Discover RBs - and it sucked...

grandizer52

Hanssing

The harness was quite snug, but it could be that the CLs were not properly adjusted. As the unit was not taken off between the Pool and the Ocean dive, I didn't get to check, and frankly I dont quite remember. I just remeber the CLs riding high up to my ears....

The worst was the mouthpiece, but I'm sure that could be much better with proper adjustment. I had to grap the DSV and set it right, and then bite down hard multiple times through the dive

Luckily I'm still into the gear, so more dives to come.

Nicolai

NickK

Hi Nicolai,

This is exactly what happened with me on the second day of my Inspo Classic course. I wanted up, out of water, out of that uncomfortable piece of equipment and out of course..........
Things were better at the end of the day. Much better by the end of the course.
Year and a half later thinking about my first hours on Rebreather make me smile

Good luck,

Nick

Jeffrey C Gershen

Rite of passage. After many years of oc diving at all levels, I took a Prism CCR course with a great instructor, spent 4 hour in a pool and two dives at a PA quarry, approx 5 hours. Also at least 12 hours of course work, etc. Felt like a first confined water oc diver. Bouyancy control which in oc is dead on was atrocious, embarrasingly so. But, and listen up, 4+ years ago I dove at Cocos and Malpelo, 30+ dives with a dolphin, Although an scr, noise and bubbles were at a minimum. The ability to get up close and personal with big critters was unbelievable!!!! I have not let my initial frustration get the best of me nor should you. Find the Rebreather that fits your needs, tweak it to fit your misson, and be patient. Although I don't know for sure, I am absolutely convinced it will be worht it.

dive2dive2000

First time I tried a Rebreather was in my friends pool, I was just certified and had no Idea about anything. Don't hold your breath and don't run out of air were my only diving concerns Took about 4-5 breaths and thought this is crazy seems too natural, I felt the onset of panic and surfaced before it set in. I knew it was the only way to dive, I also knew I would not attempt ccr again until I was totally comfortable in the water. Second time around took my PRISM ccr course with a friend. Unfortunily for me he was the 1 in a thousand strapped it on his back and dove like he was diving CCR for years, very frustrating it took about 20hrs for me and things started to sort out.
I remember Andrew Driver saying "First 25 hrs you feel like what the hell did I spend all this money for, around 50hrs you feel like wow this ccr stuff is great I now know it all, around 100hrs you realize how much you don't know and need to learn"(BTW very, very true). Hope it pans out and you stick with it. Sorta like first class the only way to fly

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Safe Diving,
Martin

nigelh

Reading your description of the unit somebody has trashed it so problems are to be expected.

Try diving a real one. You could be pleasently surprised.

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nigelh

Gill Envy

from the picture I can't see the waist strap or the counter lung straps and the wing looks non-standard. I'm wondering if they modified the unit/removed some of the harness and added something like an OMS BC wing.

Along with the standard harness, I added the crotch strap which has helped me keep the unit in place as well, effectively lengthening the loop hoses. The angle of the mouth piece makes a whole lot of difference on jaw fatigue...it is adjustible.

That siad, still, the whole process of learning so far has had it's ups and downs , sometimes a pain in the ass and now more often a blissful experience. It has openned up a whole new world in diving for me, that is for sure. There was a time when I was loosing interest in diving toward the end of my oc days, now I can't get enough, it feels like a lifetime of adventure and learning has begun.

The try outs can be as misleading as they are helpful in getting a general sense of CCR diving, I don't think you tend to learn much about the merits of the individual unit. After a few try outs I think it's best to determine whether you really need the benefits of CCR and if so, then choose which unit best suits your needs based on design and just go for it... the rest will work it's self out in time.

good luck

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Gill Envy

...Because I wasn't born with gills!
><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>

Tom Rose

I have observed during my life that kids are smarter than adults about fun things....if it ain't fun....they stop doing it...Adults seem to keep banging their heads against walls....golf for instance....

I was lucky, it just kinda worked for me....but I must admit each time I switch from OC to Rebreather I have little difficulties. Hell when I switch BCs I have difficulties.

Step back....Maybe try another system at first....I strongly recommend a pure O2 unit in a pool or shallow water where you add O2 when you start to sink.

Its amazing how much fun that sort of unit is if you have the right place to dive.

Then move down (depth wise) to MCCR or ECCR after you have those first easy dives.

None of the guys I have started on a simple rig had any stress....This is supposed to be fun....you can dive to the Doria a little later...

Tom Rose

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The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime I have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability I'll get it wrong the first time.

www.atlimp.com

Abbo

I did a Mod 1 with a couple of units last year before deciding to put in an order for a Meg. I can really relate to your dilemma: for safety reasons, when you are in training you are put first in a swimming pool and then in shallow sea. CCRs aren't meant for such bathtub diving: it's massive overkill, just like sling tanks and doubles would be at that depth. The appropriate equipment choice would be a snorkel or a single tank. When you first start, all units seem like shite, and yet you have to make a decision between them and pay a fortune for them. I get the strong impression that a lot of people pick a charismatic instructor that they trust and go along with his advice on machine. Then they start preaching on street corners about how their unit's the Way, the Truth and the Life. I think I was right first time: they're all dangerous shite that will kill me if I'm not careful. But I'm less frightened of dying than of failing to really live. I won't be using a rebreather for what it was intended till I get through Mod 3, by which time I will have too much invested in it to turn back. Mod 1 was the first time in forever that I had to dive somebody else's kit. The dangly bids weren't squared away like I like them. The cutters weren't there where I need them, and if something went wrong I'd have to depend on somebody else to save my sorry arse, which wasn't a condition I was happy with. When it came down to it, though, the sparkle had gone out of OC and I needed something new. The OC kit gets the Viking Funeral. Come and join the party.

Hanssing

Thankyou to all for your replies,

First, let me say, that allthough my 25mins was not as successfull as hoped it has not deterred me. When I started windsurfing its was hard and took a lot of traning, but then it became really fun.

The dive I had was not all bad, just a lot of things that was annoying besides the boyancy, which I got the hang of (it just needed a lot of concentration).
Actually the method I used was to swin slowly enough that I could use the particles in front of my mask, as a clear indication of, if I was going up or down, and then adjust for this. This was of course slow - but then again it was not a race

I'll soon do some pooltrainning with a dolphin, and I'll write how it goes.

BTW: I think this tread should be placed in 'New to Rebreathers ' ,
so any moderator pls feel free to move it.

Reagrds
Nicolai Hanssing