CCR or Doubles...first steps into Tech Diving

jkaterenchuk · 2nd August 2006, 01:39

The decision to make my first step into tech diving with a CCR versus the traditional doubles route was not an easy one. As I started my investigation it soon became apparent that I was climbing uphill and against the wind. No CCR friendly facility in my area, no knowledgeable instructor and a many whispered suggestions that I was heading down a road that could only end in my untimely demise. Along with all the normal consideration regarding the initial cost of acquiring a unit, the training costs and maintenance.

I was quickly starting to feel like I should abandon the CCR route in favor of following the traditional doubles route. Then two three things happened that got me back on track and led to my recent completion of my CCR course on the Inspiration.

Firstly, I stumbled across Rebreatherworld. I jumped in with both feet and read everything ever posted about anything to do with CCR’s. I focused a lot on how others made their decisions to move to CCR and how they acquired their training. I have gained a lot of knowledge from the sharing of others on this forum and I thank each and everyone whom has made a posting. Unfortunately, I do not think you will be getting any kudo’s from my wife since every time she has wanted to talk to me in the last 3 months she needed to pull me away from this website.

Secondly, I researched the training agencies that offer CCR training. I looked at their CCR course materials and also looked at what they offered down the road for continued training and development on the CCR. From this analysis I decided that the ANDI process suited my needs the best. Prior to this investigation I knew absolutely nothing about ANDI. Now I have tremendous respect for the in depth nuts and bolts nature of their training philosophy, course materials and structured approach to building skills before adding significant task loading.

Lastly, and most importantly thru Rebreatherworld I was able to find an instructor whom is not only an expert on the unit he teaches but freely shares of his time and expertise to answer any and all questions I could come up with and many I did not think about. I could not have found a better instructor than Joe Radomski to help me and support me in my decision to go the CCR route and mentor me thru the training course. Joe traveled several hours to conduct my training, helped me evaluate and secure a unit at an extremely good price and made sure I knew both the theory and skills required to safely use the unit. These only scratch the surface of what he has done to get me started correctly on this path so that I now do not have a shred of doubt that I have made the right decision choosing CCR over Doubles.

Now I need to get additional hours on the unit, continue practicing my skills, building my comfort level. If anyone is looking for a CCR dive buddy near my location shoot me a pm.

**wedivebc** · 2nd August 2006, 02:28

I now loan my doubles to my OC buddies so they can stay down for a decent amount of time. Otherwise they would collect dust in my shed

MarkZ · 2nd August 2006, 04:02

I met you a couple of weeks ago just before you were beginning your course with Joe at BSC. I can also both relate and sympathize with you as it would appear that you went throught he same process as I did a couple of years ago. While it may not be quite as bad as you describe reference rebreather acceptance in this area we still have a long way to go. There are a few guys who are quite knowledgeable in the area and even a couple who make regular appearances at BSC but they do keep a low profile. A few names that come to mind are Jeff Johnson, and Kurt Harpold who are up at the puddle quite a bit. Mark Nix who I do not know personally but have a few mutual friends between us is in Delaware. These are guys in the area who have a lot of smarts about the units. In fact I am not really aware of any on the instructors list who will not be helpful. Last but not least is Mike Fowler who is president of Silent Diving Systems and you will be hard pressed to find a person who is more willing to help.

As for the negative comments regarding CCR's from others just get used to it. When I first started diving mine I remember walking past classes to get in the water and hearing any number of instructors telling their students that they would be lucky to see me coming back on shore without being in a body bag. After a while I came to understand the unit a lot better and how very shallow the gene pool is. This is part of the reason that the CCR divers in the area keep a low profile. The other reason is that you will generate so much interest with your unit that it becomes hard to get in the water without doing an Introduction to Rebreathers 3 or 4 times a weekend. Flattering but you will eventually understand why we come late to the puddle and suit up in the training room.

