Is Open Circuit Trimix dying a slow death?

[ScubaWithTurk]

So if you guys were born all over again and getting into Trimix diving, would you even bother OC Trimix? Or, given the price hike in Helium, just jump into CCR?

There used to be the wisdom that you should be a very experienced technical OC diver before you get into CCRs. Given the price of Helium, most people may never be "experienced Trimix divers." Experienced tech divers without Helium yes, but OC Trimix?

No, I would still take OC Tech Trimix. The skills that are gained in that course along with the decision making is worth its weight in gold. Am I against students going straight to, say a Tech 40 CCR course from recreational diving? No I am not. It would be a longer course than a standard Tech 40 OC course but if you never plan to dive a twinset, why not go down the path you want to be on from the start. This is where I believe the instructor and not the agency comes into play but that is a discussion for another day.

 

[rjack321]

rebreathers allow you to get away with a lot and can really mask weak skills in a lot of areas.

They definitely let you hide weaknesses. Except for weak buoyancy skills, they show those off proudly

 

[lermontov]

I did some mix diving this summer for the first time in a while (Nice new wreck in 220', just down the road!). Having dropped about $1000 on gas just for those dives, a RB justification would be easy to make if a guy was going to do much of this. If I was 20 years younger, I'd be all over a RB, but not at age 63. I probably shouldn't be doing those dives anyway!

Sure is a pretty wreck though.

View attachment 545375

dont die wondering - you may wish you'd bought one years ago - like I did

 

[Hoyden]

how many dives does it take for a CCR to pay for itself?

I did the math when I was lobbying my SO. I paid for my RB and my training in 18 months of diving. I was doing a lot of tech diving then and a gas bill for one day boat trip could be north of $150 so it added up quickly. I did buy a used rebreather so I was only in for $5000 plus supplies and training.I did not include the travel for training since we went to places that I would have gone anyway.

 

[wedivebc]

They definitely let you hide weaknesses. Except for weak buoyancy skills, they show those off proudly

At the risk of being flamed, what are these all important OC skills that are beyond the reach of us CCR divers?

 

[Degenerate]

No CCR for me, unless I had a major change of mind. I like simple and low maintenance. RB are definitely NOT that. Plus the cost is ridiculous. I’m also not OCD enough for CCR.

That's really too bad.
I'm working hard on my OC trimix experience to take the leap towards rebreathers sometime in the future but unfortunately I don't have the chronic mental disorder needed for it.
My SO does have it but she unfortunately does not dive, do you think it is contagious so that maybe I can catch it from her before I move on to a rebreather?

Are you ******* serious?

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

So if you guys were born all over again and getting into Trimix diving, would you even bother OC Trimix? Or, given the price hike in Helium, just jump into CCR?

There used to be the wisdom that you should be a very experienced technical OC diver before you get into CCRs. Given the price of Helium, most people may never be "experienced Trimix divers." Experienced tech divers without Helium yes, but OC Trimix?

Yes. CCR is a huge investment. For dives to 45, 50 meters max, I'm okay with the bill for trimix. While I am trying to get on a rebreather, there are some practicalities in my life preventing me (newborn daughter).

 

[Valyngar]

Yes. CCR is a huge investment. For dives to 45, 50 meters max, I'm okay with the bill for trimix. While I am trying to get on a rebreather, there are some practicalities in my life preventing me (newborn daughter).

To some of us rebreather saves hours filling and drving around with tanks time. Easy just to whip a little from larger tanks to 3l tanks. Rebreather has already saved me about 10 hours in 2 months.

 

[rjack321]

At the risk of being flamed, what are these all important OC skills that are beyond the reach of us CCR divers?

Gas planning? I mean there are CCR instructors diving a single lp45 (air?) on 180ft wrecks. Then razzing other CCR divers who bring 2x 80s of BO for that kind of dive.

The only CCR divers who I see bemoaning doing deep or extended (cave) bailouts are those who dont have much OC experience.

Yes. CCR is a huge investment. For dives to 45, 50 meters max, I'm okay with the bill for trimix. While I am trying to get on a rebreather, there are some practicalities in my life preventing me (newborn daughter).

how many of these dives are you doing a year?​

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

how many of these dives are you doing a year?

My need for rebreather training stems from a possible project in the Mediterranean filming ancient shipwrecks. Once I open a dive op in Greece, I have some rough locations for ancient wrecks discovered by an old sponge diver that are unreported. When found, I will take video/images, build a photogrammetric model (I unfortunately missed Kees's class due to the birth of my daughter, but plan on it in the future) and then report to the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities. I would support continued surveying/excavation, as those kind of resources don't exist with a bankrupt government.