No rebreathers allowed trend on Los Angeles area dive boats?

There is a new trend with the dive boats in the Los Angeles area. That
trend is to NOT allow divers with rebreathers on the boats period!
Bottom Scratcher, Great Escape and Sea Diver have made announcements
that no rebreathers are allowed on their boats. Other boats in
California are now said to be considering the same. This appears to all
stem from a rash of rebreather divers croaking while being customers of
the dive boats and the dive boat owners legal defense and insurance
front required by the boat liability insurance companies. As someone
who dives a Steam Machine, I find this a step backwards in the sport I
have thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours to enjoy safely. What
gives ya'all? Is this a problem in Florida or the Eastern Pacific
resorts?

On 2 Dec 2006 01:11:01 -0800, Zander.Balsack@gmail.com wrote in rec.scuba:

>There is a new trend with the dive boats in the Los Angeles area. That
>trend is to NOT allow divers with rebreathers on the boats period!
>Bottom Scratcher, Great Escape and Sea Diver have made announcements
>that no rebreathers are allowed on their boats. Other boats in
>California are now said to be considering the same. This appears to all
>stem from a rash of rebreather divers croaking while being customers of
>the dive boats and the dive boat owners legal defense and insurance
>front required by the boat liability insurance companies. As someone
>who dives a Steam Machine, I find this a step backwards in the sport I
>have thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours to enjoy safely. What
>gives ya'all? Is this a problem in Florida or the Eastern Pacific
>resorts?

We had a very experienced tech diver die this past summer up in the Crosby Mines
area who was diving with a rebreather. That's the only dive fatality that I
know of here so I guess you could say that all Minnesota dive fatalities (n=1)
this year were divers diving on rebreathers.

Zander.Balsack@gmail.com wrote:

> There is a new trend with the dive boats in the Los Angeles area. That
> trend is to NOT allow divers with rebreathers on the boats period!
> Bottom Scratcher, Great Escape and Sea Diver have made announcements
> that no rebreathers are allowed on their boats. Other boats in
> California are now said to be considering the same. This appears to all
> stem from a rash of rebreather divers croaking while being customers of
> the dive boats and the dive boat owners legal defense and insurance
> front required by the boat liability insurance companies. As someone
> who dives a Steam Machine, I find this a step backwards in the sport I
> have thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours to enjoy safely. What
> gives ya'all? Is this a problem in Florida or the Eastern Pacific
> resorts?
>

We have very few lime smokers here in SoFla. I really don't know why
they are not more popular. Personally, I think they are just too damned
expensive and maintenance-intensive for all diving here other than a few
of the intermediate depth wrecks.

m