Richie Kohler told the audience "The human element is most fallible. We prepare and train for equipment failure. We have a great advantage over pilots who cannot jump into another airplane mid flight. We can carry bailout systems and use them. But our checklists is our primary defense to not ever having to get there."

Human beings will make mistakes and have memory lapses. Richie Kohler

"We need to approach rebreather diving with reverence and remain humble to it. I do not want to pay the ultimate price" stated Richie Kohler.

To this end RoSPA worked with a number of rebreather industry experts to identify key safety issues.

RoSPA Video

The result was a film that gives divers and those new to rebreathers a solid awareness of the key safety factors for diving with rebreathers.

Eight years ago today – Friday 18th May 2012 – this film was unveiled at a very important international safety symposium called Rebreather Forum 3. In fact ‘CCR Aware‘ opened #RF3.

Over the course of the following three days 400 experts, manufacturers, instructors, training agencies and divers from around the world gathered to improve understanding, with the hope that this would translate to improved safety across the board.

We can always do things better. So it is a rationality check to see if we can make things safer.

Dr Neal W Pollock

Over the course of the following three days 400 experts, manufacturers, instructors, training agencies and divers from around the world gathered to improve understanding, with the hope that this would translate to improved safety across the board.

We can always do things better. So it is a rationality check to see if we can make things safer.

Dr Neal W Pollock

Richard Pyle is an early adopter of technical-diving practices and is known around the world as a rebreather diver and designer. He is a highly respected Ichthyologyist (in plain English a scientist who studies fish) and he has discovered many new species of fish.

A dive with a profound effect

When Richard Pyle was 19 he was living and diving the western Pacific Ocean off Palau. During his time there he suffered a very serious case of decompression sickness and became quadriplegic.

RF3 was convened primarily as a platform for discussion of various issues that may have an impact on the safety of diving with rebreathers. It was attended by many expert presenters and rebreather divers who contributed to these discussions.

It was recognised however that the forum would also attract some divers who were not rebreather users, but who were perhaps contemplating purchasing one, or simply interested in learning about them. For this reason the program included this presentation on the basics of rebreather devices.

The RF3 Proceedings have been published in both print and electronic format following the safety symposium held from 18 - 20 May 2012 at the Caribe Royale Hotel in Orlando, Florida. Two years in the planning and two years in the writing, the 324-page rebreather publication showcases state-of-the-art and science of rebreather diving through the experience and knowledge of some of the world’s leading specialists in education, operations, physiology, medicine and safety. This meeting followed the Rebreather Forum 2 conference which was held in 1996.

CHECKLISTS 1.

The forum recommends that rebreather manufacturers produce carefully designed checklists, which may be written and / or electronic, for use in the pre-dive preparation (unit assembly and immediate pre-dive) and post-dive management of their rebreathers. – Written checklists should be provided in a weatherproof or waterproof form. – The current version of these checklists annotated with the most recent revision date should be published on the manufacturer’s website