New Azimuth Diver: Coming Soon

Icejon · 12th November 2007, 23:03

Hello Rebreather World,

I have been lurking here for many months researching this amazing type of diving. I finally decided to introduce myself even though I am not certified yet. Everyone here have made so many helpful posts that I have taken to thought leading me to buy an Azimuth.

I am brand new OC diver with 2 dives to my name as well as a (temporary Nitrox certification). I plan to spend the rest of my local diving life as a rebreather diver so I am starting early. It has been an experience finding the right kinds of people.

I have a story on how people have reacted to my interest in rebreathers. I once went to a LDS that is within 5 minutes of my house to buy some things. When I asked the manager to buy Christo-lube she asked me why I needed it, and I told her I was a rebreather diver and I needed it for my use and she started to chew me out and interrogate me. According to her, only rich, stupid people get into rebreathers and they are inherently dangerous. I asked why she was so hostile, and she mentioned her friend died on a rebreather. Being quite put off, I asked her how he died and she mentioned "rebreathers go deep, and shit happens". Because of one scowling face they won't get my business ever again. It is so weird how some people can be sensitive about this area of diving.

Anyhow, I have to wait until Christmas for my Azimuth to return from mfr. service as I bought it 2nd hand that is (oxygen cleaning, valve service, swapping out the gauges to PSI, etc etc). I had to send it to New Jersey. They even have to send my dosing block to Italy!

This means I have enough time to find a great instructor after Christmas. It has been frustrating to find instruction for the Azimuth as well as service since the distribution on this unit is so sparse. Training on the SCR Azimuth is expensive as well (within $500 of a ECCR or MCCR class) Right now I am in the process to decide between 3 instructors - two of which are very reputable (I could talk about finding an instructor forever).

Thanks guys for making this such a helpful resource. I look forward to no(less) bubbles come January when I finally get certified. I'd love to meet SCR divers in the Los Angeles area!

***caveseeker7*** · 13th November 2007, 00:53

Hi Icejon, welcome to Rebreather World.

The woman in the shop was probably more scowling about her dead friend than about rebreathers, but there are a lot of very ignorant people about them, especially in L.A.. Then again, there are a lot of ignorant people in L.A., period.

There are a couple of shops in the general area that support them with gas and sorb, and a few that actually sell them. SSA in Montclair, Hollywood Divers in North Hollywood, Beach City Scuba in Huntington Beach come to mind.

Azimuth instructors shouldn't be hard to find. Doub Ebersole here at Rebreather World (he's in FL, though) trains on the Azimuth. Who did you have in mind?

One thing I find curious: Why did you have to ship the Azimuth to New Jersey?

Divesafe, the US importer is in Las Vegas, Nevada. Met up with Mauricio last time I was there. O2 cleaning, valve service, switching gauge, none of that requires the manufacturer or any special shop, other than someone who's setup and trained to handle O2. SSA in Montclair I can recommend, excellent shop in that respect. Much of the hardware is Mares, so spares shouldn't be a problem in SoCal. Only the OMG bits are hard to come by and very expensive.

Icejon · 13th November 2007, 07:01

Quote: (Originally Posted by caveseeker7)

Hi Icejon, welcome to Rebreather World.

The woman in the shop was probably more scowling about her dead friend than about rebreathers, but there are a lot of very ignorant people about them, especially in L.A.. Then again, there are a lot of ignorant people in L.A., period.

There are a couple of shops in the general area that support them with gas and sorb, and a few that actually sell them. SSA in Montclair, Hollywood Divers in North Hollywood, Beach City Scuba in Huntington Beach come to mind.

Azimuth instructors shouldn't be hard to find. Doub Ebersole here at Rebreather World (he's in FL, though) trains on the Azimuth. Who did you have in mind?

One thing I find curious: Why did you have to ship the Azimuth to New Jersey?

