Minimum amount of diving to keep proficient with ECCR?

Jordan

I need to dive twice a week to feel comfortable over 3000 feet back in a cave.

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Is it clear? No. Well, let's go anyways.

"Those who would sacrifice a little freedom for a little order, will lose both, and deserve neither." Thomas Jefferson

silent running

Hello all, I'm probably in the minority here, I don't dive for months at a time btw trips, then it's 12 or more days of diving in a row. Sure, the first few dives are a bit of a refresher and done more cautiously, but once the routine sets in, it all comes back.

I've found that the repetition of the my pre and post and dive routines over many days, many trips has made them pretty hard to forget. And the fact that my unit is very simple to operate and maintain makes getting comfortable again after taking long breaks that much easier. Planning for trips to far away places-buying spares, dip tests, packing-also has helped keep me focused on the unit and it's operation before I hit the water again. The fact that I now have more hrs on RBs than OC and don't dive OC at all anymore probably helps too.

I think the minimum amout of hrs to keep up skills is dependent on many different factors... -Andy

hoppyinca

so, I am still a newbie... but as with most things it gets easier and easier the more you do it, thus with more experience the longer the break the less the worry...

to a point... "complacency kills" ya know...

The big thing, I think, is to have a set routine for pre-dive checks. I actually have a physical check list which I use. Not a "re-useable" checklist, paper and ink. this also gives me a "material history" if you will of what type of different issues I have or have not had in the past or repeatedly.

my 2-cents...

hoppyinca

decoweenie

Legendary tales have been passing down the generations, and one of them goes...

If you put a penny in a jar each time you have sex with your wife during the first year of marriage, then take one out each time after the first year. You will spend the rest of your life taking them out...

So I have been told...

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"...after a while you get bored offering advice to a bull that like to keep butting the fence with its head rather than walking through the open gate..."

- Rebreather World PM

Ant Slegg

Can I throw in some recent Boris experience?

Training course - May 2006.
Dive - September 2006

Then...
Job moves from Den Haag to Luxembourg (with partner and two small boys) diving opportunities go to zero.

Then...
May 2007 - Dive trip to Isles of Scilly (dives in 30 to 40+m range)
Initially nervous but found that setting up the unit and
following all the prompts/checks through made a hell of a
difference (as did having other Rebreather divers around)
As for diving the unit - no real problem, really enjoyed
the dives.

One point - I did spend a fair amount of time with the unit and the manual before the trip started.

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Ant' S
Learning to dive since 1990...