Rebreather or not?

[doctormike]

Do a few "test" or "try dive" with several different RB's and you'll be able to answer your own questions
Later,
John

Actually, I can't think of a single one of his questions that would be answered by a try dive. I certified on a rental unit, and didn't buy my JJ until after I had completed mod 1. I did that on purpose, even though it cost me extra, because before certification you don't even really know what sort of questions to ask, what comparisons to make.

A try dive is fine, but many people say that their demo experience was nothing like what it was like once they started diving a CCR.

 

[doctormike]

I'm 31 years old and in reasonable shape. I am very interested in Dive Training and like training hard and I'm looking for a challenge to my diving.

I think that this is a good reason to consider a CCR. I really love it, and I feel that it has made me excited about diving again. A lot of what I love about it is all of the thinking, reading, training and discussing that happens when learning to dive closed circuit.

I'm probably never going to be diving to 100 meters, I started at age 54, and even though I had done a good bit of OC tech diving before this, I never did trimix. It sounds like you might be heading down a more advanced pathway, so not a bad idea to start now if it's where you want to end up.

I agree that 130 dives isn't that much, but I have had more than one rebreather instructor tell me that it's sometimes harder to train a very experienced OC diver than a relatively newer one (within limits). More to unlearn when you become a newbie again!

 

[Dave Bevan]

Hi Doc.

I certainly think a try dive is a great idea. However I'm a little aware that human nature may mean that I never want to go back to OC and force me into rushing into buying a rebreather like a child at Christmas.

I think you are right in the sense that most of my questions would be better answered by a discussion with an instructor. I am planning to have this soon. However I like to get info from a number of sources so here I am seeing what the community thinks.

 

[Dave Bevan]

I will certainly enjoy the challenge of learning CC. Part of why I did this is because it helps to justify why I live abroad and work hard. It's taking an opportunity I have been given in my life and making the most of it while I can. It's a way of stopping myself wasting the money I earn as an expat on drinking and holidays and then returning after 4 years with little to show for it.

Thing is that makes it hard is if I could dive CC in Saudi it wouldn't be such an issue.

It means I have a lot of issues about weight of the unit for flying etc. I need something easy and light. However for the moment to me it's a training decision and once I've made that decision I can start looking at the different units and deciding which if any suit my needs.

 

[BoltSnap]

@Dave Bevan

You should hook up with Capt. Mahmoud Zahran. He is a NAUI Course Director trainer based in Jeddah and is the top technical instructor there. He may help you to go technical diving there to increase your U/W time and, perhaps, go to more exciting technical dive sites there.

His FB page: www.facebook.com/InstractorMahmoud

If you send me your fb page link, I'd do the introduction.

 

[NAND]

@Dave Bevan

I live as an expat in West Africa currently- concerning flying I may take your fears. Most units are extremely light and easily fit when flying piece concept. (My rEvo normally weighs well below 23kg in a pelicase incl. some seals etc. as spares)

Depending where you reside you may require a booster for filling up your O2 and Dil bottle- this may be a point to concider in the later stage. The first time flowing over from bottles can do. Scrubbers require Sorb which you may have to either import (can assist with IATA letters in copy concerning the corrosive symbols on the containers) or purchase locally. I often got sorb from local hospitals for few cents- this may be of advantage to you as well.

Remember, some CCR such as the se7en only use pre-packed scrubbers- this may ruin your plans.

However, I feel you are on track and you will be CCR only soon

 

[KevinNM]

You can get training through GUE tech 2 in UAE, and there are a lot more GUE CCR instructors than there were the last time I looked. So unless you have some good reason to hate the JJ you might consider doing it that way. It's actually less courses than for many other agencies to get to hypoxic trimix. You don't have to take cave 1 to take tech 2. You only need to have cave 1 to teach tech 1.

 

[doctormike]

You can get training through GUE tech 2 in UAE, and there are a lot more GUE CCR instructors than there were the last time I looked. So unless you have some good reason to hate the JJ you might consider doing it that way. It's actually less courses than for many other agencies to get to hypoxic trimix. You don't have to take cave 1 to take tech 2. You only need to have cave 1 to teach tech 1.

The JJ is awesome, but it is not light!

 

[_Ralph]

So, in review: tech pass in fundies, looking to eventually do 100m dives in exploration environments?

Why do "Extended Range Limited Trimix" and then more GUE courses rather than go directly to Tech 1? You'll get down to 51m, 21/35, 18/45, 50% or 100% with 30min of deco.

As for the RB portion. GUE has a stance of adding it into your diving after learning OC skills with multiple bottles (post Tech 2). Once you have your RB, you're good to go (gradually, no sense in doing a 400ft RB dive right after the course). No MOD 1, MOD 2, MOD 3, etc.

As for your future goal of 100m exploration. Do you have people or group of people in mind to do this with? What are their certifications?

It's a lot easier to do a dive like that if everyone is on the same page from the same background ... is it a GUE dive, a TDI dive, a DIR/DIKR/DIRW dive? (ex: I have no problems doing a GUE Tech 1 dive with any GUE Tech 1 diver from anywhere in the world after just meeting on the boat before splashing .... not so much with anyone from outside that training until after a few dives, and I would hope for the same reaction if I was to join in on someone else's dive - other training).

RB aren't cheap (GUE JJ is roughly 15-18K all said and done), and getting to those depths takes a while (either through MODs or GUE). Two different approaches......


I'm in a similar boat in regards to location .... I'm 12hrs away from where I do my tech diving and try to get out there for "long weekends" every month or so (averages out to be every 4 weeks), and when diving locally, it's shallow fresh water diving. For me, I don't have a giant pile of funds, but do have enough to keep my happy with a Tech 1 level with fun toys (cameras, scooters, and warm water travel every year). Maybe in upcoming years I may go on to Tech 2, but that's only if there are more dives that I really want to do, and can keep up the commitment of Tech 2 dives .... or I move over some mountain ranges closer to a coast.....


_R

 

[The Chairman]

If you're asking if it's right for you, then you're not ready. You'll know if/when it's time.