Craigslist, Scuba Rebreather

Been a while since I came across one.

https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/spo/d/indianapolis-used-scuba-equipment-with/7317699618.html

 

And...??

 

Your not going to buy that are you, do you have intimate knowledge of rebreathers. Looks like it's been listed for a month.

 

It's tacticool, you can play Navy Seal when you don that shyte in your pool.

 

Possible issues??

 

The only thing worse than diving a "Death Box" is diving a used, sketchy CL "Death Box".



Maybe i can get him down to $750....

 

Yeah issues like buying a used rebreather on craigslist, and risking your life.

 

If you are certified for and intimately familiar with rebreathers and have a source of parts and money/time to piss away then go for it.
20 yrs ago I helped a friend rebuild a now probably 50 yr old IDA71 Russian oxygen rebreather into a 3 computer trimix rebreather, then helped him pool test and ocean test it as one of his open circuit safety divers. It worked fine to 250' and we all lived.
Net lesson was that buying new was likely cheaper and safer given the amount of time we spent making new parts and sourcing replacement parts and the uncertainty of the condition of the existing parts.

 

Our dive club had a speaker on rebreathers, even new ones have problems, like flooding. I have done quite lot of boat dives, channel islands Mexico ect. Not once have I seen one of these contraptions in use, it is a very specialized piece of equipment.

 

Please bring your GoPro first dive

 

LMAO, the post didn't disappoint.

Long ago decide deep diving wasn't for me. The view was cold and dark not to mention the scenery sucked.
I did one deep dive after my certification decades ago, saturation divers are crazy.

 

My buddy Pete Readey (who I enticed into racing WERA for about a year) made a career out of designing and marketing his own rebreather. When I saw the CL ad in this thread I texted him to ask if that was one of his. He said it's not. Obviously he was aware of this brand. In his words that one compared to the one he designed like a bicycle compares to a motorcycle.

He sold the marketing rights a few years ago and is engineering other cool stuff now.

 

Just because I'm curious, what's so unique about this type of equipment, versus I suppose "normal" scuba gear? I don't know jack shit about diving so I'm just curious.

 

Google is your friend.

 

Rebreathers basically recycle your exhaled breath and scrub it so it can be “rebreathed”. The stored gas you breath is not a large volume, you depend on the rebreather to make enough for you. It’s a closed circuit. Regular scuba when you exhale it just goes out the regulator and is gone forever to you. The stored gas (in your tank) is theoretically enough to supply your dive completely plus some safety. It’s an open circuit.

 

A rebreather also uses a counterlung to make it possible to breathe in deeper environments. Also the air you're breathing with a rebreather is "warm and moist," not cold and dry as with conventional scuba equipment. Makes a huge difference in comfort over a long dive. Finally, since a rebreather just keeps recirculating the same air there are no telltale bubbles floating to the surface in case you're trying to sneak up on an enemy ship or a boat full of topless cuties sunbathing. Priorititties.

 

And should the outside water find it's way into the loop and hence to the chemical scrubber you can find yourself with a mouth and lungs full of caustic soda.

 

I used to be in underground coal mining and was on a mine rescue team. We used Biomarine rebreathers. Pretty cool equipment. If you were in shape you could make it 4 hrs on a 1 liter O2 bottle
But the CO2 scrubber would get hot to breathe after an hour.

 

It always bothered me that my U.S.Divers regulator had a lifetime warranty.

 

Lol.

Similar to parachutes. If it fails to open, bring it back for new one...no cost.