I didn't have to read more than the first paragraph. If you aren't comfortable, don't dive it.
New RB diver hates it - should I keep diving it?
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It sounds like you might just need some time to clear your head. However, keep in mind that none of us felt "comfortable" right out of the gate when we started diving RBs. It takes a while to adjust.
I can tell you that now, after about 50 hours on my Inspiration, I feel much safer diving CCR than I do OC tech for two reasons: 1) I always have at least 40 hours of gas on me in case of an emergency; and 2) there is so much more redundnacy with CCR than with OC. However, keep in mind that I was trained by Joe and like him never dive my unit without a 40 slung that has an extra whip attached.
Bottom line is if you don't feel confident, take some more classes or "step away from the vehicle." I didn't feel "comfortable" as an OC diver after my OW class and, accordingly, continued to take more classes until I did. Similarly, you can take more RB classes until you feel that your skills are at an acceptable level.
I can tell you that now, after about 50 hours on my Inspiration, I feel much safer diving CCR than I do OC tech for two reasons: 1) I always have at least 40 hours of gas on me in case of an emergency; and 2) there is so much more redundnacy with CCR than with OC. However, keep in mind that I was trained by Joe and like him never dive my unit without a 40 slung that has an extra whip attached.
Bottom line is if you don't feel confident, take some more classes or "step away from the vehicle." I didn't feel "comfortable" as an OC diver after my OW class and, accordingly, continued to take more classes until I did. Similarly, you can take more RB classes until you feel that your skills are at an acceptable level.
Here goes.
I am a CCR diver and also have alot of time on SCR's. In you situation the cost VS. benifit analysis is not working out very well. My personal experience is that the dolphin offered little benifit over OC. Most guys probably dive the SCR's for enjoyment, and that is not working out for you. Not to say that it could'nt.
If you plan to continue with it the get an Oxygauge. Knowing exactly what your breathing and being able to verify function are a great relief on the mind and IMHO necessary to dive any RB safely. As the others said you should read and accumulate as much knowledge as possible. You can also gain a great deal of confidence by simply breathing the unit in a pool, or on an exersize bike for that matter. Time will definately help alleviate alot of the "fear of the unknown". I would suggest getting as many hours in a controlled enviroment as you can. If your not comfortable with your skills or the units operation you should not be in open water till you are. An exersize bike works pretty well to simulate a dive. I have done this with some students that were extremely uncomfortable and it seems to improve confidence in the units function prior to moving into water....just a thought.
I am a CCR diver and also have alot of time on SCR's. In you situation the cost VS. benifit analysis is not working out very well. My personal experience is that the dolphin offered little benifit over OC. Most guys probably dive the SCR's for enjoyment, and that is not working out for you. Not to say that it could'nt.
If you plan to continue with it the get an Oxygauge. Knowing exactly what your breathing and being able to verify function are a great relief on the mind and IMHO necessary to dive any RB safely. As the others said you should read and accumulate as much knowledge as possible. You can also gain a great deal of confidence by simply breathing the unit in a pool, or on an exersize bike for that matter. Time will definately help alleviate alot of the "fear of the unknown". I would suggest getting as many hours in a controlled enviroment as you can. If your not comfortable with your skills or the units operation you should not be in open water till you are. An exersize bike works pretty well to simulate a dive. I have done this with some students that were extremely uncomfortable and it seems to improve confidence in the units function prior to moving into water....just a thought.
Since my response was terse, let me embelish a bit. The recommendations everyone gave are valid and appropriate for a new diver having the 'newbie jitters'...My response was based upon the traumatic experience you encountered and the physiological response you have towards RB. Lets some time pass to take the edge off of the event and then see how you feel. Clearly, education and experience will raise your confidence level.
Now Patrick.....pwfletcher:
Thats a bit of a "stretch"
In an emergency the Inspiration Scrubber can be pushed out way beyond normal recommended limits as long as one is not working very hard. Staying full CCR, 5 or 6 hours wouldn't be unheard of, switching it to a SCR mode probably another 20% or so (doing the flush removes the CO2 before it reaches the scrubber, the more flushes the shorter your gas supply will last but less stress on scrubber).
After all this fails you still have Open Circuit bailout as an option...
And Patrick, Thanks for the kind words...
Joe
padiscubapro:Now Patrick.....
Thats a bit of a "stretch"
In an emergency the Inspiration Scrubber can be pushed out way beyond normal recommended limits as long as one is not working very hard. Staying full CCR, 5 or 6 hours wouldn't be unheard of, switching it to a SCR mode probably another 20% or so (doing the flush removes the CO2 before it reaches the scrubber, the more flushes the shorter your gas supply will last but less stress on scrubber).
After all this fails you still have Open Circuit bailout as an option...
And Patrick, Thanks for the kind words...
Joe
LOL ... yes, maybe 6 hours of scrubber in an emergency. However, with that whip that you made for my 40, I still have 40 hours of gas
I am still learning to exhale without producing any CO2 ... Zen and the art of underwater breath management.
