Suggested CCR Reading

[rjack321]

After telling myself I'd never switch to CCR, I'm beginning to hear the siren call and am going to do a try-dive on a Sidewinder next Spring in Tulum... Until then, do any of you have recommend/favorite books on the subject to keep me busy until then? Although I have a couple of units that interest me, I'm trying to keep an open mind and learn everything I can.

Also, my primary reasons for moving to CCR would be photography and caves. More bottom time and no bubbles would be awesome

Cheers and thanks in advance!

Why a sidewinder?
I have one and its highly overrated and a poor choice for Puget Sound honestly. Also there is basically one instructor diving them in cold water (Tamara in WI) so you are going to be self taught on local/cold water issues. Which is more challenging than it sounds.

 

[KenGordon]

The manufacturer’s user manuals are worth a read

https://www.apdiving.com/en/?ddownload=9203
https://jj-ccr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Version_210_ENG.pdf

The AP Manual is pretty good. I am not at home so cannot check my book shelf, but I seem to remember a printed book from AP which was very informative.

Rebreathers are actually much simpler than people think. The stuff that matters is some physical skills, especially buoyancy, but mostly mental skills about paying attention and planning.

The bloke that runs AP has more experience than anyone of how people kill themselves with rebreathers. What he puts in a manual will be worth knowing.

 

[broncobowsher]

While at it rEvo Downloads
Not only the manual but random rebreather related info as well.

It's good to know about other rebreathers. You may not own one, but you may dive with somebody who has one. It's good to understand things like they have a different pre-dive sequence.

 

[rddvet]

Why a sidewinder?
I have one and its highly overrated .

Funny I have a friend who’s only unit is a sw and all he tells you is how amazing it is. He recently did a dive with a different unit and now is seeing huge negatives he never saw before in the sw.

To the guy trying them in tulum: just be cautious. The guys at Protec have bitten on the sw hook line and sinker. They’re hardcore sw all the way just like Edd is. There’s a decent financial gain for being so hardcore pushing one unit. Not saying that they’re going to sell you on a pos. But their enthusiasm can be catchy and can keep you from having an objective look.

 

[CWC]

Why a sidewinder?
I have one and its highly overrated and a poor choice for Puget Sound honestly. Also there is basically one instructor diving them in cold water (Tamara in WI) so you are going to be self taught on local/cold water issues. Which is more challenging than it sounds.

Hey rjack321, I tried to start a private conversation with you about the sidewinder, but SB said I wasn’t allowed to start a conversation with you. I’d like to hear your feedback about the unit, without highjacking this post. Would you mind starting a conversation with me?

 

[rjack321]

Funny I have a friend who’s only unit is a sw and all he tells you is how amazing it is. He recently did a dive with a different unit and now is seeing huge negatives he never saw before in the sw.

To the guy trying them in tulum: just be cautious. The guys at Protec have bitten on the sw hook line and sinker. They’re hardcore sw all the way just like Edd is. There’s a decent financial gain for being so hardcore pushing one unit. Not saying that they’re going to sell you on a pos. But their enthusiasm can be catchy and can keep you from having an objective look.

We have a fair number of people here intent on diving sidemount and I don't think its a wise move in general. Sure it can be fun recreationally on 2x al80s of EAN32 shore dives. It gets dramatically more complicated once you need bigger tanks, suit gas, suit heat, and two deco bottles. Since there are no caves here or even more than a couple penetrable wrecks, you don't actually need SM. The people pushing the sidewinder so hard don't actually dive in cold water and have never had to address many of these issues, they don't even carry deco bottles very far into a cave before getting to drop them nevermind the question of where to put a suit heater canister or how to distinguish your different clips with frozen hands and dry gloves, or how to respond to a frozen power inflator. The fact that the sidewinder has zero objective cold water scrubber testing is also a giant negative for me (and I own one that I am generally happy with even if I treat it as a specialized bit of kit for specific dives)

 

[rjack321]

Hey rjack321, I tried to start a private conversation with you about the sidewinder, but SB said I wasn’t allowed to start a conversation with you. I’d like to hear your feedback about the unit, without highjacking this post. Would you mind starting a conversation with me?

We posted at the same time
Does the post above this one answer your questions? I turned off DMs here as too many people were b*tching at me

There are other threads here on the sidewinder and some of it's negatives and positives as well. I own one and have about 100-115 hrs on it.

 

[MrBlenny]

Why a sidewinder?
I have one and its highly overrated and a poor choice for Puget Sound honestly. Also there is basically one instructor diving them in cold water (Tamara in WI) so you are going to be self taught on local/cold water issues. Which is more challenging than it sounds.

I agree, for coldwater the SW sucks, but the shop I use in Mexico loves them for the caves there, so since I will be in Tulum anyway for some more cave training, I wanted to see what CCR is all about. For our local waters I'm looking at either JJ or a Meg, because hey, who needs to retire anyway, right? I'm also looking at DPV's because I apparently hate money

 

[MrBlenny]

The manufacturer’s user manuals are worth a read

https://www.apdiving.com/en/?ddownload=9203
https://jj-ccr.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Version_210_ENG.pdf

The AP Manual is pretty good. I am not at home so cannot check my book shelf, but I seem to remember a printed book from AP which was very informative.

Rebreathers are actually much simpler than people think. The stuff that matters is some physical skills, especially buoyancy, but mostly mental skills about paying attention and planning.

The bloke that runs AP has more experience than anyone of how people kill themselves with rebreathers. What he puts in a manual will be worth knowing.

Thanks for this, I will check it out. I don't want to die on Mt. Stupid.

 

[MrBlenny]

Hey rjack321, I tried to start a private conversation with you about the sidewinder, but SB said I wasn’t allowed to start a conversation with you. I’d like to hear your feedback about the unit, without highjacking this post. Would you mind starting a conversation with me?

Please toss it in here if you don't mind, I would like to know as well.

Cheers.