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leptonyx · 31st March 2006, 21:05

Hi Rebreather World

Let me introduce myself:

I started diving rebreathers about two years ago (Draeger Dolphin) and have been reading and researching SCR and CCR models since then with growing enthusiasm. Previously, I had been diving OC since 1990, mostly warmer waters, but went to Northern Norway for the first time in 1998 and in fact moved to the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard (also known as Spitsbergen) in 1999. There I started diving under the sea ice, which is done up here routinely for scientific purposes and from research ships, helicopter campaigns, and winter (snowscooter) trips. Recently I have spent most of of my in-water time along the Antarctic Peninsula, hence the screen name and location

Diving under sea ice is (quite literally) a very cool thing to do, there was only one problem (no, not freezing regulators, that is not rated as "problem", just "occasional nuisance"): those damned bubbles!

Obviously, if you are working and looking up all the time, hunting krill and other small critters under the ice, or trying to collect very precise samples of the ice/water interface with quantitative instruments, you do not want to pollute or disturb your work by just being there!

But alas, sooner or later you have to exhale, and that's it (for that sampling spot).

So, after years of deliberations and discussions (safety issues, insurance issues, "new gear" vs. "approved gear"

and so on) I finally managed to get a SCR system for my work, got certified, and started using it - and have been happy with it ever since (except when I have to hand it in to the logistics guys in between missions).

So if anybody wonders how a SCR works under "extreme cold conditions", I can assure you: just fine in the Arctic, and even better in the Antarctic!

But now I wonder: how about bringing CCR's under the ice? Any comments?

31st March 2006, 21:05	#1 (permalink)
leptonyx New Member Current Rebreather/s: Dolphin Other SCR Other Rebreather/s: Dolphin Other SCR Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Longyearbyen, Svalbard Posts: 55	hello from The Ice! Hi Rebreather World Let me introduce myself: I started diving rebreathers about two years ago (Draeger Dolphin) and have been reading and researching SCR and CCR models since then with growing enthusiasm. Previously, I had been diving OC since 1990, mostly warmer waters, but went to Northern Norway for the first time in 1998 and in fact moved to the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard (also known as Spitsbergen) in 1999. There I started diving under the sea ice, which is done up here routinely for scientific purposes and from research ships, helicopter campaigns, and winter (snowscooter) trips. Recently I have spent most of of my in-water time along the Antarctic Peninsula, hence the screen name and location Diving under sea ice is (quite literally) a very cool thing to do, there was only one problem (no, not freezing regulators, that is not rated as "problem", just "occasional nuisance"): those damned bubbles! Obviously, if you are working and looking up all the time, hunting krill and other small critters under the ice, or trying to collect very precise samples of the ice/water interface with quantitative instruments, you do not want to pollute or disturb your work by just being there! But alas, sooner or later you have to exhale, and that's it (for that sampling spot). So, after years of deliberations and discussions (safety issues, insurance issues, "new gear" vs. "approved gear" and so on) I finally managed to get a SCR system for my work, got certified, and started using it - and have been happy with it ever since (except when I have to hand it in to the logistics guys in between missions). So if anybody wonders how a SCR works under "extreme cold conditions", I can assure you: just fine in the Arctic, and even better in the Antarctic! But now I wonder: how about bringing CCR's under the ice? Any comments? Last edited by leptonyx : 31st March 2006 at 21:09.
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