When using a car and boat, your dive destination may be a lot closer to home, but there are still a few special tips to consider.
- Bring extra bungee cords for boat travel. Many boats are specifically constructed for single tank divers. The benches may be awkward for a rebreather diver. Bring your own method of securing the rebreather to the bench or the floor.
- Consider the orientation of your rebreather scrubber. If your rebreather is lying on its back, vibrating on a moving boat or in a car for hours, will your particular canister design be subjected to drastic settling? Some canister designs are equipped with springs that help to resolve settling issues, but if the orientation of the rebreather in relation to the settling forces is incorrect, you could get some channeling of material.
- Fully assemble and check your rebreather before leaving the dock. You don’t want to be packing sorb on a bouncing boat and also don’t want to capture diesel fumes within the breathing loop.
- Beware of extreme heat. If you gear is sitting sealed in a hot car for a long period of time, you can damage the oxygen sensors.
- Beware of extreme cold. If your packed rebreather sits in a freezing car overnight, the moisture in the sorb can freeze causing damage to the canister and dusting in the material itself.
