Question CCR Suggestion for Remote Boating Trips - Sanity Check

[Heat Miser]

Apparently the “don’t dive solo” thing came from swimming at the beginning of recreational dive training, from what I have read. There is a “don’t swim alone” mentality that had existed for a while before dive training started in the 1950s in California.

Nothing to do with gas switches, hypoxia or hyper Sonia?

 

[Marie13]

Nothing to do with gas switches, hypoxia or hyper Sonia?

This was part of OC diving courses from the beginning of instruction in California in the 50s. Goes way back before CCR became more widespread. PADI picked this up and solo diving is still considered a bad thing by many recreational instructors.

 

[Wibble]

This was part of OC diving courses from the beginning of instruction in California in the 50s. Goes way back before CCR became more widespread. PADI picked this up and solo diving is still considered a bad thing by many recreational instructors.

It really is down to the individual's attitude to diving as well as their experience.

To dive solo you really have to be comfortable with sorting your own stuff out. This means your pre-dive preparation is of a high standard, probably using checklists (even if they're mental). Keeping your kit sorted and especially if it's a rebreather. Plan the dive in advance which should include one gas failure -- if you've not enough gas then you need to carry another cylinder.

When diving you need to constantly practice your skills such that should you need to do a shutdown / bail out it's quick, efficient and with no fuss. Everything that's important needs to be duplicated: buoyancy, SMBs, lighting, computing, gas, cutting devices, mask, spools... You must be able to make your own decisions according to the circumstances.

Probably the biggest thing is to not "jump" beyond your competence comfort level. Slowly progress and ensure you've nailed new skills; if you're diving deeper then don't change other aspects of the dive; if you're diving with new kit, don't push the depth or duration; don't change more than one thing at a time -- that means don't take the scooter if you're taking a new second/third deco/bailout stage with you on your first hypoxic pinnacle dive...

Most of the above is way outside that of recreational diving, being pretty firmly in the realm of technical diving. (Often wondered why there's a SDI Solo Diver cert and not a TDI Solo Diver cert.)

 

[Doby45]

Every dive is a solo dive. Sometimes you dive with other divers. Only you are responsible for yourself and especially if diving using a rebreather.

Was this "must have a buddy" principle derived from novice training?

Hell if I know. I am not the one advocating for "buddy diving or nothing". I have done and will continue to do solo dives as I need or want to.

 

[Terry223]

I've traveled around the world with a Hammerhead.
Its heavy, bulky, and uses alot of sorb at one time.
I think if you are doing rec-tech far away from a recompression center you may want to be be more conservative with your dives.
A small more portable stowable rebreather would be advised. One that uses less sofnolime for a 2-3 2-3 hour dive profiles.
I mean why take a RB with a huge lime capacity where you can explore the limits if that is not the mission goal?!? Also - a RB where you can plumb in offboard 02 and dil, so you can get whatever tanks are available not have to travel with 19'.

flying with overweight luggage will get expensive too.

I love my Revo.

T

 

[GiraffeMarineSalvage]

...
The Triton would be one of the exceptions of units I would not recommend for your application as it is not easy to field repair or get spare parts... the Monox secondary computer. So much so that I had the entire Monox system ripped off and put on a second hardwired in Petrel. Also the ADV was the worst to get parts for, its actually based off of a Beuchat second stage (French...) so I threw that chunk of garbage away and put on a custom Apeks xtx50 adv. Lastly also had to make some modifications to the MAV and gas lines to allow for offboard to be plugged in.

But that being said I really like the unit now with my modifications and it is amazing as a BO unit but it is a very very specific unit for a very very specific type of diving.

Marsh9077, Can you elaborate on the details of the Apeks ADV and gas lines for offboard O2?

Despite being a new owner of a Triton CCR I fully agree with your decision to rip off the monox, would you consider a Petrel + NERD with 4 pin AK connections to be on par with hardwired in? (In the interest of easy future upgrades and ability to swap out either computer if needed without going through ordeal of dealing with the potting a second time?)

As a very new CCR owner, what I don't know vastly surpasses what I know on the Triton, let alone mere armchair research on all the other CCRs out there.. With that disclaimer given, there were a couple unique elements of my reasoning (including as relates to being a sailor planning to dive from my boat in remote locations) which lead to purchasing the Triton.
1) Weight on my boat matters a lot, which personally pushed me away from considering some of the larger / heavier rebreathers, but in the interest of maximizing potential for longer deeper dives in the future I also liked developing the most experience on a unit which could serve as a bailout rebreather if "someday" I were to want or need to do longer deeper technical diving beyond the Triton's capabilities.
2) Purely personal preference/thinking I really liked the chest mount CCR option being very visible as opposed to behind my back.
3) Philosophically mCCR appealed to me over eCCR, but I also strongly considered a Choptima.
I absolutely love how logically and easily the Triton goes together and also appreciate it's size/weight, WOB, use of POM-C vs metal where possible, and a number of other things.
4) In making my decision I viewed the Triton being a manual CCR that is CE approved to 100 meters on trimix as a really big selling point, even though I didn't require a CE unit. In learning more about CE process, I feel I overweighted that consideration.