To wrap up I mention again what I told you when we met a couple of weeks ago. Don't get frustrated! There is not one person on this board who will tell you that it isn't aggravating to strap on a unit after after diving open circuit and really come to understand that you are starting over. It will take time. Along those lines if you ever need a partner you are certainly welcome to join us at anytime. We are at BSC nearly every weekend we are not diving somewhere else. At times we are doing classes so fun is out of the question but we do dive for our own pleasure quite a bit. Great place to work the bugs out.

Mark Z

Mixaddict · 2nd August 2006, 04:44

Quote: (Originally Posted by jkaterenchuk)

The decision to make my first step into tech diving with a CCR versus the traditional doubles route was not an easy one. As I started my investigation it soon became apparent that I was climbing uphill and against the wind. No CCR friendly facility in my area, no knowledgeable instructor and a many whispered suggestions that I was heading down a road that could only end in my untimely demise. Along with all the normal consideration regarding the initial cost of acquiring a unit, the training costs and maintenance.

I was quickly starting to feel like I should abandon the CCR route in favor of following the traditional doubles route. Then two three things happened that got me back on track and led to my recent completion of my CCR course on the Inspiration.

Firstly, I stumbled across Rebreatherworld. I jumped in with both feet and read everything ever posted about anything to do with CCR’s. I focused a lot on how others made their decisions to move to CCR and how they acquired their training. I have gained a lot of knowledge from the sharing of others on this forum and I thank each and everyone whom has made a posting. Unfortunately, I do not think you will be getting any kudo’s from my wife since every time she has wanted to talk to me in the last 3 months she needed to pull me away from this website.

Secondly, I researched the training agencies that offer CCR training. I looked at their CCR course materials and also looked at what they offered down the road for continued training and development on the CCR. From this analysis I decided that the ANDI process suited my needs the best. Prior to this investigation I knew absolutely nothing about ANDI. Now I have tremendous respect for the in depth nuts and bolts nature of their training philosophy, course materials and structured approach to building skills before adding significant task loading.

Lastly, and most importantly thru Rebreatherworld I was able to find an instructor whom is not only an expert on the unit he teaches but freely shares of his time and expertise to answer any and all questions I could come up with and many I did not think about. I could not have found a better instructor than Joe Radomski to help me and support me in my decision to go the CCR route and mentor me thru the training course. Joe traveled several hours to conduct my training, helped me evaluate and secure a unit at an extremely good price and made sure I knew both the theory and skills required to safely use the unit. These only scratch the surface of what he has done to get me started correctly on this path so that I now do not have a shred of doubt that I have made the right decision choosing CCR over Doubles.

Now I need to get additional hours on the unit, continue practicing my skills, building my comfort level. If anyone is looking for a CCR dive buddy near my location shoot me a pm.

Welcome to the silent world. It sounds like you have made a well educated and deliberate decision to go down the path you have chosen. My only advice to you is to take it slow and easy. You will make sure that you don't become a "statistic" by taking baby steps. The guys who slowly but surely build up experience and training, are the ones who "mostly" have positive experiences. Don't be in a huge rush to go deep. Gradual experience is the greatest teacher there is. Have fun, dive safe, and hang in there with the "non-breather" know it alls! (the negative comments usually come from jealousy and ignorance.)

Regards,
MixAddict

E-man · 2nd August 2006, 22:13

Hey and Glad to have another Rebreather diver in the area. I'm not sure how far the two of you PA guys are from Dutch Springs, but I usually make my way up there once a month or so. But if you guys are in the area let me know when you go up or vice versa and we can help support each other.

JasonF · 8th August 2006, 15:09

Quote: (Originally Posted by jkaterenchuk)

Firstly, I stumbled across Rebreatherworld. I jumped in with both feet and read everything ever posted about anything to do with CCR’s. I focused a lot on how others made their decisions to move to CCR and how they acquired their training. I have gained a lot of knowledge from the sharing of others on this forum and I thank each and everyone whom has made a posting. Unfortunately, I do not think you will be getting any kudo’s from my wife since every time she has wanted to talk to me in the last 3 months she needed to pull me away from this website.

