beester
Contributor
GUE CCR1 course with Derk Remmer (and my buddy Johan Wouters) in Croatia/Krnica.
Background: I've done my fundies in 2010, and took more courses based on needs and goals (C1 -> T1 -> C2 -> T2 and some dpv in between). From 2016 onwards my tech/wreck diving was mainly diving deep(ish) and long (up to 100m, 3h runtime) in OC but in mixed teams (OC/RB80/JJ). I was not convinced to switch to CCR, but a very good buddy of mine with who I did deep dives convinced me to buy a JJ when he switched from RB80 to JJ. All in all 5 close friends of mine switched from OC/RB80 to JJ, so we decided to buy the units together end of 2017. We planned a JJ CCR course (which I organised) in April 2018, however a divorce happened to me so I had to bail. I call our little group "jinxed" because a lot of things happened to all participants in the next 18 months (divorces, finding girlfriends, children, stopping to dive, etc).
Fastforward to 2021. Covid happened, divorce, new girlfriend and son happened ;-) So I only managed to dive the unit for about 100 hours between 2018 and now, and had to bail on the JJ CCR course in 2018. (I had an IANTD MOD1 ticket). The first 3 years I actually hated the unit, because it was too "head-heavy", until I switched the 7L setup to 8,5L setup (longer tanks). After this switch it dives like a dream.
Wanting to use the unit a bit more, doing more T1 range dives and planning expeditions in 2022 in the T2 range, I wanted to up my game. So I booked a course with a good friend of mine and T2/CCR2 instructor, Derk Remmers. My goal being, getting more time on the unit, but mainly getting in tune with the GUE procedures on the unit and getting my ass kicked!
To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to another fundies style class. But I was looking forward to spending evenings talking wrecks, drinking a glass of whiskey with Derk and Johan. My buddy is a guy I know well from Belgium, with about 60-70 JJ dives.
We met on a Monday morning, spending most of the day on theory. In the morning, Derk was thinking we would already be able to do a quick dive the same day (which is not the traditional schedule) but by 11 am it was clear we were asking too many questiongs ;-) ... the late afternoon was spend checking our GUE builds, but since we've been diving them like this the instruction was on details and introducing the GUE checklist on building the unit. I found this to be really helpful. Checklists are the bread and butter of rebreather diving in any case but the GUE one is intuitive.
DAY2: This day is mainly focused on getting the first underwater experience on the unit, getting introduced to the CHAOS prebreath and checklist. This was not new to me, since I stole the process from buddies of mine a while ago, but still the devil is in the details. Underwater we, managed to do a lot of skills in a 2,5 hour diving session (2 dives)... from diluent flush, loop dewatering, switch to backup and full bailout. We managed to do all of this multiple times, because we didn't need to focus on rebreather basics and we were just 2 students. This progression repeated on the following days.
DAY3: Introduction of scenarios, PPO² low and too low (bailout) and subsequent scenarios to manage the issue. In theory we went deeper into this, which was strictly not fully CCR1 (if in doubt/trouble bailout), but included scenarios how to stay on the loop (ccr2). Mainly because we kept asking questions, and our goals were quite defined, Derk endulged and shared his extended knowledge with anecdotes and really good tidbits of info. We shot smb's as well.
DAY4: Different scenarios (PPO² high and much too high (bailout), discussing solutions after closing the O² valve (sccr, connecting O² via mav, but without safety net), 2nd dive scenarios including current limited cells or slow cells.
DAY5: A wreck dive and a combination of above scenarios, plus ADV runaway, valve failures, rescue drill.
DAY6: Just a nice loong wreck dive... no scenarios, but some added tips on how to optimise the ascend and deco.
We spend every day about 2 to 3 hours in the water, spending the rest of the time rebuilding the units and listening to the theory parts which went above and beyond what we expected. What I had feared, that it would be a very hard "fundies style" class didn't happen. The class actually had much more of a T2/C2 vibe, meaning that we didn't overly suffer/stress on the dives, and there was a lot of back and forward discussion during the theory sessions on optimal processes, frank exchanges of thought. I believe the fact that us students had at least some experience on the units helped a lot in this regards. According to Derk normally the course is much more fundies like, because students are constantly stressed. Reason being that they are always behind the curve. It is very hard to go from first CCR dives on day 1 to getting introduced to scenarios in such a short time span, vs us who didn't have to micromanage diving the units, managing loop volume, ascends, managing PPO², etc. This allowed us to go into a bit more advaced details. However he also stated that also most beginning ccr students manage to get on top of all the data, processes, and basic diving shared during class, but need more time processing and experiencing it after class.. hence no immediate T1 limits post class, but only after 25 dives on the unit to ingrain the procedures taught. Like this (with no prior ccr experience) it really becomes a "fundies" style class. Due to circumstances (the jinxed group) I bailed out of the GUE ccr class in 2018 and as such had a bit more personal time on the rebreather before class ;-)
I have to say it was a wonderful experience, I learned a lot, mainly because my mental bandwith was not occupied with the basic stuff (managing the unit underwater). I told Derk I'm looking forward to take in the far future CCR2, but unlike T2, only after diving the heck out of the unit in the deeper ranges/longer runtimes.
If you ever want to take a ccr1/ccr2 course I cannot recommend Derk Remmers enough.
Also a big "high five" to my buddy Johan. You tend to **** up from time to time in these kind of courses, it's part of the learning process. Him giving from time to time a high five underwater, to full blown hugs helped immensely to keep having fun! Cheers bro!
