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Rebreathers Queensland Style!

Three homebuilts ready to dive or a plumbers convention. Jasons unit is in the foreground.

29th December 1997

Divers, Jason, Suzie and Rodney

I drove the 1050km up to Rodney's over the 27th and 28th, with thoughts of seeing big numbers on my depth gauge formost in my mind. Arriving on the afternoon of the 28th, we set about depleting Rodney's store of homebrewed beer. (Rodney makes more than rebreathers in that garage of his!)

The afternoon was spent getting my loop into shape. I handn't sterilised the loop since the last dive on the Meggol and Dee Why, so it was growing a brown scum inside. I'd left all my wash stuff at home...

"Rodney, can I have some of your sterilising stuff?"
"What sterilising stuff?"
"For the loop, you know, to sterilise it after the dive"
"Do you have to sterilise it after the dive???????????"
"hmmmm, do you have *anything* to sterilise stuff? What do you use in the brewing kit?"
"Nothing"
"*Nothing*..... Don't you get bad beer with wild microbes in it?"
"I haven't had a bad bottle yet"
"How do you tell if it's bad?"
"I suppose it makes you throw up"
"Hmmm, I must have had a lot of bad bottles over the years"
"Well, did you get anything to sterilise the stuff in the brewing kit?"
"Yes, but I've never opened it"
"Ok, that'll do then, give it here"
"Here you go, it's called SodiumMetaBiSulphite"
"Oh, OK, I've heard of that somewhere, it must be OK"

So I mix it up according to the instructions on the pack, and I pour a heap of it into my loop. Working away in the sink in the corner, I start to feel funny (like funny as well as drunk). Suddenly I can't breathe.... AARG!!!!

I stagger away from the sink wheezing and coughing. Rodney helpfully says, "Don't breathe that stuff". I say AAAARRRRGGG, -thud-

Lying on the floor of Rodney's garage, I remember where I've heard of this sodiumthingysulfate. It's the stuff they use to preserve wines, and it's deadly to asthmatics (like me).

After 5 times the recommended dose of Ventolin, I'm feeling better, but it's now hit me that I've poured this shit into my *LOOP* AARG!!!!

About 10 000 litres of water flushed through the loop, and I feel game to dive the unit, but that has to wait for tomorrow.

The morning of the 29th dawned grey and cold (for Queensland). During the night, some kind of small animal had crawled into my mouth, and died. Rodney came into the room and started banging and crashing, making coffee and talking about the plans for diving that day. I didn't feel like diving, hell, I didn't feel up to leaving the toilet. I'd tried to take some Paracetamol and Codeine, but it had only stayed down for a few seconds at a time. I considered filling the loop with O2, and using normobaric O2 threapy, but I'd decided that filling the loop with my stomach contents wouldn't do it (or me) the world of good.

Rodney and Suzie were in contrast, full of enthusiasim. It was Suzie's first dive on her brand new homebulit, and she was keen as mustard. I slothed around the house while they got the breathers going. I offered to go support diver, from the wharf.

Soon all was ready, and they submerged in the tannin stained water. No bubbles came up, so I assumed that all was well, and went back inside. Now fired with resolve (and with my stomach feeling bruised but calm) I assembled my own rig.

Rodney and Suzie returned from their dive, and Rodney's Mother, Jean, was enlisted as the official photographer. You can see the rare sight of Rodney smiling, recorded on this maiden dive of a new breather.

Suzie is smiling because she now has a nice new rebreather. Rod is smiling because he built it.

I got my kit in order, and took to the water. (just in time to be photographed as well) I managed all of about 3 minutes submerged, just long enough to confirm that the loop had survived the trip up to Rodney's and also long enough to completly silt out the canal. Rodney found me underwater, and attempted to lead me back to civilization, but we lost each other in just a few seconds. I ascended the wrong wharf, but all was not lost, as Jean handed the camera to Rodney to record my safe arrival.

Cheers Jason =:)

Note the strange growth from Jasons ear, possibly caused by bacteria in the loop.

A.A.R.G.

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