HI John!

Congratulations on joining the Silent Diving world (no pun

). I'm glad you were able to make a decision on which Rebreather you wanted. We really enjoyed you coming to the RB Social that was held up[ at Dutch Springs and your personal RB experience here at our shop.

Jim Z just finished up his training with us on the CK so I hope the both of you can get in the water to log some hours. Keep in touch with dives that you have have coming up and we will do the same, it would be nice to get in the water together!

8/19 we have a boat dive going on if you and Jim Z want to come up and do with us!

Cheers
Jason

***ScubaDadMiami*** · 8th August 2006, 15:51

So, this means you went from diving a single tank to CCR? Just wanted to get the facts here. Also, please let us know about your prior experience.

I am asking about this because some people say to go the distance with open circuit before making the switch, and others say to go CCR from the beginning. Just curious as to where you fit and how you feel about the overall idea.

Welcome aboard!

Dutchy · 8th August 2006, 18:02

Quote: (Originally Posted by ScubaDadMiami)

So, this means you went from diving a single tank to CCR? Just wanted to get the facts here. Also, please let us know about your prior experience.

I am asking about this because some people say to go the distance with open circuit before making the switch, and others say to go CCR from the beginning.

Don't you think it depends on the reason for going bubble less? I'm not to interested in the great efficiency (air is cheap) but the lower weight and absense of bubbles were good enough reasons. The Rebreather is meant for the 30-35m range. Consequently the doubles and technical diving were not a pre-requisite. For others it may be the way to extend their technical dives where double can't do the job (at least not without sacrificing their back)....

**Gill Envy** · 8th August 2006, 18:21

john, glad to hear you had a good experience with Joe R., he seems like a very knowledgable guy.

I have had a few interesting experiences with charter staff and random OC divers that surprised me. One boat operator asked me how i like my death machine...since my wife is still a bit trepedacious, things like this don't go over so well with me. the other experience was when we were getting ready for a shore dive and a bunch of OC divers were getting ready. they kept looking at us and making comments under their breath and wouldn't even respond to a hello from me...that was a bit descouraging. the tricky part is that you are embarking on something that could end in your demize and in addition many OC divers feel priced out. Fear combined with jealously is what i think drives the attitude we sometimes pick up on. In any case, i think the attitude is quickly changing as there are more and more rebreather sightings out there.

on another note, after 5-6 months of research, having thought that i had identified the perfect rebreather, i was quite dismayed when after buying it and puting 25 hours or so on it that things started to go wrong. the honeymoon period had ended, I now vascilate between feeling confident and on top of things and green and inexperienced. I love rebreather diving but have definitely had it instilled in me that I must pay constant attention and treat it like it can kill me because it can and will if i'm not ready to react effectively to new combinations of issues that WILL come up from time to time.

it has taken a while for me to accept that there is no perfect rebreather and that they are not as reliable as OC gear by a long shot but that the benefits of being warmer, having nice long dives with more up close experiences with critters, and having lots of compact capacity for multi dive kayak expeditions to remote places is all worth it to me. For sure i do not get the back aches i was getting lugging AL 80's, sometimes severe, and that was just with single tank diving... Comparing CCR diving to the thought of doubles on my back, there is no question, CCR's are the better of the two.

happy diving!

Deepwreck · 8th August 2006, 19:04

I can't tell you what you should do, and no one really should, but I personally took classes with doubles, and had to make the dicision to go CCR or go Trimix OC first. I choose to go CCR and I don't regreat that decision for one second. Yes, you will be a beginner, and yes, you will have trouble with your hear, but the added safety that proper use of a CCR can give you out weights the down side. I love going on some trip, and only having to bring along another set of 19s and thats all the gas I need. My bailout tanks don't get used, and I can get 4 good dives out of one set of back gas, and if I go really deep then Ill change out after two dives.

