact!  :-)

> I happen to agree with you, but there are
> lots who don't, just as there are many that use an Inspiration safely and
> successfully.  Personally, I'm not the kind of diver likely to follow all
> necessary procedures before, after or during every dive.  For me, and
those
> like me, a rebreather could easily prove deadly . . . as they have for
> several recreational divers over the last few years.  One's ability and
> willingness to do it right, every time, seems to be the key to using one
> safely.

Which machines have you dived?  :-)

> > All too often it's forgotten that rebreathers pre-dated open-circuit
> > equipment - and were it not for the fact that, for a lengthy period of
> time,
> > their use was denied to the recreational diving community there would
> > probably still be limited interest in their use.  :-)

> Perhaps.  Personally, I think that the development of rebreathers for deep
> diving, using mixed gases that allow deep, long dives, was a much more
> significant factor.  I don't recall that there was ever a time when I
could
> not access a rebreather, but when one believes it can't be used safely
below
> 20 feet, what's the point?

Had you been able to acess an O2 rebreather 10 -, 20 or more years ago then
you'd have thought that 33 feet was OK!  :-)

>It's much different when it can be used for an
> extended dive to 300 feet or more.

I never said that it wasn't!

Strike