Background: I've done my fundies in 2010, and took more courses based on needs and goals (C1 -> T1 -> C2 -> T2 and some dpv in between). From 2016 onwards my tech/wreck diving was mainly diving deep(ish) and long (up to 100m, 3h runtime) in OC but in mixed teams (OC/RB80/JJ). I was not convinced to switch to CCR, but a very good buddy of mine with who I did deep dives convinced me to buy a JJ when he switched from RB80 to JJ. All in all 5 close friends of mine switched from OC/RB80 to JJ, so we decided to buy the units together end of 2017. We planned a JJ CCR course (which I organised) in April 2018, however a divorce happened to me so I had to bail. I call our little group "jinxed" because a lot of things happened to all participants in the next 18 months (divorces, finding girlfriends, children, stopping to dive, etc).
Fastforward to 2021. Covid happened, divorce, new girlfriend and son happened ;-) So I only managed to dive the unit for about 100 hours between 2018 and now, and had to bail on the JJ CCR course in 2018. (I had an IANTD MOD1 ticket). The first 3 years I actually hated the unit, because it was too "head-heavy", until I switched the 7L setup to 8,5L setup (longer tanks). After this switch it dives like a dream.
Wanting to use the unit a bit more, doing more T1 range dives and planning expeditions in 2022 in the T2 range, I wanted to up my game. So I booked a course with a good friend of mine and T2/CCR2 instructor, Derk Remmers. My goal being, getting more time on the unit, but mainly getting in tune with the GUE procedures on the unit and getting my ass kicked!
To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to another fundies style class. But I was looking forward to spending evenings talking wrecks, drinking a glass of whiskey with Derk and Johan. My buddy is a guy I know well from Belgium, with about 60-70 JJ dives.
We met on a Monday morning, spending most of the day on theory. In the morning, Derk was thinking we would already be able to do a quick dive the same day (which is not the traditional schedule) but by 11 am it was clear we were asking too many questiongs ;-) ... the late afternoon was spend checking our GUE builds, but since we've been diving them like this the instruction was on details and introducing the GUE checklist on building the unit. I found this to be really helpful. Checklists are the bread and butter of rebreather diving in any case but the GUE one is intuitive.
DAY2: This day is mainly focused on getting the first underwater experience on the unit, getting introduced to the CHAOS prebreath and checklist. This was not new to me, since I stole the process from buddies of mine a while ago, but still the devil is in the details. Underwater we, managed to do a lot of skills in a 2,5 hour diving session (2 dives)... from diluent flush, loop dewatering, switch to backup and full bailout. We managed to do all of this multiple times, because we didn't need to focus on rebreather basics and we were just 2 students. This progression repeated on the following days.
DAY3: Introduction of scenarios, PPO² low and too low (bailout) and subsequent scenarios to manage the issue. In theory we went deeper into this, which was strictly not fully CCR1 (if in doubt/trouble bailout), but included scenarios how to stay on the loop (ccr2). Mainly because we kept asking questions, and our goals were quite defined, Derk endulged and shared his extended knowledge with anecdotes and really good tidbits of info. We shot smb's as well.
DAY4: Different scenarios (PPO² high and much too high (bailout), discussing solutions after closing the O² valve (sccr, connecting O² via mav, but without safety net), 2nd dive scenarios including current limited cells or slow cells.
DAY5: A wreck dive and a combination of above scenarios, plus ADV runaway, valve failures, rescue drill.
DAY6: Just a nice loong wreck dive... no scenarios, but some added tips on how to optimise the ascend and deco.
We spend every day about 2 to 3 hours in the water, spending the rest of the time rebuilding the units and listening to the theory parts which went above and beyond what we expected. What I had feared, that it would be a very hard "fundies style" class didn't happen. The class actually had much more of a T2/C2 vibe, meaning that we didn't overly suffer/stress on the dives, and there was a lot of back and forward discussion during the theory sessions on optimal processes, frank exchanges of thought. I believe the fact that us students had at least some experience on the units helped a lot in this regards. According to Derk normally the course is much more fundies like, because students are constantly stressed. Reason being that they are always behind the curve. It is very hard to go from first CCR dives on day 1 to getting introduced to scenarios in such a short time span, vs us who didn't have to micromanage diving the units, managing loop volume, ascends, managing PPO², etc. This allowed us to go into a bit more advaced details. However he also stated that also most beginning ccr students manage to get on top of all the data, processes, and basic diving shared during class, but need more time processing and experiencing it after class.. hence no immediate T1 limits post class, but only after 25 dives on the unit to ingrain the procedures taught. Like this (with no prior ccr experience) it really becomes a "fundies" style class. Due to circumstances (the jinxed group) I bailed out of the GUE ccr class in 2018 and as such had a bit more personal time on the rebreather before class ;-)
I have to say it was a wonderful experience, I learned a lot, mainly because my mental bandwith was not occupied with the basic stuff (managing the unit underwater). I told Derk I'm looking forward to take in the far future CCR2, but unlike T2, only after diving the heck out of the unit in the deeper ranges/longer runtimes.
If you ever want to take a ccr1/ccr2 course I cannot recommend Derk Remmers enough.
Also a big "high five" to my buddy Johan. You tend to **** up from time to time in these kind of courses, it's part of the learning process. Him giving from time to time a high five underwater, to full blown hugs helped immensely to keep having fun! Cheers bro!