Have you every seen the guys with doubles hauling those pigs around. I only use my old ones for paintball fills. On the other side I do like the fact that I feel like I could bailout to OC and have no problem, or if I wanted to I could dive doubles OC if thats all the gear I could get a hold of.

As for the people who are talking about CCR's and the diving we do in a Piss poor light, just look at who they are. Most are fully uneducated about anything to do with CCR, and unless the community had adopted OC scuba they would be the ones telling eveyone that going in the water will kill you. We all know that, Yes water can kill you, and whether your on oc, ccr, or breath hold, you can die, did I mention swimming.

I have had hurtfull things said about me in relation to diving, and all I can say is "why should I care", and "how does that affect me". For some miricle I keep comming up alive, after each dive, and what "some people" say can't change that. I dive smart, I dive safe, and if something happens I can say that I did my best to over come the problem, and gave it my all.

What idiots say is like shit spuing from their mouths.

2nd August 2006, 01:39	#1 (permalink)
jkaterenchuk . Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Megalodon Classic Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: May 2006 Location: Lititz, PA Posts: 652	CCR or Doubles...first steps into Tech Diving The decision to make my first step into tech diving with a CCR versus the traditional doubles route was not an easy one. As I started my investigation it soon became apparent that I was climbing uphill and against the wind. No CCR friendly facility in my area, no knowledgeable instructor and a many whispered suggestions that I was heading down a road that could only end in my untimely demise. Along with all the normal consideration regarding the initial cost of acquiring a unit, the training costs and maintenance. I was quickly starting to feel like I should abandon the CCR route in favor of following the traditional doubles route. Then two three things happened that got me back on track and led to my recent completion of my CCR course on the Inspiration. Firstly, I stumbled across Rebreatherworld. I jumped in with both feet and read everything ever posted about anything to do with CCR’s. I focused a lot on how others made their decisions to move to CCR and how they acquired their training. I have gained a lot of knowledge from the sharing of others on this forum and I thank each and everyone whom has made a posting. Unfortunately, I do not think you will be getting any kudo’s from my wife since every time she has wanted to talk to me in the last 3 months she needed to pull me away from this website. Secondly, I researched the training agencies that offer CCR training. I looked at their CCR course materials and also looked at what they offered down the road for continued training and development on the CCR. From this analysis I decided that the ANDI process suited my needs the best. Prior to this investigation I knew absolutely nothing about ANDI. Now I have tremendous respect for the in depth nuts and bolts nature of their training philosophy, course materials and structured approach to building skills before adding significant task loading. Lastly, and most importantly thru Rebreatherworld I was able to find an instructor whom is not only an expert on the unit he teaches but freely shares of his time and expertise to answer any and all questions I could come up with and many I did not think about. I could not have found a better instructor than Joe Radomski to help me and support me in my decision to go the CCR route and mentor me thru the training course. Joe traveled several hours to conduct my training, helped me evaluate and secure a unit at an extremely good price and made sure I knew both the theory and skills required to safely use the unit. These only scratch the surface of what he has done to get me started correctly on this path so that I now do not have a shred of doubt that I have made the right decision choosing CCR over Doubles. Now I need to get additional hours on the unit, continue practicing my skills, building my comfort level. If anyone is looking for a CCR dive buddy near my location shoot me a pm.
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2nd August 2006, 02:28	#2 (permalink)
wedivebc FIGJAM Current Rebreather/s: Megalodon Other CCR Other Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Inspiration Classic Sport Kiss Other CCR Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Vancouver Island BC Canada Posts: 1,358	Re: CCR or Doubles...first steps into Tech Diving I now loan my doubles to my OC buddies so they can stay down for a decent amount of time. Otherwise they would collect dust in my shed __________________ Cheers, Dave.... Man is the only animal burdened with the knowledge he will eventually die
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2nd August 2006, 04:02	#3 (permalink)
