looking for info

decoweenie

Here we go again...

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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..."

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Nad

[quote=schford]
Best bet is to try and get some try dives on a few rebreathers and see what you like - I would suggest trying out a Classic Kiss, Evolution, Meg and a Prism.

QUOTE]

Welcome aboard,
Actually the best way to understand what do you need (besides to be conscious of you kind of dives) is to try different units, as Stuart said.

My best advice: try to don't think at the cost of the unit, just wich is best for you.

Nad

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The Impossible is often the Untried

scubapolly

Yes, I have both certifications.

I am not convinced one way or the other about electronics. I've heard some of the horror stoires of electronics failing at depth, but am uncertain as to the true frequency of such failures. However, I am typically one to like things to be as simple as possible.

While I haven't tried on a unit, I don't think I would like the over the shoulder lungs.

Thanks for the advice so far.

Polly

schford

*grins*

I just meant she would not be able to get a full trimix cert on a sport kiss - so not a lot of point in getting it!

nitrojunkie

I would, and did, go straight for the ccr mix cert without doing the o/c mix ticket. If you become a rebreather diver you will probably mostly dive a Rebreather, especially if you dive and don't teach. The amount of time and money spent to certify on both platforms will just postpone your ability to get certified on the Rebreather and do the dives.

You'll want to get over 100 hours plus on the breather before going for your mix class anyway so it's a pretty long timeline depending upon the amount of time you have to dive. Depending upon the depths you dive the rebreather could pay itself back in a reasonable timeframe as long as your not emptying your wallet to do helium fills on your doubles.

You'll end up saving between $30-$50/dive if you are looking at 200' plus dives and not doing your own fills. Still a long slog to pay for the kit but think of the savings on chiropractic services by not going the doubles route. I would guess the rebreather pays for itself around 200 trimix dives, obviously lots of variables, but there are a host of other benefits that come with the rebreather on those deep dives; like warm breathing gas, less schlepping of gear (sort of), and the benefits of the silent-bubble free aspect of the diving.

If you are comfortable with the rebreather and have a strong understanding of gases and planning consider taking the normoxic and full mix at the same time. It's really the same class and for my two cents anything they are NOT teaching in the normoxic class you SHOULD already know before venturing to the 200+ range.

Doug

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Mike

And that's the rub.
Around three years ago I wanted to go dive some deeper stuff, so figured it was time to stop diving air. I had a reasonable amount of experience with twins and deco in the ~50m range, so was comfortable to go deeper, hang longer. I'd done a few dives with guys on rebreathers around the same time, so decided that the way forward was on a rebreather, and I shouldn't bother with OC trimix as it would be a waste of time as I'd have to go through the process again on CCR

So I started researching rebreathers... trained on one, wasn't convinced, looked at homebuilding, then ended up ordering a rebreather. Just over a year later it arrived... and I now have around 25 hours on it, so (in theory) another year or so before I get up the 100 hours to go trimix. (In practice I won't wait that long, as doing 50m dives on air dil is just dumb).

So, three years from the point where I was ready for OC trimix, I still don't have a trimix cert. In that time I've missed some great dives that I would have been comfortable doing OC, and really haven't progressed much towards the dives I want to do. I have gained a lot of experience on air down to ~60m though, not sure if that is a good thing or not.

If I had my time again, I would have done a OC trimix course three years ago, and spent the time in between gaining experience at depth (and doing the dives I wanted to do). Even now, I could be doing the odd OC deep dive, while gaining experience on the rebreather in the shallows. Would have been a much better solution.

And I still have the issue of finding an instructor to do a unit specific trimix course, as that is what the industry seems to want. (I think unit specific trimix courses are bullshit, but that's been done to death)

Mike

ROB DAVIE

Polly,

Welcome to Rebreather World. We are glad you have decided to come to the "Dark Side" of diving!

Try Jeff Bozanic's book Mastering Rebreathers at Best Publishing, and other outlets. It does not cover the newer rebreathers, but gives you good info on the basics.

I think Darlene's advice is very sound here. This is a very friendly group, and very willing to share information, and to help newbies. We want to spread our particular diving obsession, after all.

Welcome aboard!

Rob

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ROB DAVIE

Polly,

As a post-script, the electronics we use are very reliable. Anything made by man can fail, and you will train to have your back-ups in place in case.

OTS counterlungs work well, and if kept to minimum loop volume, are not intrusive. (My PPO2's worth.)

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"CC Rebreathers will become a viable part of tech diving WHEN PIGS FLY!!"--GI3

decoweenie

I know.

And it is frustrating for a couple of new SK divers locally here as well since they had the intention of doing the deep dives with me, but I can't offer the training beyond Normotrix Trimix now...

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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..."

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Scuba_Vixen

Excellent post.
I bet you have a lot of company in the same predicament.

That pretty well expresses all the reasons why I suggested at least doing normoxic mix on OC and start getting some experience at depth. Most of what you'll learn, and the experiences you'll accumulate, will be transferable to ccr later on.


Darlene