PADI Nitrox (FO2 <= 40%) --> recreational, no-deco CCR - how?

schwerve

I got the chance to try out an Evolution last week at DiveTech in Cayman. That was damn fun, and now I'm thinking much more seriously about getting a CCR. I don't know whether I'd drop the coins on an Evo, or get KISSed instead, but that's another topic.

DiveTech's Web site, at least, says that the rec CCR course prereqs are:

• Minimum 18 years of age
• IANTD Advanced Nitrox or TDI Decompression Procedures/Advanced EANx diver or equivalent
• Proof of a minimum of 50 logged dives

OK, I'm old enough, and I have 260 or so logged dives - although maybe it needs to be 50 dives on "advanced" mixes? In any event, the prereq certs baffle me a bit; I figured my PADI EANx cert (where x <= 40) would be enough to satisfy that.

You see, my dive buddies are completely uninterested in learning to dive a CCR. In fact, my most frequent buddy has tried to discourage me from diving one, although I'm sure he'd dive with me even if I did (he trusts me underwater much more than he does just about anyone else). None of my buddies are into tech diving, either. Thus, I'd be doing no-deco with air dil all the time.

It's gonna cost me several pretty pennies and over half a year's accrual of vacation time (fecking USA) just to buy a CCR, travel to an instructor, spend a week learning it, then hopefully take another couple of days for fun diving. Tell me why I should spend another week or more and another load of cash on OC deco - which I will endeavor never to do again, by the way (CCR? Hello?).

Advance apologies if I sound a bit pig-headed about this. I'm open-minded, I swear.

divetheworld

CCR's use pure oxygen in one cylinder and mixes are dynamic dependant upon depth. <6m can be pure oxygen.
Adv nitrox courses prepare you for this.

Brent

__________________

Mary

I only had TDI basic nitrox at the start of my course. Talk to potential instructors, I added in the advanced nitrox to MOD 1 only doing the lectures and exam. Didn't add any extra time although I did the course over 6 rather than 5 days as I added in an extra couple of fun dives. Added 100 euros to the price of mod 1 if i remember right.

schwerve

I should've mentioned that I already understand some of the basics behind CCRs. Would the CCR course be able to cover the physics? Why would extensive deco training be needed, if I'm not planning to go into deco? Even the PADI OW air tables cover emergency deco to an extent. My dive computers (I'd carry at least two for CCR diving) should be able to handle it as well.

schwerve

OK, I'm glad that IANTD Advanced Nitrox etc. isn't a hard requirement for some. I suppose I'll need to keep shopping and see what's out there.

I'm not averse to learning about deco in general. It's just that in college, I've already had to deal with courses that taught me to think, but otherwise gave me no knowledge I've ever used in the working world. Oh, and thanks for spending your money on the course, backed by loans you won't be able to pay off for years!

As a side note, I don't mean for anyone at DiveTech to take this hard. Their hospitality towards more experienced divers is outstanding, and I will certainly dive with them again! It's merely the CCR prereqs that I take issue with.

caveseeker7

I'm with you in regards to the deco part, as your initial CCR certification will only allow you recreational profiles (40m, no deco) anyway. Obviously some of the theory and practical (handling O2) parts are repeated or at least reviewed in a CCR class, anyway. Hence most if not all agencies allow the Adv. Nitrox class to be folded into the CCR class. It'll take some extra effort to do the additional reading and taking another test, but in your situation probably the way to go. Just make sure you get the manuals ahead of time and are up to speed on all the theory.

In regards to the combination and the cost of the class(es) you'll need to contact instructors directly. There are some who knock off a few bucks when you fill a class.

__________________
Cheers
Stefan


Be Water, My Friend - Bruce Lee

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JasonF

Hi Schwerve!

I'm glad to see you enjoyed your EVO expeirience! If that got your appitite wet, just wait until you take deliver on you own unit and start your training.

My name is Jason Fisch I co-teach the KISS Courses with Dan (dantheman)throughout the North east and Canada.

Staged Deco/deco proceedures is not a prerequsite for the KISS Course.

Here are the prerequsites for the KISS PILOT AIR DILUENT course through TDI:

18 Years old

Nitrox certified, Advanced Nitrox Certified (If not Advanced Nitrox Certified you may take it during the CCR class)

60 verified logged dives

Advanced Nitrox is essential from a dive planning prospective and saftey considerations. It's good that you have your PADI Nitrox certification and that you have been diving Nitrox. When you do your ADV Nitrox Coursse your Instructor will teaching you all about:

Boyles Law:
Daltons Diamond:
Charles Law:
CNS/OTU
Decompresion Illness Type I and II
CNS Toxicity
Whole Body Toxicity
SAC Rates
and few others

If you have any questions and would like to talk more feel free to PM me or call me at the shop 908.359.1250

I hope this helps you!

Cheers

__________________
Jason R. Fisch

Training Director
The SCUBA Connection
Instructor Development and Diver Training Division
jasonf@tscscuba.com

Lake_Tahoe_Diver

You might want to rethink the part of using OC computers on a CCR. They can be used on SCR somewhat, but since a CCR is constant pO2 and your OC computers assumes Consant f02 you might find them not to be as much help as you would think.

As for not going thought with Advance Nitrox or Deco, that is your call, but what you can learn from these classes may prove to be needed some day. Since as you said none of your dive buddies know anything about CCR diving or tec Diving, you are basicly diving solo on the rig.

schwerve

Dear God, I wasn't even planning on it. That's a big in my book. I thought that computers existed that handle constant PO2, or can be switched between PO2 setpoints? I might keep my current constant-FO2 EANx computer, but only for my (hopefully rare) OC dives. I'll be careful to get up to speed on high PO2s and FO2s. Deco? I still don't see the need for extensive/expensive learning on the topic, since I don't see any planned deco in my near future. Yes, there's always the risk that I'll go into deco on a no-deco dive, but with the kind of diving I'll be doing on CCR (no penetration, and following a conservative "OC-like" profile) that's a small risk that can be covered by following my computers or falling back to contingencies written on wetnotes. In most cases, my OC buddy's gas supply sure as hell won't outlast mine, anyway, and I'll be sticking with him no matter what. That is true, in some respects. As I said, though, my buddy will be more limited, and I'll stay within those limits. My bailout gas will be whatever my buddy is breathing, for example. I'll also be sure to educate my buddy on hypercapnia, hypoxia, and all the other things that present less of a risk to no-deco OCers, as well as what to do if I get stung by one of those risks.

dave t

the need for deco training is needed as a no stop dive on a ccr can potentially become a deco dive if you have to bail to an OC ascent