MarkZ New Member Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: PA USA Posts: 54	Re: CCR or Doubles...first steps into Tech Diving I met you a couple of weeks ago just before you were beginning your course with Joe at BSC. I can also both relate and sympathize with you as it would appear that you went throught he same process as I did a couple of years ago. While it may not be quite as bad as you describe reference rebreather acceptance in this area we still have a long way to go. There are a few guys who are quite knowledgeable in the area and even a couple who make regular appearances at BSC but they do keep a low profile. A few names that come to mind are Jeff Johnson, and Kurt Harpold who are up at the puddle quite a bit. Mark Nix who I do not know personally but have a few mutual friends between us is in Delaware. These are guys in the area who have a lot of smarts about the units. In fact I am not really aware of any on the instructors list who will not be helpful. Last but not least is Mike Fowler who is president of Silent Diving Systems and you will be hard pressed to find a person who is more willing to help. As for the negative comments regarding CCR's from others just get used to it. When I first started diving mine I remember walking past classes to get in the water and hearing any number of instructors telling their students that they would be lucky to see me coming back on shore without being in a body bag. After a while I came to understand the unit a lot better and how very shallow the gene pool is. This is part of the reason that the CCR divers in the area keep a low profile. The other reason is that you will generate so much interest with your unit that it becomes hard to get in the water without doing an Introduction to Rebreathers 3 or 4 times a weekend. Flattering but you will eventually understand why we come late to the puddle and suit up in the training room. To wrap up I mention again what I told you when we met a couple of weeks ago. Don't get frustrated! There is not one person on this board who will tell you that it isn't aggravating to strap on a unit after after diving open circuit and really come to understand that you are starting over. It will take time. Along those lines if you ever need a partner you are certainly welcome to join us at anytime. We are at BSC nearly every weekend we are not diving somewhere else. At times we are doing classes so fun is out of the question but we do dive for our own pleasure quite a bit. Great place to work the bugs out. Mark Z
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2nd August 2006, 04:44	#4 (permalink)
Mixaddict Always Learning! Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Vision Evolution Other CCR Dolphin Other Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Other CCR Dolphin Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Draper, Utah USA Posts: 426	Re: CCR or Doubles...first steps into Tech Diving Quote: (Originally Posted by jkaterenchuk) The decision to make my first step into tech diving with a CCR versus the traditional doubles route was not an easy one. As I started my investigation it soon became apparent that I was climbing uphill and against the wind. No CCR friendly facility in my area, no knowledgeable instructor and a many whispered suggestions that I was heading down a road that could only end in my untimely demise. Along with all the normal consideration regarding the initial cost of acquiring a unit, the training costs and maintenance. I was quickly starting to feel like I should abandon the CCR route in favor of following the traditional doubles route. Then two three things happened that got me back on track and led to my recent completion of my CCR course on the Inspiration. Firstly, I stumbled across Rebreatherworld. I jumped in with both feet and read everything ever posted about anything to do with CCR’s. I focused a lot on how others made their decisions to move to CCR and how they acquired their training. I have gained a lot of knowledge from the sharing of others on this forum and I thank each and everyone whom has made a posting. Unfortunately, I do not think you will be getting any kudo’s from my wife since every time she has wanted to talk to me in the last 3 months she needed to pull me away from this website. Secondly, I researched the training agencies that offer CCR training. I looked at their CCR course materials and also looked at what they offered down the road for continued training and development on the CCR. From this analysis I decided that the ANDI process suited my needs the best. Prior to this investigation I knew absolutely nothing about ANDI. Now I have tremendous respect for the in depth nuts and bolts nature of their training philosophy, course materials and structured approach to building skills before adding significant task loading. Lastly, and most importantly thru Rebreatherworld I was able to find an instructor whom is not only an expert on the unit he teaches but freely shares of his time and expertise to answer any and all questions I could come up with and many I did not think about. I could not have found a better instructor than Joe Radomski to help me and support me in my decision to go the CCR route and mentor me thru the training course. Joe traveled several hours to conduct my training, helped me evaluate and secure a unit at an extremely good price and made sure I knew both the theory and skills required to safely use the unit. These only scratch the surface of what he has done to get me started correctly on this path so that I now do not have a shred of doubt that I have made the right decision choosing CCR over Doubles. Now I need to get additional hours on the unit, continue practicing my skills, building my comfort level. If anyone is looking for a CCR dive buddy near my location shoot me a pm. Welcome to the silent world. It sounds like you have made a well educated and deliberate decision to go down the path you have chosen. My only advice to you is to take it slow and easy. You will make sure that you don't become a "statistic" by taking baby steps. The guys who slowly but surely build up experience and training, are the ones who "mostly" have positive experiences. Don't be in a huge rush to go deep. Gradual experience is the greatest teacher there is. Have fun, dive safe, and hang in there with the "non-breather" know it alls! (the negative comments usually come from jealousy and ignorance.) Regards, MixAddict
(Online)

