What is your reason for not diving a rebreather while cave diving?

[Sludge]

I have experienced DIPO and now appreciate the thinness of the lung membrane.

I Googled this and still don't know what it is...

[swadiver]

Several reasons:
1) Reliability - in about 25% of my dives, anyone in the team will thumb the dive on the surface or during the first 5 minutes due to a problem in his/her RB.
2) Safety statistics - a ten times difference.
3) I do not expect myself to be systematic enough in maintaining a RB.
4) Higher work of breating (WOB) - I have experienced DIPO and now appreciate the thinness of the lung membrane. Any additional pressure difference, e.g. caused by greater WOB, might increase the possibility of DIPO repeating. Swimming any distance at all during DIPO is no fun.
5) I do not believe I am a better diver than some very experienced RB divers who have met their fate. Even more so after an accident couple of days ago - a person I dived with earlier this month and who was regarded as one of the best cave divers here.

I appreciate all RB divers who really need a RB as a tool in their adventures and make an educated safety assessment about this. I lift my hat to all RB divers diving devices with single digit serial numbers. But, I feel sorry for the 90% wannabees letting coolness factors affect their decisions.

To address your first point, one I hear a lot from non CCR divers: when it comes to reliability, not all rebreathers are created equal. some units, like the Revo, excel in this area.

[Garth]

To address your first point, one I hear a lot from non CCR divers: when it comes to reliability, not all rebreathers are created equal. some units, like the Revo, excel in this area.

I've heard that they are less reliable when dropped or fall from a boat stand... just like all the rest.

[r4e]

I Googled this and still don't know what it is...

DIPO = Diving-Induced-Pulmonary-Oedema. Same as IPE = Immersion-Induced-Pulmonary-Edema.
See for example http://www.cavediver.net/forum/showt...dema-%28IPE%29

[Sludge]

Thanks. I have read up on IPE, since one of my friends had an episode several years ago.

[Superlyte27]

I've heard that they are less reliable when dropped or fall from a boat stand... just like all the rest.

Not sure I agree. Mine was dropped off the tank stands at Ginnie (not by me) and is fine.

[data2]

While I am myself far away experience-wise, I know a few people who do 2-3 after-work dives at 60-80m each week. The gas costs of those would be absolutely prohibitive without a rebreather.

[swadiver]

Not sure I agree. Mine was dropped off the tank stands at Ginnie (not by me) and is fine.

The Revo is pretty tough

[Kevin Carlisle]

I would rather know why I need one? You have to carry as much oc gas as needed to safely exit from max penetration and im not doing 3-400ft dives so I find it totally unnecessary for me.

[w ripley]

I've heard that they are less reliable when dropped or fall from a boat stand... just like all the rest.

I was on the way to a dive site a couple of years ago when my HH bounced out of the back of the truck, got smacked by the car in the other lane, bounced over the bridge railing and fell onto the RR tracks below and was hit by an oncoming express train, just to get run over by a semi at the RR crossing before I could get to it.

Probably didn't need to repack the sorb, but I checked it anyway.