Welcome!
The magic of a rebreather: No bubbles. Here Fabio Bartolucci poses in the Mediterranean, as if one with the sea.
I want to personally say “Welcome Aboard” to the newly reincarnated version of “Diver Dave’s Rebreather Site”, also known as NoBubbleDiving, or “NBD” for short. I started this site in 2000, when the sport of Rebreather Diving was in its first growth spurt. I started the site then in order to show and share photos of a variety of Rebreathers, and to detail the modifications and homebuilt work that I was performing for myself and others in “The Little Diveshop of Horrors”, the workshop in my garage. I stopped updating the site in 2002, but even so the original site has remained in the Top-Ten of Google Searches for the word “Rebreather” to this day, so the material that I wrote then is obviously still of value to many. For those who came here hoping to see the old familiar site, never fear: A ‘Frozen’ historical version of the site as it remained from 2002 thru 2008 can be found by simply clicking the link. It’ll be fun ten years from now to read that old site, and to see what has changed over the years. Heck, its fun to read it today!
As compared to the old site, the new one is fully interactive. The most important thing is that it’s no longer my site, it’s yours. We are lucky to have a service team led by Alan Edwards of Spotz running the technical side of things, and the interactivity and capability of the host software Alan provided is phenomenal. “Well Done” to Alan and the lads for this! What you will find now is a totally interactive site, where you can create and enter any of a variety of communities, post and edit to an endless variety of Wikis, Blog, and join and create your own forums. Explore and enjoy. I’ve only started exploring the capabilities myself, and it’s staggering. We’ll revise things as we gain experience, but for now “Use and Try”, and feed-back any issues to Alan. We’ll consider the first three months ‘Beta Test”, so be a tester!
As for our Mission Statement: I am personally dedicated to making NBD a place where everyone is welcome, and nobody is excluded, and I am fully supported in this ethic by the staff who has volunteered to assist. There will effectively be no moderation, and no taboo subjects. There is no commercial motive for the site, no paid advertisement, no sponsors, no pop-up or targeted advertisements, no financial supporters, or anything else that would compromise the integrity of the material offered. I have assembled a team of Subject Matter Experts (SME’s) to assist members on the forums, so feel free to ask for their assistance. Just for starters, Rich Pyle is on board as our expert in deep diving practices. Please welcome Dave Thompson, the original designer of the Inspiration and a world class Instructor aboard as SME for Training. Alex Deas has graciously agreed to head up discussions on Engineering and Life Support Design, as well as to share information on the Open Revolution Apoocolypse rebreather. Joe Radomski will be here to offer his expertise as our SME for Decompression Computers and Digital Control Systems. The irrepressible AnneMarie will be the go-to lady for Rebreather Safety and Statistical Analysis of Rebreather Accidents and Mishaps. Alex Varouxis, who has been CNC manufacturing components as a vendor for several of the main-line Rebreather manufacturers has offered to advice homebuilders on the subject of Machine Shop Practice. Paul Raymaekers is here to talk about the rEvo, as well as manufacturing processes and life support systems testing. Kees Hofwegen, designer of GAP Software will be here to add input on deco theory. Joel Silverstein will head up Expedition Planning, Gas Blending and Selection, and Open Circuit Bailout Gas topics. Brent Hudson and John Routley will offer their knowlage of design and manufacturing processes. I’ll personally head up the Homebuilders area, as well as offering advice on Russian Chassis mods and System Integration questions. Dr. Mike Gadd will be in charge of the “DrMike Moments” forum, where you can vent to your hearts content and say any darned thing you like (even about me). There are many others involved, so become a member, log in, and see for yourself! And if you are expert in an area, let us know so you can join the team.
So, a hearty “Welcome Aboard!” I hope this site and the friends you make offer value to your life. I know that the many friends I have made thru diving, and especially diving with rebreathers has enriched mine. This is a way of giving something back. Be a part, and contribute more than you consume. The world is reading, so give it your best.
Capt. “Diver Dave” Sutton
Aboard R.V. EXPLORER
Narragansett, Rhode Island
info@nobubblediving.com