???Future of Open Circuit Mixed Gas and Rebreather Diving???

[shoredivr]

You basically need:

• to buy the unit
• get a few tidbits that will make your life easier, for example spare parts, a cup to dry your head maybe, other random bits
• Get a class with a CCR instructor (this is where you’ll get your unit, usually)
• Get some dives to build back to your previous level of diving (don’t underestimate this bit, it’s much longer than many people believe at first)
• Depending of your goals and agency, you may need a second class to get where you wanted and do the dives you wanted

Once you got the first clas, you have to work your way back to your previous level, so there is a bit of a hidden cost in the sense that you will do for a certain time, dives that are maybe easier on average than what you used to dive.

And you can compare these RB, training and consumables costs to paying the price of helium in OC. Lot of OC dives before you get to $10,000 -$15,000.

 

[Wibble]

And you can compare these RB, training and consumables costs to paying the price of helium in OC. Lot of OC dives before you get to $10,000 -$15,000.

As most CCR divers will tell you, it’s not just about the costs. CCR gives:

• Gas limits are effectively removed (OC is very gas volume dependent) giving more safety, potentially much longer dives, etc.
• Removing gas limits makes diving safer. If you get stuck or lost, stop. If silted out, stop. You've lots of time to think your way out. On OC even getting slightly stuck starts off the dark thoughts in your brain.
• No bubbles to deafen yourself and scare the fauna
• More flexibility as, within reason, deeper gasses can be used shallower or deeper. OC tends to have optimised gasses, especially for decompression, whereas CCR uses generalised gasses. You're wearing a nitrox mixing machine that optimises the gas. This means you aren’t constrained to a square profile and precise planning if the site varies or the dive changes due to weather
• Greater stability at depth as your buoyancy is fixed, critical for silty environments (wrecks, mines, etc.)
• Less effect on the diving environment as there’s no exhaust gas bringing down the wreck, cave or mine — it’s raining rust
• Is easier on your body as you use lower set points than OC, especially at decompression. Diving moist gas saves your throat and lungs
• A CCR rig is generally lighter than OC, especially important if walking the unit to a mine over rough ground
• CCR is far more simple for gas logistics especially over multiple days — just need a couple of small cylinders and some lime
• CCR uses very little gas and doesn’t need constant access to a compressor nor large volumes of gasses, just use three old twinsets as banks for oxygen, air and helium and you can mix your own gas for weeks or months until they need a top up

So what if CCR costs more to purchase, train and practice. You get all of the above benefits and more.

 

[BlueTrin]

And you can compare these RB, training and consumables costs to paying the price of helium in OC. Lot of OC dives before you get to $10,000 -$15,000.

I didn’t buy a RB to save money. I bought one because that’s what I wanted to dive for the kind of dives I want to do one day.

 

[broncobowsher]

As most CCR divers will tell you, it’s not just about the costs. CCR gives:

• Gas limits are effectively removed (OC is very gas volume dependent) giving more safety, potentially much longer dives, etc.
• Removing gas limits makes diving safer. If you get stuck or lost, stop. If silted out, stop. You've lots of time to think your way out. On OC even getting slightly stuck starts off the dark thoughts in your brain.
• No bubbles to deafen yourself and scare the fauna
• More flexibility as, within reason, deeper gasses can be used shallower or deeper. OC tends to have optimised gasses, especially for decompression, whereas CCR uses generalised gasses. You're wearing a nitrox mixing machine that optimises the gas. This means you aren’t constrained to a square profile and precise planning if the site varies or the dive changes due to weather
• Greater stability at depth as your buoyancy is fixed, critical for silty environments (wrecks, mines, etc.)
• Less effect on the diving environment as there’s no exhaust gas bringing down the wreck, cave or mine — it’s raining rust
• Is easier on your body as you use lower set points than OC, especially at decompression. Diving moist gas saves your throat and lungs
• A CCR rig is generally lighter than OC, especially important if walking the unit to a mine over rough ground
• CCR is far more simple for gas logistics especially over multiple days — just need a couple of small cylinders and some lime
• CCR uses very little gas and doesn’t need constant access to a compressor nor large volumes of gasses, just use three old twinsets as banks for oxygen, air and helium and you can mix your own gas for weeks or months until they need a top up

So what if CCR costs more to purchase, train and practice. You get all of the above benefits and more.

Yep, all that stuff.

The mental stuff of having a dive and not chasing that SPG the whole time. Most CCR dives are over with lots of reserve left, potentially hours of reserve.

And it isn't like the rebreather goes in the trash can when you are done with it. They have resell value if you ever want to get rid of it. Yes, you have to have the money to buy it, but the money is tied up, not thrown away. A set of doubles isn't cheap either. Most people who get into this type of diving won't have just one set of doubles. Start adding up what a stocked OC diver has for a tank collection.

 

[Marie13]

And you can compare these RB, training and consumables costs to paying the price of helium in OC. Lot of OC dives before you get to $10,000 -$15,000.

It depends on how much trimix diving you would do. If you’re looking at paying $300 for helium for a dive and you want to do those frequently, it quickly makes sense to go CCR. Also, helium has become scarcer. If you can’t get it or if your local dive shop won’t fill OC tanks any more, that has to figure into it as well.

 

[jeffmg]

And you can compare these RB, training and consumables costs to paying the price of helium in OC. Lot of OC dives before you get to $10,000 -$15,000.

Not really,

HP100-HP120s filled with 21/35 or 18/45 puts you at about 50-60 trimix tech dives

really just a baby in terms of experience in the tech diving world

I get the sense that GUE changing its standards on when you can start CCR training has alot to do with the cost of tech diving
much less likely to get return customers if you're gatekeeping CCR training with $15,000 worth of experience dives...

 

[Wibble]

Out of curiosity what are the prerequisite qualifications to do CCR1? Didn’t GUE require Tec2 in the past?

(Yes, I could look it up, but that’s not good for a discussion)

 

[steinbil]

Out of curiosity what are the prerequisite qualifications to do CCR1? Didn’t it require Tec2 in the past?

They changed it to Tech1.

 

[formernuke]

What is CCR1 for GUE? I know mod1 is 100 feet no deco with AN being the prerequisite.

 

[barth]

What is CCR1 for GUE? I know mod1 is 100 feet no deco with AN being the prerequisite.

Tech 1 is a prerequisite for GUE ccr1.

When gue ccr1 is finished max depth is 30 meters / 100ft and no deco.

Deeper dives and deco are permitted once 25 ccr dives have been completed (maximum depth 51 meters/170 ft depth, maximum 30 minutes deco and maximum 200 minutes scrubbertime).