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I am always open to new instructors, provided I can talk to their previous students and get a feel for how they might teach. I've not yet had a bad instructor, but definitely some I liked/respected more than others. My home port is on the Hood Canal, which is pretty tame as far as currents go...

Cave CCR is definitely a goal, but one I would only pursue after many, many hours in open water. Until both my instructor and I feel it's appropriate, I'd be OC caving with my Stealth. My instructor has a wicked sense of humor, so the thought of training with them for Cave CCR and not already...

Yes, I didn't mean two units at once, but to get a 'general' use unit and dive it until its limitations in caves became an issue. There are miles of caves I haven't explored in Mexico where a Sidewinder isn't necessary.

A number of people on this thread have suggested that I take cave aptitude into consideration when choosing a unit, as I do plan on doing more cave diving. Given that the general consensus seems to be that most units will do well on my boat (which will be 95% of my diving), would it also be...

No offense taken, as you mention, I'm just an AN/DP diver with minimal cave experience, so I appreciate the folks here keeping me far from Dunning and Kruger. By aggregating everything I learn here, I'll have a much better idea of how to proceed. As far the the Triton goes, right now it feels...

Very true about the Ford/Chevy dichotomy; at the time I was thinking more in terms of compact vs. 4x4 truck. Both have 4 wheels, but are good at very difference tasks (I avoid driving my truck into the city as much as possible.) However, excepting the sidemount-type units, it sounds like most...

It is definitely a unit that intrigues me. Have you even dove it from a boat or in cold water? I do like that they are located in the US, just for ease of service. It's also good to hear that they have good customer service. I think the only other US company on my short list is ISC.

My feeling exactly, I just didn't want to assume it applied to CCR's as well without asking folks who have experience.

I appreciate the insight. I like my dive buddies, but I am more relaxed diving alone in most cases. I know my problems are mine alone.

Can you give specifics? If you think it might make the thread too spicy, a pm would be appreciated :) How many hours after MOD1 would you consider solo to be reasonable? I didn't feel up to it on OC until I'd done a bunch dives and had done the first half of my cave cert, but I realize it's a...

That is certainly a concern I have, and I dive solo on OC about half the time. My tech instructor made the argument that any CCR dive is effectively a solo dive, but they have also written books on the subject, so I don't consider them a standard reference point.

Thanks, I've been looking hard the Fathom given that it seems super simple in terms of construction and has Shearwater smarts. Do you dive one? I know there are only a few instructors listed on Fathom's site, so I'd probably have to fly to Tulum, which would be horrible :p

Hi Folks, I've been lurking on the CCR threads for the last year while fixing/updating my dive boat and am questioning whether I can justify going the CCR route (I really want to.) I'll leave compressor/booster questions to the proper sub-forum and try to stay focused. I also realize that...

Thanks, that definitely sounds like good advice. I work right next to an AirGas shop and know the manager, so I can even get HE with some reliability when I pull the trigger on a CCR unit. It's a good thing I'm a SINK, no Valentines Day obligation and college funds = scuba/boat funds :P

Yes, initially just emergency O2, but later on, once I have some experience with the boat and want to go further afield, I will have to figure out a way to get a compressor onboard and blend on the go. One step at a time.

First in a long time, I grew up with a Hunter 26 sailboat--definitely a very different beast.

At first I thought your dollar amount was a typo, then I factored in the sonar and radar cost along with a Garmin 8610xsv...why couldn't I have picked a cheap hobby like aviation o_O More seriously, what do you run for a plotter, sonar and radar combo? Cheers!

Funny that you should mention that boats work in denominations of $1000, as that is almost exactly what the new Garmin will cost. And then there is the tender, motor for the tender, compressor for filling tanks, booster, new swim-step...good thing I was able to negotiate on the price, anything...

Thanks for all the input so far--I made an offer on a Bayliner 3888 yesterday, so fingers crossed. If all goes well, the next step is scubafying it :)

I'm still figuring out a lot of details, but I'm looking into keeping the boat at Pleasant Harbor, which is in striking distance of some sites I like to dive. I also work 4-10's, so if I do go this route, trips would be two or three days, or longer vacations where going a distance wouldn't be...