2nd August 2006, 22:13	#5 (permalink)
E-man On the loop! Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Optima Other Rebreather/s: Titan Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Eastern Coast ;) Posts: 212	Re: CCR or Doubles...first steps into Tech Diving Hey and Glad to have another Rebreather diver in the area. I'm not sure how far the two of you PA guys are from Dutch Springs, but I usually make my way up there once a month or so. But if you guys are in the area let me know when you go up or vice versa and we can help support each other.
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8th August 2006, 15:09	#6 (permalink)
JasonF New Member Current Rebreather/s: Sport Kiss Classic Kiss Other CCR Other Rebreather/s: Other CCR Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NORTHEAST USA Posts: 27	Re: CCR or Doubles...first steps into Tech Diving Quote: (Originally Posted by jkaterenchuk) Firstly, I stumbled across Rebreatherworld. I jumped in with both feet and read everything ever posted about anything to do with CCR’s. I focused a lot on how others made their decisions to move to CCR and how they acquired their training. I have gained a lot of knowledge from the sharing of others on this forum and I thank each and everyone whom has made a posting. Unfortunately, I do not think you will be getting any kudo’s from my wife since every time she has wanted to talk to me in the last 3 months she needed to pull me away from this website. HI John! Congratulations on joining the Silent Diving world (no pun). I'm glad you were able to make a decision on which Rebreather you wanted. We really enjoyed you coming to the RB Social that was held up[ at Dutch Springs and your personal RB experience here at our shop. Jim Z just finished up his training with us on the CK so I hope the both of you can get in the water to log some hours. Keep in touch with dives that you have have coming up and we will do the same, it would be nice to get in the water together! 8/19 we have a boat dive going on if you and Jim Z want to come up and do with us! Cheers Jason __________________ Jason R. Fisch Training Director The SCUBA Connection Instructor Development and Diver Training Division jasonf@tscscuba.com
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8th August 2006, 15:51	#7 (permalink)
*ScubaDadMiami* Moderator Current Rebreather/s: Optima Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Florida, USA Posts: 1,939	Re: CCR or Doubles...first steps into Tech Diving So, this means you went from diving a single tank to CCR? Just wanted to get the facts here. Also, please let us know about your prior experience. I am asking about this because some people say to go the distance with open circuit before making the switch, and others say to go CCR from the beginning. Just curious as to where you fit and how you feel about the overall idea. Welcome aboard! __________________ Howard Packer IANTD CCR Instructor Miami Beach, Florida CCRDiveTraining.com
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8th August 2006, 18:02	#8 (permalink)
Dutchy SK#007 Current Rebreather/s: Sport Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Nieuwegein (The Netherlands) Posts: 699	Re: CCR or Doubles...first steps into Tech Diving Quote: (Originally Posted by ScubaDadMiami) So, this means you went from diving a single tank to CCR? Just wanted to get the facts here. Also, please let us know about your prior experience. I am asking about this because some people say to go the distance with open circuit before making the switch, and others say to go CCR from the beginning. Don't you think it depends on the reason for going bubble less? I'm not to interested in the great efficiency (air is cheap) but the lower weight and absense of bubbles were good enough reasons. The Rebreather is meant for the 30-35m range. Consequently the doubles and technical diving were not a pre-requisite. For others it may be the way to extend their technical dives where double can't do the job (at least not without sacrificing their back).... __________________ = This post is environmentally friendly. It is composed of 100% recycled electrons only. = SK #007
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8th August 2006, 18:21	#9 (permalink)