Divesafe, the US importer is in Las Vegas, Nevada. Met up with Mauricio last time I was there. O2 cleaning, valve service, switching gauge, none of that requires the manufacturer or any special shop, other than someone who's setup and trained to handle O2. SSA in Montclair I can recommend, excellent shop in that respect. Much of the hardware is Mares, so spares shouldn't be a problem in SoCal. Only the OMG bits are hard to come by and very expensive.

When I was doing research on the azimuth I expected more of a price of $700 like divesafe lists online including course material, rental and fills. I contacted 3 instructors but, all three aren't perfect for some reasons.

One instructor would offer me the best (time/investment value) education over a 7 day period but would not be using an Azimuth alongside me. The class would be local with someone who wrote the book of rebreathers which are plusses. The class would involve me being a part of a group CCR class with others in KISS, Inspiration and other students so I would get a really thorough education. I contacted him on the phone and I could learn much from him, but can't afford to take a class that will be 7 days straight just to learn SCR.

Another instructor has a great reputation (a training director) as well and would offer me a private class over 2-4 weekends for less. My concerns are since he is out of the country, I haven't had a chance to talk to him on the phone and work out the details. He is also in San Diego or San Jose which would involve me staying down there. Since I haven't been able to talk to him on the phone, I haven't made my commitment to take his class.

The last instructor I did talk to on the phone and he dives his azimuth regularly. His class is the most economical and he would be using the same unit as I would in my training dives. One downside is that he lives in my hometown of Tallahassee and I would have to fly there and he is not as renown as the above two instructors.

Either way, I had to have full manufacturer service on my 2ndhand Azimuth so I contacted Divesafe. This was because the previous person took it all apart and I didnt know how to put it all back together. Divesafe are no longer in Vegas and have moved operations to Panama and referred me to the "only" certified azimuth repair shop (a place called diverstwo) in the usa. Even they have to ship my dosing block to OMG in Italy.

Between a Dolphin and an Azimuth, I am paying like $500-1000 more to be trained on an azimuth and I am jumping through alot of hoops.

***caveseeker7*** · 13th November 2007, 12:55

Sorry to hear that you're having such a hassle with getting your Azimuth into a diveable condition, hope you didn't pay much for it.

Regarding the instructors, and that's a long shot as I neither know if he still teaches, nor if he still teaches the Azimuth, you might want to try Wayne Miller. Good guy, good instructor, used to have an Rebreather shop in Riverside. Moved north into the boonies, somewhere close to the OR border, Fort something-or-other I think. But he used to come to Newport Beach pretty regurlary, doing work with Laguna Research.

You can contact him through ANDI Headquarters, just scroll down to Wayne Miller.

voodoogas · 12th January 2008, 00:15

Hopefully, Wayne contacted you and has you started. Once you have began your training, I told Wayne that you can use our pool for your practice sessions. It's about 90degrees and costs you nothing to use it. Have fun with your Az.

***caveseeker7*** · 12th January 2008, 06:53

Hi guys, glad you hooked up with one another and with Wayne as well.
Say 'hello' for, will ya.

And enjoy the Channel Islands, miss them.