OP
Scuba_Bree
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Thanks to everyone for your feedback, the responses have been varied, but all are appreciated.
I guess the reason I want to dive a RB is the same as everyone's - it's something different, to experience new things, to get closer to marine life without scaring them off with bubbles...
Obviously a SCR won't allow me to go deeper/stay longer/save on gas, but they're not important to me at this stage in my diving. I don't think I'm diving the Dolphin "for the wrong reasons", I'm certainly not forcing myself to dive it to "save face" or anything like that. And since I don't feel at ease on it, I haven't dived it since the course, so I'm not doing anything daft.
The first few replies made me think that maybe RB diving was just something I wasn't meant for, and it was well past time for me to admit that and chuck in the towel, but the last few have made me think differently. To know that others didn't feel comfortable on their RB to start with is reassuring.
I don't know about y'all, but when I did my OW training I certainly wouldn't have felt at ease being at 180', but now it's a piece of cake. I'm thinking it's similar for RB's - it's new, and it'll take a bit of getting used to. I know the first time I had to flood my mask in my OW course I freaked, now having it kicked off my face or ripped off in training dives is a mere annoyance. That proves to me that it is possible to train myself to feel more comfortable with things which used to worry me.
For those who told me I am "an accident waiting to happen", that was pretty unconstructive... just because I may feel uncomfortable does not automatically mean I'm a candidate for a Darwin award. Similarly, to tell me I need to get some confidence on the unit made me laugh... I know that's what I need to do, and I want to do that, I just wasn't sure how. I asked my instructor about it and he suggested we go together for another dive on it, but I know that's not going to be enough. That's why I posted it on here
To everyone who gave suggestions on how to feel more comfortable, I really appreciate them. I think I might throw it on and jump back in the pool and start from the beginning again, just get some more time on it in a place where I felt secure. Drysuit Dave, thanks heaps for your post, I'm going to have a chat to my instructor about what you suggested. Once I'm happy with everything in the pool, maybe we'll go to a easy local site and start off just floating on the surface for a while looking down on the other divers, then move down to 5', then 10', then 15' etc...
Thanks Chris for the tip RE the book, I'm off to Amazon now. Thanks to Chuck for the Dolphin tips, I appreciate them. Dean, if after more pool sessions my move back to OW still gives me issues that I think are memory-related, I might message you for some more info. MikeR, I love your suggestion RE the exercise bike, but I initially felt great in the pool, so I might just go back to the pool and mosey about in the shallow end for a while.
I appreciate all the views expressed so far, and if anyone else has some ideas for how to get more comfortable I'd appreciate hearing them. I'm going to take things really slowly, and if in a month's time I'm still not "there", I'll re-evaluate how important it is to me to beat this thing.
I guess the reason I want to dive a RB is the same as everyone's - it's something different, to experience new things, to get closer to marine life without scaring them off with bubbles...
Obviously a SCR won't allow me to go deeper/stay longer/save on gas, but they're not important to me at this stage in my diving. I don't think I'm diving the Dolphin "for the wrong reasons", I'm certainly not forcing myself to dive it to "save face" or anything like that. And since I don't feel at ease on it, I haven't dived it since the course, so I'm not doing anything daft.
The first few replies made me think that maybe RB diving was just something I wasn't meant for, and it was well past time for me to admit that and chuck in the towel, but the last few have made me think differently. To know that others didn't feel comfortable on their RB to start with is reassuring.
I don't know about y'all, but when I did my OW training I certainly wouldn't have felt at ease being at 180', but now it's a piece of cake. I'm thinking it's similar for RB's - it's new, and it'll take a bit of getting used to. I know the first time I had to flood my mask in my OW course I freaked, now having it kicked off my face or ripped off in training dives is a mere annoyance. That proves to me that it is possible to train myself to feel more comfortable with things which used to worry me.
For those who told me I am "an accident waiting to happen", that was pretty unconstructive... just because I may feel uncomfortable does not automatically mean I'm a candidate for a Darwin award. Similarly, to tell me I need to get some confidence on the unit made me laugh... I know that's what I need to do, and I want to do that, I just wasn't sure how. I asked my instructor about it and he suggested we go together for another dive on it, but I know that's not going to be enough. That's why I posted it on here
To everyone who gave suggestions on how to feel more comfortable, I really appreciate them. I think I might throw it on and jump back in the pool and start from the beginning again, just get some more time on it in a place where I felt secure. Drysuit Dave, thanks heaps for your post, I'm going to have a chat to my instructor about what you suggested. Once I'm happy with everything in the pool, maybe we'll go to a easy local site and start off just floating on the surface for a while looking down on the other divers, then move down to 5', then 10', then 15' etc...
Thanks Chris for the tip RE the book, I'm off to Amazon now. Thanks to Chuck for the Dolphin tips, I appreciate them. Dean, if after more pool sessions my move back to OW still gives me issues that I think are memory-related, I might message you for some more info. MikeR, I love your suggestion RE the exercise bike, but I initially felt great in the pool, so I might just go back to the pool and mosey about in the shallow end for a while.
