Is There a Future for Rebreathers in Public Safety Diving?

We have seen over the past years that rebreather manufacturers are producing their units at a lower cost compared to say 10 years ago. As the growth of this equipment becomes more and more available, the next question may be, “Is there a place in the Public Safety market for Rebreathers?”

So what are some of the pros and cons of rebreathers on public safety teams?

Pros

• Increased time underwater per diver
• Lighter overall unit weight
• Smaller Profile for overhead environments
• Less exhaust noise for clearer communications

Cons

• Unit cost
• Training cost per diver
• More expensive maintenance fees
• More time spent on system readiness check
• Finding a fill station at your local fire station
• Added cost for up keep and routine maintenance supplies
• Other dive team interaction with the unit
• FLOODING WORRIES
• Decon worries
• Cost of communication for the unit
• Availability of spare parts

As you can see, we have only listed a few items under each of the categories and I am sure everyone will have a lot more opinions. As there are different versions of rebreathers, the next question is which version would best meet the needs of public safety dive teams. If there was a future for rebreathers on a public safety team one might say the SCR would be a likely choice as the cost of these units has come down and there is no need for a mixed gas version.

I agree with the SCR idea, but I also believe that, just like with scuba regulators, every team would want a different make of SCR. Until the PSD industry trends towards the rebreather as an option, I don’t see the industry promoting R&D for a truly qualified (harsh conditions) rebreather. What do you think?

Contact SDI TDI and ERDI
If you would like more information, please contact our World Headquarters or your Regional Office.
Tel: 888.778.9073 | 207.729.4201
Email: Worldhq@tdisdi.com
Web: https://www.tdisdi.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/PublicSafetyDiving
###