12th November 2007, 23:03	#1 (permalink)
Icejon New Member Current Rebreather/s: Azimuth Other Rebreather/s: Azimuth Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 18	New Azimuth Diver: Coming Soon Hello Rebreather World, I have been lurking here for many months researching this amazing type of diving. I finally decided to introduce myself even though I am not certified yet. Everyone here have made so many helpful posts that I have taken to thought leading me to buy an Azimuth. I am brand new OC diver with 2 dives to my name as well as a (temporary Nitrox certification). I plan to spend the rest of my local diving life as a rebreather diver so I am starting early. It has been an experience finding the right kinds of people. I have a story on how people have reacted to my interest in rebreathers. I once went to a LDS that is within 5 minutes of my house to buy some things. When I asked the manager to buy Christo-lube she asked me why I needed it, and I told her I was a rebreather diver and I needed it for my use and she started to chew me out and interrogate me. According to her, only rich, stupid people get into rebreathers and they are inherently dangerous. I asked why she was so hostile, and she mentioned her friend died on a rebreather. Being quite put off, I asked her how he died and she mentioned "rebreathers go deep, and shit happens". Because of one scowling face they won't get my business ever again. It is so weird how some people can be sensitive about this area of diving. Anyhow, I have to wait until Christmas for my Azimuth to return from mfr. service as I bought it 2nd hand that is (oxygen cleaning, valve service, swapping out the gauges to PSI, etc etc). I had to send it to New Jersey. They even have to send my dosing block to Italy! This means I have enough time to find a great instructor after Christmas. It has been frustrating to find instruction for the Azimuth as well as service since the distribution on this unit is so sparse. Training on the SCR Azimuth is expensive as well (within $500 of a ECCR or MCCR class) Right now I am in the process to decide between 3 instructors - two of which are very reputable (I could talk about finding an instructor forever). Thanks guys for making this such a helpful resource. I look forward to no(less) bubbles come January when I finally get certified. I'd love to meet SCR divers in the Los Angeles area! Last edited by Icejon : 12th November 2007 at 23:08.
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13th November 2007, 00:53	#2 (permalink)
*caveseeker7* Who loves ya, baby Current Rebreather/s: Sport Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Prism Topaz Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Too far from Neverland Posts: 5,281	Re: New Azimuth Diver: Coming Soon Hi Icejon, welcome to Rebreather World. The woman in the shop was probably more scowling about her dead friend than about rebreathers, but there are a lot of very ignorant people about them, especially in L.A.. Then again, there are a lot of ignorant people in L.A., period. There are a couple of shops in the general area that support them with gas and sorb, and a few that actually sell them. SSA in Montclair, Hollywood Divers in North Hollywood, Beach City Scuba in Huntington Beach come to mind. Azimuth instructors shouldn't be hard to find. Doub Ebersole here at Rebreather World (he's in FL, though) trains on the Azimuth. Who did you have in mind? One thing I find curious: Why did you have to ship the Azimuth to New Jersey? Divesafe, the US importer is in Las Vegas, Nevada. Met up with Mauricio last time I was there. O2 cleaning, valve service, switching gauge, none of that requires the manufacturer or any special shop, other than someone who's setup and trained to handle O2. SSA in Montclair I can recommend, excellent shop in that respect. Much of the hardware is Mares, so spares shouldn't be a problem in SoCal. Only the OMG bits are hard to come by and very expensive. __________________ Cheers Stefan Be Water, My Friend - Bruce Lee Sponsor Lou in Race For Life!
(Offline)

