Greetings all,
My name is Richard and I think I have a diving problem. :-)
I thought it was about time I introduce myself here. You can only lurk for so long if you've got great interest in rebreathers. So, I've been diving intensely for one year now (divorced with lots of time on my hands). My
100th dive just passed on the
USS Oriskany last weekend (on OC). My varied experience has been obtained in places such as Qatar, Dubai, Oman, Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Puget Sound, and lots of fresh water lakes/
rivers which includes one dark, deep, cold,
Atlas ICBM missile silo (110ffw). From cold,
rippin', current in a dry suit to deep water night dives in the Gulf, it's been
a lot of fun so far. Trips scheduled for the rest of the year include Lake Michigan, Atlantic [NC], and Pacific [CA]. Training so far includes Rescue, IANTD Nitrox, CPR, and First Aid.
I've been bitten by the dive bug pretty badly. I eat, sleep, and breathe diving. It has become clear to me that my passion lies with wreck diving. It really intrigues me. It's the mystery. It's the aspect of exploration. There's something special to seeing a piece of history lying on the sea floor; something that not many get to see (i.e., U352, etc). It's most likely a pipe dream but to find a virgin wreck would be the ultimate for me. Aside from that, I wait with anticipation for wrecks such as Andria Doria and locations like Scapa Flow until I am ready to do them with a rebreather. To facilitate my passion, my personal research has shown me that I can do it more safely, efficiently, and longer with the use of a rebreather. Safety is paramount for me. I have two kids that rely on me to be there for them. I need them as much as they need me and I refuse to let either of us down. You'll find that I love a challenge but will do so with
managing the risk as much as possible. I'm more of a "How *can* we do this?" type of person. So, I started the education process on rebreathers several months ago in earnest. After devouring a few "Rebreather Basics" articles on Rebreather World, "Mastering Rebreathers" was read soon after. I'm a technical person by nature and profession. Although I won't pass up any type of dive (reef, wall, night, etc), technical diving and specifically wreck diving is really in my blood.
Intently researching the current crop of rebreather hardware has led me to ISC for my type of diving. I'm very interested in a Megalodon. In fact, I spoke to Steven at great length yesterday about the purchasing process and the upcoming APECS version. For the record, I was told the current wait time on a Meg is 3 months. For some reason, I had it in my head (read it somewhere) that it was one year. I feel I'll be ready for a rebreather early next year and wanted to get the order in the que. After the discussion, it turns out there will be a price increase with the new APECS version so I have to wait anyway for that determination. I have tentatively chosen a instructor but will reserve any names until I do some more research here. I don't want to start a controversy on my first post. Hehe... :-) My plan is to have the formal maiden voyage with the Meg on a trip to Roatan I've slated for May/June 2007. I figure this week long trip will allow me to get in lots of dives, raise my comfort level and get into the groove with operating the Meg in a setting that will keep me confined to some degree.
I must say that I was really looking forward to learning a lot from Rob (BJD) since he lived in my neck of the woods. Although I did not know him for long, I was excited to have another rebreather nut nearby to dive with. I'll miss the rebreather knowledge transfer and most of all gaining a friend. He was somone to really look up to. I miss him.
I come here with an open mind and a strong appetite for learning. I'll be spending more and more time here reading/lurking/learning. There's no doubt questions will come. For those questions where answers could not be found, I'll ask the community. I'm not one to argue but you might find me asking "why" quite a bit. There's no doubt I will challenge you on particular topics but I do so only because I strive to have complete understanding.
Cheers,
Richard
"Diving - It's better than crack."
.