How to proceed ?

[crofrog]

I am currently facing a question and would like to hear some opinions.
I recently did the SSI Deco Diver and since then I have been doing dives with around 20 minutes of TTS. I like it a lot and it works well for me. I've also had some oh s*it moments that have been solved underwater and I've learned from them. I am currently diving a 15l mono on a Mares jacket with an 80 cuft stage. Depending on the dive with up to 40% o2. I would like to continue in the coming years, but I don't know in which direction to go. The goal is to dive CCR. But now the question arises, should I first buy a double unit and dive with it for a while until I master it? Or should I continue with my 15l mono and stage until the moment for a rebreather has come? What tips do you have for me and what would you have done in my place?

Does that class require a h-valve?

 

[LFMarm]

I would not venture into deco diving without a gas redundancy. Either with manifolded doubles or sidemount.

 

[VikingDives]

Yes i see your points. So you mean that the Dive time or depht is limited by oc, and not my "experience" limits it ?
With the Oh S*it moments i mentioned i meant moments where for example my second stage free float while i was changing on my stage. It was my second dive with the stage and at the first moment i was overloaded with those things. Or once on 41m my drysuit decided to inflate itself because the inlet valve stuck open. i quickly realized that i just need to detach the inflator hose. But i know if you dont fix those things in time under water it can turn out pretty bad. I also learnt that it is important to know your equipment as precisely as possible.

I mean that you should stay on open circuit until what you want to do is being limited by the configuration your diving.

If you're dragging 6 tanks of travel gas, you might want to think rebreather, but diving with 2, you aren't close to that problem.

Also, please find a good tech instructor. You should have been exposed to a runaway drysuit before you started your deco training... I'm glad that worked out, but you don't know what you don't know and good tech training will help close those knowledge gaps.

 

[mr_v]

@Klopo, so I'd suggest two things. First, get more experience. I don't know you, but the "oh crap" moments you mentioned above should fall into "I got it" category before you add more complexity. Again, I was not there, so take my comment with a grain of salt. Experience is the best thing you can get now, so don't think doubles or CCR. You can learn most technical skills with the setup you already have. E.g., proper fining techniques, gas change protocols, performing all drills/fixes in neutral buoyancy. If you don't have experienced buddies who can help you with training, consider paying an instructor a daily rate and learning that way. I can post more about how I hacked my training, but that's another topic.

Then consider CCR.

Once you start doing deeper dives, you'll need to embrace trimix. Trimix with doubles is expensive due to helium cost. Therefore, you'll naturally want to go CCR route. You don't have to go all the way and buy the most expensive brand new unit. You can get a good pre-loved machine for a fair price and learn on it. For example, you can pick up a used CCR for $5-6K in the US. This sounds like a lot, but look at what you'd pay for a set of doubles plus a trimix course, including gas.

With proper tech training, learning CCR will include understanding the machine and then re-learning buoyancy. Everything else should be dialied in by then.

 

[Klopo]

Does that class require a h-valve?

Yes, since in switzerland it is only coldwater diving you basicly only have H-Valves with two separate first stages.

 

[Klopo]

I mean that you should stay on open circuit until what you want to do is being limited by the configuration your diving.

If you're dragging 6 tanks of travel gas, you might want to think rebreather, but diving with 2, you aren't close to that problem.

Also, please find a good tech instructor. You should have been exposed to a runaway drysuit before you started your deco training... I'm glad that worked out, but you don't know what you don't know and good tech training will help close those knowledge gaps.

The Shop where i already did my ssi certs is focused on tech diving. They teach courses on SDI / TDI and IANTD. They have some very good instructors and as far for me i got trained every time above standarts.
I just wanted to hear if there is any other oppinion then from the shop people.

 

[Klopo]

@Klopo, so I'd suggest two things. First, get more experience. I don't know you, but the "oh crap" moments you mentioned above should fall into "I got it" category before you add more complexity. Again, I was not there, so take my comment with a grain of salt. Experience is the best thing you can get now, so don't think doubles or CCR. You can learn most technical skills with the setup you already have. E.g., proper fining techniques, gas change protocols, performing all drills/fixes in neutral buoyancy. If you don't have experienced buddies who can help you with training, consider paying an instructor a daily rate and learning that way. I can post more about how I hacked my training, but that's another topic.

Then consider CCR.

Once you start doing deeper dives, you'll need to embrace trimix. Trimix with doubles is expensive due to helium cost. Therefore, you'll naturally want to go CCR route. You don't have to go all the way and buy the most expensive brand new unit. You can get a good pre-loved machine for a fair price and learn on it. For example, you can pick up a used CCR for $5-6K in the US. This sounds like a lot, but look at what you'd pay for a set of doubles plus a trimix course, including gas.

With proper tech training, learning CCR will include understanding the machine and then re-learning buoyancy. Everything else should be dialied in by then.

Alright i get that, and that somehow answers a question i got in my head. To reach the experience i need for ccr i can dive my setup as it is now. There are no special skills youll learn on doubles which are key for ccr ?

 

[Klopo]

I would not venture into deco diving without a gas redundancy. Either with manifolded doubles or sidemount.

Of course with deco diving there is a need for redundancy, but since i fill my stage with gas with max ppo2 of 1.6 at the deepest point of the dive i am redundant. So if my backgas fails at the deepest point im able to switch and ascend to the mandatory stops and end the dive.

 

[happy-diver]

Do you know much about rebreathers, if it is something you seriously want then go for a rebreather
They're not complicated just a different collection of pipes and things that require a particular brain

 

[Klopo]

Do you know much about rebreathers, if it is something you seriously want then go for a rebreather
They're not complicated just a different collection of pipes and things that require a particular brain

I have already read some things about rebreathers and am beginning to understand them. I am sure that the rest of the things can be explained to me by a good instructor. But I don't think the time has come for the change. I want to gain some experience with the OC first.