8 replies to this topic

[Scubatooth]

PPM

stirring the dark side pot are we? I know i want to go to the darkside but not in the cards till im back in the water and able to get back to tech diving. Once i do crossover locally Ill be up for some silent diving, the longer the better.

Well I know the Spree in Key West is CCR friendly, as well as conch republic divers. Then in Florida it might be a good idea to contact ScubaDadMiami for operators.

[peterbj7]

Down here in Belize my dive center Protech was very CCR friendly, and we had four Inspirations and one Megalodon for rental to suitable qualified divers. We also offered tuition on them. Sadly that all stopped when my erstwhile partner stole all bar one of the rebreathers, plus all four VR3 computers I had. I still have Inspiration tanks (steel 3 ltr) for rental, and can get Sofnalime, oxygen sensors and batteries.

On the next island down Belize Diving Services is CCR-friendly, though I don't think he has rental units and I know he isn't remotely as well equipped as Protech was. The truth is that there is nowhere near enough business here to support an elaborate operation.

[Scubatooth]

Peter - have those units been reported to the manufactures as stolen so the serial numbers can be logged if they ever surface again?

[scubaski]

DiveTech, Grand Cayman very ccr friendly. Will provide everything.

http://www.divetech.com/

[peterbj7]

Peter - have those units been reported to the manufactures as stolen so the serial numbers can be logged if they ever surface again?

Oh yes. Except for the Meg, as the guy who stole it was a pal of theirs and they refused to recognise it as stolen.

[shadragon]

Triangle Diving in Bermuda is re-breather friendly. The majority of shop staff have one and are encouraging technical diving in the area. As the only shop on the island that offers NITROX and the other "voodoo" gases they are a great place to talk too. I have met cave, tech, safety divers in the shop there and they are trying to expand more into that realm to the point where they can offer tech-only trips.

[peterbj7]

I should add that San Pedro can support rebreathers. We can pump any mix, we have (or can get) sodalime in different granular sizes, and we have CCR-sized tanks for rental (carrying the tanks is increasingly the biggest issue in transporting your CCR by air).

[ScubaDadMiami]

There are plenty of operators that have no problem with rebreathers. On the other hand, welcoming them does not necessarily mean that the operator can fully support them. The good news is that every day there are more facilities supporting them across the globe.

Regarding Florida, there are places throughout this entire State that have facilities to support the rebreathers with items like boosters, carbon dioxide scrubber, and the like. (You might have to make arrangements with the facility in advance in order to assure that the facility will have the proper supplies on hand at the time of your visit.) For South Florida, I have an online list (which needs some updating) of every rebreather-friendly dive boat from Jupiter (north of Palm Beach County) to Key West, with a 1-5 rating system for just how well the boat is set up for rebreather operations.

In the end, selecting a rebreather that is favorable for travel is key if you want to have the most choices for your diving away from home. (My rebreather breaks down into a case that will fit into an airplane's overhead.) Consider this in your purchase decision.