Category Archives: rebreather

“Do you need a rebreather?”

Of course I do. Shut up already and take my money!

Jokes aside, going closed is a big decision, with ramifications that are not obvious at the time the decision is made. As a result, quite a few folks who take the training and maybe even buy a unit end up reverting to open circuit, thousands of [insert currency unit] in the hole.

To avoid such frustration, it is worth doing some research into the actual prerequisites, beyond mere agency standards, for making the transition to closed circuit a rewarding endeavor.

For this article in Alert Diver, I interviewed six renowned and prolific instructors to learn what it takes to become – and remain – a CCR diver.

Rebreather operating costs – a closer look

The high price and limited availability of helium have made rebreathers pretty much a must have piece of equipment for frequent trimix divers. However, just because you’re saving a lot on gas doesn’t mean rebreather diving is cheap – those gas savings come with a price tag, and whether that price tag is worth it very much depends on how much you actually dive.

Check out my latest piece for the Alert Diver blog for my take on the matter.

Mixed-Team Diving: Rebreathers and Open Circuit

Inspired by a talk by Mauritius Valente Bell at RF4 in Malta, my latest piece for Alert Diver deals with diving in mixed teams of open and closed-circuit divers.

While Mauritius’ presentation focused mainly on the perspective of rebreather divers, my piece is addressed to an audience of experienced recreational and open-circuit technical divers. Check it out to learn how the dark side ticks.

When Easy Doesn’t Do It – a deep dive into bailout rebreathers

The work for my first article for GUE’s InDepth magazine put me in touch with some absolute legends of cave exploration, past and present. This piece is a bit on the technical side, but if you have half as much fun reading it as I had during the research and writing, then I’m happy. I’m sure pretty damn proud of it.
https://gue.com/blog/dual-rebreathers-in-extended-range-cave-diving/