Rebreather rescue training??

[almitywife]

hi guys..... im wondering if there is any training available for those of us that are going to be diving with rebreather buddies?

not that ever want to put rescue theory into reality but.......

cheers

 

[PerroneFord]

I took the first three days of an air diluent CCR course for this VERY reason. This included the first lecture on theory, a day in the shop stripping and rebuilding the unit, and time in the water learning to dive and operate the unit.

I found it VERY informative, and it allowed me to understand what the dangers are for RB divers, some telltale signs of trouble, etc. I'd highly recommend this if you can do it.

 

[Mr.X]

Very interesting question and wise too. There are some procedures for accident scenarios. It depends hugely on the scenario.

Overall, the biggest bit of advice I can give is to talk to the diver about their unit and the placement of all the add valves - dil and oxygen. Next go through a realistic scenario with the CCR diver and see what their recommendations are regarding rescue on that unit. Certified CCR divers should have some knowledge of buddy and self rescue techniques. If they are evasive, weird or look at you with dull eyes I'd start thinking about choosing some other person to dive with.

Additionally, the CCR diver (IMO) should be carrying some type of bailout bottle as a part of their standard kit. Some divers might opt for the Alpinist route (minimal/no redundancy) and may know what they are doing, but I would consider that they are not carrying anything for anybody and typically dive alone.

X

 

[almitywife]

Thanks guys..... i cant attend hubbys ccr course as im stuck in sydney working but ive decided im going to read that mastering rebreathers book followed by the MEG manual/coursebook hubby is currently working on.

im planning on knowing the unit well enough to be able to put it together to dive it (not that hubby would trust me to do that, its like being able to change a tire i suppose-i could do it if i had to)

my concern comes from the "what if" situations and how i can assist in any way.

other than closing the loop and not loosing the unit what can i do?

if its O2 related is there anything i should be doing differently than the standard padi rescue advise?

thanks Mr X for the senario advise, i think thats something hubby and i will have to start talking about.

im not expecting you guys to answer but these are the newb questions that im starting to think about

cheers

 

[Mr.X]

Thanks guys..... i cant attend hubbys ccr course as im stuck in sydney working but ive decided im going to read that mastering rebreathers book followed by the MEG manual/coursebook hubby is currently working on.

im planning on knowing the unit well enough to be able to put it together to dive it (not that hubby would trust me to do that, its like being able to change a tire i suppose-i could do it if i had to)

my concern comes from the "what if" situations and how i can assist in any way.

other than closing the loop and not loosing the unit what can i do?

if its O2 related is there anything i should be doing differently than the standard padi rescue advise?

thanks Mr X for the senario advise, i think thats something hubby and i will have to start talking about.

im not expecting you guys to answer but these are the newb questions that im starting to think about

cheers

You have very valid concerns and I appreciate the fact that you are asking some very important questions. You could visit the very contentious Rebreatherworld and have a say - however, expect a nasty dogfight to ensue over a simple question. There are many 'experts' there. What's nice about SB is that there are a few here that actively dive/teach CCR and can give you advice without the flames.

I don't remember if hubby is using the eccr, or mccr Meg. However, one good thing about the Meg is that it has a flashing HUD. Some units like Boris/Cis Lunar are equipped with a buddy indicator light that lets someone know what's going on with the PO2. I would often look at the Cis- Lunar and get a good idea of what my Cis-equipped buddy was doing. Comforting. Additionally, you should be able to see the flashing of the MEG HUD light against the mask. If you see the movie "The Cave" the HUD is visible. If you see a a gazillion red blinks, or a gazillion green blinks you should be asking to see the handsets. BTW- the LED sequence of the HUD takes some getting used.

If someone is ox-toxing...you would add dil to the loop (if the mouthpiece is still intact) and get them to the surface while periodically venting the CCR/drysuit/BCD and adding dil. With rescue of unconscious diver it is typically adding dil. (as a known mix). However, if the dil. is something hugely helium-based (hypoxic mix) the protocols will change. Given that your hubby is just starting out - he'll be certified as an air dil. ccr diver. No worries there with regards to dil. %.

All the best with hubby!

X

 

[chickdiver]

I second the suggestion of learning the HUD code. It's very simple, and you will easily be able to see it reflected in his mask. You'll also want to ask what PO2 he is planing to run for the dive- so you know what to expect the HUD read to be. The material in Mastering Rebreathers and the manual will help as well. I don't know what agency your husband is certifying through- but I would HIGHLY recommend the ANDI Meg manual. The IANTD manual basically sucks. Assembling the Meg is really straightforward. You'll also want to familiarize yourself with the pre-dive checklist. The one thing we never have redundancy of is a brain, so an extra set of eyes during assembly and pre dive checks might catch something you miss, especially in the early days on the unit. Diving mixed teams is really not difficult, we do it a lot. If you have any questions about how we approach it, feel free to ask.

Best,
Heather

 

[wedivebc]

Once hubby completes his training I am sure he'll be more than happy to share some skills and knowledge with you as far as rescue goes. When I teach a rescue course I always (well for the last 2 years anyway) do at least one dive with my rebreather. This exposes the students to some different technology and how to deal with RB equipped divers.
When are you buying your meg anyway?

 

[almitywife]

thanks guys.... heather, i just checked and he has the ANDI manual so he seems to be prepariing with the right info

Dave.... meg is ordered and "ready to be shipped shortly" according to a email 4 days ago! he went with the eccr and training to start June 19th

cheers....more info to digest, im registered for RW but wont stick my head up over there so your imput is really apprecated!!

thanks

 

[scubanimal]

Almity,
Its wonderful that you are thinking about it. I'll echo some inputs that suggest you discuss the unit with your hubby during prep and afterwards. Many things have to be learned over (like bouyancy) so please don't become to alarmed if he looks a bit 'newbie' to you. As part of his course, RB specific rescue considerations should have been discussed, I'm sure he'd be happy to pass those on.
Beyond that I would like to impress that even though you may be on OC, he can not go solo diving. Solo diving in this context is anytime your buddy is not within an arms reach. Most of the nasty RB accidents the individual was alone, they may have had a buddy but not with him/her. Its very tempting to want to get away from the noisy bubble blowers, but not wise at this stage.
The other suggestion is talk with him, its hard enough to get guys to talk much but many of us will go on & on when talking about our dive gear and a recent training class. Talking will accomplish a few things, one provide you some confidence in RBs and that he is ok to do it, two inform you a bit (we guys like to show off our knowledge), and three, help solidify his knowledge from the recent training, which will help him.

Having had a recent incident during training, and the author of your book being my instructor, we found that over thinking the rescue and trying to be Rebreather specific was, in hindsight, not the best thing. The plain old, tried and true, basic diving first aid would have been best. Having buddies there to take care, tow me in, and look after me for a few hours is why I'm able to comfortably sit here and explain this. Oh, the incident was not RB related, I just happened to be on an RB when things got bad. I think you are doing wonderful and seem very commited to helping your hubby stay safe. Wish I could get my wife to take a bit more interest in how she would rescue me if I needed it; she's still afraid of the gear.

 

[Black Jack]

I would suggest reading a couple of the rebreatherworld articles such as:

http://www.rebreatherworld.com/gene...37-how-deal-unconscious-rebreather-diver.html

This article deals with the most common rebreather problems. Rebreatherworld is just like any other internet forum with both good and bad advice along with plenty of opinionated folks. Glad to hear you are supportive of your husband's habit.