13th November 2007, 07:01	#3 (permalink)
Icejon New Member Current Rebreather/s: Azimuth Other Rebreather/s: Azimuth Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 18	Re: New Azimuth Diver: Coming Soon Quote: (Originally Posted by caveseeker7) Hi Icejon, welcome to Rebreather World. The woman in the shop was probably more scowling about her dead friend than about rebreathers, but there are a lot of very ignorant people about them, especially in L.A.. Then again, there are a lot of ignorant people in L.A., period. There are a couple of shops in the general area that support them with gas and sorb, and a few that actually sell them. SSA in Montclair, Hollywood Divers in North Hollywood, Beach City Scuba in Huntington Beach come to mind. Azimuth instructors shouldn't be hard to find. Doub Ebersole here at Rebreather World (he's in FL, though) trains on the Azimuth. Who did you have in mind? One thing I find curious: Why did you have to ship the Azimuth to New Jersey? Divesafe, the US importer is in Las Vegas, Nevada. Met up with Mauricio last time I was there. O2 cleaning, valve service, switching gauge, none of that requires the manufacturer or any special shop, other than someone who's setup and trained to handle O2. SSA in Montclair I can recommend, excellent shop in that respect. Much of the hardware is Mares, so spares shouldn't be a problem in SoCal. Only the OMG bits are hard to come by and very expensive. When I was doing research on the azimuth I expected more of a price of $700 like divesafe lists online including course material, rental and fills. I contacted 3 instructors but, all three aren't perfect for some reasons. One instructor would offer me the best (time/investment value) education over a 7 day period but would not be using an Azimuth alongside me. The class would be local with someone who wrote the book of rebreathers which are plusses. The class would involve me being a part of a group CCR class with others in KISS, Inspiration and other students so I would get a really thorough education. I contacted him on the phone and I could learn much from him, but can't afford to take a class that will be 7 days straight just to learn SCR. Another instructor has a great reputation (a training director) as well and would offer me a private class over 2-4 weekends for less. My concerns are since he is out of the country, I haven't had a chance to talk to him on the phone and work out the details. He is also in San Diego or San Jose which would involve me staying down there. Since I haven't been able to talk to him on the phone, I haven't made my commitment to take his class. The last instructor I did talk to on the phone and he dives his azimuth regularly. His class is the most economical and he would be using the same unit as I would in my training dives. One downside is that he lives in my hometown of Tallahassee and I would have to fly there and he is not as renown as the above two instructors. Either way, I had to have full manufacturer service on my 2ndhand Azimuth so I contacted Divesafe. This was because the previous person took it all apart and I didnt know how to put it all back together. Divesafe are no longer in Vegas and have moved operations to Panama and referred me to the "only" certified azimuth repair shop (a place called diverstwo) in the usa. Even they have to ship my dosing block to OMG in Italy. Between a Dolphin and an Azimuth, I am paying like $500-1000 more to be trained on an azimuth and I am jumping through alot of hoops. Last edited by Icejon : 13th November 2007 at 07:04.
(Offline)

13th November 2007, 12:55	#4 (permalink)
*caveseeker7* Who loves ya, baby Current Rebreather/s: Sport Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Prism Topaz Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Too far from Neverland Posts: 5,281	Re: New Azimuth Diver: Coming Soon Sorry to hear that you're having such a hassle with getting your Azimuth into a diveable condition, hope you didn't pay much for it. Regarding the instructors, and that's a long shot as I neither know if he still teaches, nor if he still teaches the Azimuth, you might want to try Wayne Miller. Good guy, good instructor, used to have an Rebreather shop in Riverside. Moved north into the boonies, somewhere close to the OR border, Fort something-or-other I think. But he used to come to Newport Beach pretty regurlary, doing work with Laguna Research. You can contact him through ANDI Headquarters, just scroll down to Wayne Miller. __________________ Cheers Stefan Be Water, My Friend - Bruce Lee Sponsor Lou in Race For Life!
(Offline)

12th January 2008, 00:15	#5 (permalink)
voodoogas New Member Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Inspiration Vision Evolution Sport Kiss Classic Kiss Other CCR Dolphin Ray Other Rebreather/s: Other CCR Dolphin Ray Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Los Angeles Area Posts: 26	Re: New Azimuth Diver: Coming Soon Hopefully, Wayne contacted you and has you started. Once you have began your training, I told Wayne that you can use our pool for your practice sessions. It's about 90degrees and costs you nothing to use it. Have fun with your Az. __________________ Warmest Regards, Rusty Berry, Scuba Schools of America ANDI/SSI Instructor Certifier Worldwide the Largest Retail Training Facility for Rebreathers 888-99-SCUBA rusty@scubaschoolsofamerica.com
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12th January 2008, 06:53	#6 (permalink)
*caveseeker7* Who loves ya, baby Current Rebreather/s: Sport Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Prism Topaz Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Too far from Neverland Posts: 5,281	Re: New Azimuth Diver Hi guys, glad you hooked up with one another and with Wayne as well. Say 'hello' for, will ya. And enjoy the Channel Islands, miss them. __________________ Cheers Stefan Be Water, My Friend - Bruce Lee Sponsor Lou in Race For Life!
(Offline)

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