I appreciate all the views expressed so far, and if anyone else has some ideas for how to get more comfortable I'd appreciate hearing them. I'm going to take things really slowly, and if in a month's time I'm still not "there", I'll re-evaluate how important it is to me to beat this thing.
I think it isa great idea for you to start from the begining go to the pool dont set time limits take as long as you need this isnt a race you have your whole life ahead of you to either feel comfortable with the rb or stay with oc.
i am fortunate that i have never been uncomfortatle under the water it took me about 5 mins to feel natural diving with my scr i am lucky or maybe it is due to the fact i lived near the lake all my life?
in that fact i feel more comfortable under water then on top!!!
just like you did in your ow take baby steps until you are 100 percent confident in your equiptment and remember things are and will happen try to stay calm cool and colect while it is happening.
look at what you said about mask clearing you mastered that and it is annoying to you when the mask gets flooded or torn off your face.
never dive beyond your means and you will do just fine.
if someone is busting your chops ignore it that isnt a friend!
one thing i have to add here now that i am rambling on is you are worng about your dolphin you can dive deep,stay longer and you will save on alot of gas compared to oc.
here is 1 example for you, 55 mins @ 145-150 ft then 120 ft for 15 mins and used 900 pds of gas on a 65 steal tank!(yes i carry a deco tank) yes there was about a 80 min hang if i remember corectly
the question is how much would you have used on oc?
take your time there is nothing wrong with that and if after time you are still not comfortable sell the unit and dive oc and have fun!
i am fortunate that i have never been uncomfortatle under the water it took me about 5 mins to feel natural diving with my scr i am lucky or maybe it is due to the fact i lived near the lake all my life?
in that fact i feel more comfortable under water then on top!!!
just like you did in your ow take baby steps until you are 100 percent confident in your equiptment and remember things are and will happen try to stay calm cool and colect while it is happening.
look at what you said about mask clearing you mastered that and it is annoying to you when the mask gets flooded or torn off your face.
never dive beyond your means and you will do just fine.
if someone is busting your chops ignore it that isnt a friend!
one thing i have to add here now that i am rambling on is you are worng about your dolphin you can dive deep,stay longer and you will save on alot of gas compared to oc.
here is 1 example for you, 55 mins @ 145-150 ft then 120 ft for 15 mins and used 900 pds of gas on a 65 steal tank!(yes i carry a deco tank) yes there was about a 80 min hang if i remember corectly
the question is how much would you have used on oc?
take your time there is nothing wrong with that and if after time you are still not comfortable sell the unit and dive oc and have fun!
fins wake
Guest
Thank you for sharing and my heartfelt commisserations on the loss of your friend!Scuba_Bree:
Hardly strange, it must have been a terrifically traumatic experience. Don't feel ashamed or embarrassed about seeking counseling. I know a few people who've run into stressful situations (e.g. police or military work) and they immediately seek counseling. It's standard procedure.Scuba_Bree:
Ok, here's the easy part!Don't dive the unit! Don't let the buzzword of "RB diving" become a millstone around your neck. You don't have to try to adapt to learn to love RB diving. If it works, it works. If not, you can do almost all the dives you want to OC instead. Arguably, all of them actually.Scuba_Bree:
Diving a rebreather isn't cool. It's a tool.
If I were you I'd revert back to OC diving immediately and make sure you enjoy the sport again. Who knows, maybe a year or two from now you might want to do a revision, perhaps redo the course or even try another make of rebreather. But RB diving isn't a natural progression for everyone, or maybe even most divers. If you can do the dives just as happily on OC, do it. If you feel you need the tool, and have the skills and confidence to know you're not going to die on your unit, ever, then try it again and see how you feel. You're no less of a diver if you never do, and you never need motivate your decisions to your friends or fellow divers. Take pride in diving OC.
I was tempted to ignore this, as it's already been fully covered on another forum. I feel I have to state thatlandfish:
(a) the dive quoted is not to be done on the standard Dräger, all the more so knowing the bailout options - or lack thereof - of the diver in question
(b) this is the wrong thread to advocate RB diving in at all, for reasons evident.
I'll rephrase it again. RB diving doesn't just require "getting used to", it requires growing a new mindset. If a SCR dive with an instructor feels less useful than anonymous advice in cyberspace, don't dive the unit. That is no slight on the Dräger or any other make of RB.
Now go forth, Scuba Bree, and enjoy diving!
lack of bail out?????? i see things can be obviously read wrong or missed the options that i dive with
you are right about another thread but i was posting that just to show him that it can be used beyond the recreational limits that is all.
i aggree to either go back to the pool or stay away till another time
you are right about another thread but i was posting that just to show him that it can be used beyond the recreational limits that is all.
i aggree to either go back to the pool or stay away till another time
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