Learning to use a rebreather

[jlevenson]

I was wondering if someone could help me out. I've wanted to use a rebreather for some time but have been kinda skeptical for a few reasons. After reading up thoroughly I'm now ready to take the plunge if you'll pardon the awful pun and hoped you could help point me in the right direction.

I'm a PADI divemaster and been diving for years around the world, so needless to say I'm pretty comfortable underwater. I'm interested in rebreathers because I'm an avid photographer and really want the advantage of silence. I do a lot of work professionally with whales around the world and I think that a rebreather would be terrific for my photography. I'm less than thrilled with way technical stuff that's really deep, inside caves, and the like. Love diving but watching technical cave stuff doesn't make me feel all that warm and fuzzy if you know what I mean. I'm not claustrophobic or have any anxiety issues that have ever impacted my diving, I just get excited about wildlife like sharks and whales and am less than thrilled with really deep or technical cave types of diving. What concerns me is that the rebreathers and deep-techie-cave-type diving go hand in hand. Does it need to be that way? Can't someone learn to use a ccr to hang out in 30-60fsw for the photographic advantage of silence? I would think so but everywhere I look it seems to be about way technical stuff.

Any advice? Can I learn to use a rebreather just for my photography and not have to get into the technical/deep side of things? My perfect dive is hanging out in 20 fsw as marine life go by.

Anyway, I'd really welcome any thoughts on training, which unit to go with and that sort of thing. Can anyone recommend an instructor in Dominica?


Thanks

 

[muddiver]

I don't know anyone in Dominica. But, learing to dive a rebreather is not that far out of the regular scuba world. Diving on rebreathers to shallow depths for photography is now pretty common. There is an instructor here in So. California, U.S. that trains a lot of non-technical, non-cave divers to use rebreathers. The guy travels a lot too. You might be able to intice him to come out and train you ( SCUBA Schools of America > Home ) That's between you and him though. And be prepared to be trained to use the KISS simi-close curcit rebreather.

 

[Cave Diver]

Can't someone learn to use a ccr to hang out in 30-60fsw for the photographic advantage of silence? I would think so but everywhere I look it seems to be about way technical stuff.

Any advice? Can I learn to use a rebreather just for my photography and not have to get into the technical/deep side of things? My perfect dive is hanging out in 20 fsw as marine life go by.

Anyway, I'd really welcome any thoughts on training, which unit to go with and that sort of thing. Can anyone recommend an instructor in Dominica?


Thanks

Rebreathers can be used for any number of reasons. Of course like anything, there are good and bad reasons.

My first advice would be to find an instructor and ask for a "demo dive." There have been several offerings on the board of "demo days" where an instructor has various units at an event for people to try under close supervision. I attended one such event before making my final decision.

Check out these links for more insight:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/rebreather-diving/274990-rebreather-worth-not.html

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/rebreather-diving/264536-rebreathers-worth.html

 

[BlueFrog]

While I may be trained for the tec stuff, I bought and use my rebreather the most for taking pictures in less than 100fsw. Rebreathers allow us to sit on a reef at 50 feet for 3 hours without bubbles which has created photo opportunities we would never have had if I was on OC. IMHO they are well worth the money for shallow photography focused diving.

You'll want to do a demo dive on the unit you are considering as there'll be some differences between the seperate units that you can only discover underwater. My advice is to find a good instructor for the unit you decide on (after much research and demo) and be prepared to travel for the training since you may not have an instructor locally. Be honest and discuss with your instructor about how you want to dive.

Which unit to go with is personal choice and something you should research...a lot. Everybody on this forum has their own opinion (sometimes leading to heated discussions) and you will too after your training. Talk to rebreather intructors and other CCR divers and don't be afraid to ask questions. We rebreather divers love to talk about our toys, so be a knowledge sponge and soak up as much info as you can before you write that check.

I'm not a CCR instructor but if I can answer any questions, please ask.

 

[WD8CDH]

Much of my RB diving is in the shallows, even beach dives. My smallest RB is a kiss style with 2-6CF tanks. A lot easier to carry than even a single 80.

As a photographer, I found the forced attention to PO2 of a mCCR helps to keep me from being complacent.

 

[DiveNav]

I was wondering if someone could help me out. I've wanted to use a rebreather for some time but have been kinda skeptical for a few reasons. After reading up thoroughly I'm now ready to take the plunge if you'll pardon the awful pun and hoped you could help point me in the right direction. ...

Hi,
maybe before you take a REAL plunge you could take a VIRTUAL one and play with our rebreather simulator; it contains all the key elements of a real rebreather.
And if you are lucky you might even win a real Titan eCCR - with training from Jeff Bozanic. See YouTube Video.

Enjoy

Alberto

 

[ScubaDadMiami]

There are many divers that use rebreathers to enhance their underwater photography. You will not believe how close the wildlife will get to you since you are not scaring them away with bubbles. There is nothing like it!

Yes, you can use a rebreather for shallow diving. One of the reasons that I love the Optima is that it allows the diver that stays shallow to use the unit without carrying separate bail out open circuit tanks. The diver can just switch to open circuit mode, using the onboard gas. Pretty cool!

 

[contender]

There are many divers that use rebreathers to enhance their underwater photography. You will not believe how close the wildlife will get to you since you are not scaring them away with bubbles. There is nothing like it!

Yes, you can use a rebreather for shallow diving. One of the reasons that I love the Optima is that it allows the diver that stays shallow to use the unit without carrying separate bail out open circuit tanks. The diver can just switch to open circuit mode, using the onboard gas. Pretty cool!

Of course you will need to define what shallow means to you as the diver. Howard is right, depending on what tanks you use, especially the steel 27's on the Optima, you will not need bailout on dives less than 50 feet for most divers.