So overall, if I had it to do over again I would buy the Triton again, but I would have absolutely insisted M3S install a Petrel + NERD for electronics instead of the stock monox+ stock HUD (due to: short battery life, one battery is for both monox and HUD, the charging port for the monox battery is not sealed from the monox electronics, and the monox doesn't provide ANY additional critical information like decompression obligations which is obviously directly tied to PPO2 measurements, etc). Taking the monox out of the equation, the Triton is awesome in my very limited experience but I would recommend stocking up on parts because getting the unit and parts from France to USA hasn't yet been perfected.

 

[GF99/99]

Marsh9077, Can you elaborate on the details of the Apeks ADV and gas lines for offboard O2?

Despite being a new owner of a Triton CCR I fully agree with your decision to rip off the monox, would you consider a Petrel + NERD with 4 pin AK connections to be on par with hardwired in? (In the interest of easy future upgrades and ability to swap out either computer if needed without going through ordeal of dealing with the potting a second time?)

Sure no problem I had a completely new ADV machined up by Martin from Tecme out of Delrin with Apeks XTX50 dimensions (see pictures below) It is an exact copy to the Triton/Beuchat one but instead it uses Apeks XTX50 internals. I probably have over a dozen Apeks reg so for me this was a not brainer for maintenance. As you mentioned before getting parts from Triton is a mission and my dealing with them has been horrible.

For the gas lines yes I needed the ability to plug in an off board o2. Based on my IP on my plugged DS4 it stops working at about 120m. Yes I could put a stiff spring in but unlike the Kiss CMF with different jets the Triton CMF only has one size. So I just fly manual from an offboard o2. I did this by putting a splitter on the LP hose that feeds the MAV and installed an Omniswivel QD fitting with a checkvale pretty simple fix. You can also just add a second MAV to you inlet using a splitter, this is what my dive buddy does. See pictures below for both options.

For the secondary computer/Monox replacement that is really up to you. Personally I don't like the Nerd and at the time when I made the modification I got a good deal on a second Petrel. But if I could do it over again yes I would have gone with AK 4 pin and now you can get the Petrel 3.

Full disclaimer I am not encouraging or recommending this only modify you rebreather if you fully understand the implications and hazards.

 

[jale]

Sure no problem I had a completely new ADV machined up by Martin from Tecme out of Delrin with Apeks XTX50 dimensions (see pictures below) It is an exact copy to the Triton/Beuchat one but instead it uses Apeks XTX50 internals. I probably have over a dozen Apeks reg so for me this was a not brainer for maintenance. As you mentioned before getting parts from Triton is a mission and my dealing with them has been horrible.

For the gas lines yes I needed the ability to plug in an off board o2. Based on my IP on my plugged DS4 it stops working at about 120m. Yes I could put a stiff spring in but unlike the Kiss CMF with different jets the Triton CMF only has one size. So I just fly manual from an offboard o2. I did this by putting a splitter on the LP hose that feeds the MAV and installed an Omniswivel QD fitting with a checkvale pretty simple fix. You can also just add a second MAV to you inlet using a splitter, this is what my dive buddy does. See pictures below for both options.

For the secondary computer/Monox replacement that is really up to you. Personally I don't like the Nerd and at the time when I made the modification I got a good deal on a second Petrel. But if I could do it over again yes I would have gone with AK 4 pin and now you can get the Petrel 3.

Full disclaimer I am not encouraging or recommending this only modify you rebreather if you fully understand the implications and hazards.

Hi
Thanks for sharing.
Regarding the Monox, did you replace it yourself or sent it back to M3S?
For the ADV, I asked Martin to machine a plug with a port to replace it (I never use ADV on my machines).
Regarding the leaky valve, I just use a needle valve... easier and more simple (one hose, any reg, easier to move oxy as SM if needed)

 

[GiraffeMarineSalvage]

Thank you very very much for the wealth of information Marsh9077.
I'll need a lot more CCR experience before getting anywhere close to 120m depths but it's great to know the Triton can be modified to grow with me if I were ever to advance to those depths someday. I know from prior experience with an old Buechat first stage many years ago that they're a quality brand which due to supply chain and language barrier was a nightmare to sort out spare parts and service for and I definitely believe in standardization of a diver's kit wherever practical.

Also, as a side note in terms of M3S customer service, they definitely care about their customers both before and after sale, and I believe they have improved upon small item orders since your experiences but the original importation of my unit did not go smoothly so hopefully they are able to sort out those growing pains for future exports.