Rebreathers in commercial diving

[Tim Digger]

To save getting caught in a dance round handbags can we have a discussion about why rebreathers technology has not seen much take up in commercial diving?

In one word economics. The big money in development of continental shelf diving depths (100-300m) has gone into ROV development and technological design. The development areas involving gas extraction in the past were in the north sea and the gulf Mexico both dominated by in one, quite rightly health and safety concerns and the other by litigation costs. Two reasons for not risking human life for gain. Humans being humans some people still want "to bravely go etc" but that's fair enough when no one is forcing you to make a living. Sadly the areas of the world where the above two concerns are of less importance are where the commercial dive technology is maybe 40 years behind developements.

[Tewdric]

If you mean paid as opposed to “commercial” then the Divex is in regular use by paid divers. Perhaps they could team up with Dyson and do a surface supply rebreather?