Gill Envy Shearwater Copis Diver Current Rebreather/s: Other CCR Other Rebreather/s: Evolution Other CCR Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: seattle Posts: 1,255	Re: CCR or Doubles...first steps into Tech Diving john, glad to hear you had a good experience with Joe R., he seems like a very knowledgable guy. I have had a few interesting experiences with charter staff and random OC divers that surprised me. One boat operator asked me how i like my death machine...since my wife is still a bit trepedacious, things like this don't go over so well with me. the other experience was when we were getting ready for a shore dive and a bunch of OC divers were getting ready. they kept looking at us and making comments under their breath and wouldn't even respond to a hello from me...that was a bit descouraging. the tricky part is that you are embarking on something that could end in your demize and in addition many OC divers feel priced out. Fear combined with jealously is what i think drives the attitude we sometimes pick up on. In any case, i think the attitude is quickly changing as there are more and more rebreather sightings out there. on another note, after 5-6 months of research, having thought that i had identified the perfect rebreather, i was quite dismayed when after buying it and puting 25 hours or so on it that things started to go wrong. the honeymoon period had ended, I now vascilate between feeling confident and on top of things and green and inexperienced. I love rebreather diving but have definitely had it instilled in me that I must pay constant attention and treat it like it can kill me because it can and will if i'm not ready to react effectively to new combinations of issues that WILL come up from time to time. it has taken a while for me to accept that there is no perfect rebreather and that they are not as reliable as OC gear by a long shot but that the benefits of being warmer, having nice long dives with more up close experiences with critters, and having lots of compact capacity for multi dive kayak expeditions to remote places is all worth it to me. For sure i do not get the back aches i was getting lugging AL 80's, sometimes severe, and that was just with single tank diving... Comparing CCR diving to the thought of doubles on my back, there is no question, CCR's are the better of the two. happy diving! __________________ Gill Envy ...Because I wasn't born with gills! ><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>><(°>
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8th August 2006, 19:04	#10 (permalink)
Deepwreck Custom Title Allowed! Current Rebreather/s: Megalodon Classic Kiss Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Minnesota Posts: 112	Re: CCR or Doubles...first steps into Tech Diving I can't tell you what you should do, and no one really should, but I personally took classes with doubles, and had to make the dicision to go CCR or go Trimix OC first. I choose to go CCR and I don't regreat that decision for one second. Yes, you will be a beginner, and yes, you will have trouble with your hear, but the added safety that proper use of a CCR can give you out weights the down side. I love going on some trip, and only having to bring along another set of 19s and thats all the gas I need. My bailout tanks don't get used, and I can get 4 good dives out of one set of back gas, and if I go really deep then Ill change out after two dives. Have you every seen the guys with doubles hauling those pigs around. I only use my old ones for paintball fills. On the other side I do like the fact that I feel like I could bailout to OC and have no problem, or if I wanted to I could dive doubles OC if thats all the gear I could get a hold of. As for the people who are talking about CCR's and the diving we do in a Piss poor light, just look at who they are. Most are fully uneducated about anything to do with CCR, and unless the community had adopted OC scuba they would be the ones telling eveyone that going in the water will kill you. We all know that, Yes water can kill you, and whether your on oc, ccr, or breath hold, you can die, did I mention swimming. I have had hurtfull things said about me in relation to diving, and all I can say is "why should I care", and "how does that affect me". For some miricle I keep comming up alive, after each dive, and what "some people" say can't change that. I dive smart, I dive safe, and if something happens I can say that I did my best to over come the problem, and gave it my all. What idiots say is like shit spuing from their mouths. __________________ OC is for Bailout! Go Big, then go home.
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