Training Dilema

poindexter

OK, Iwant to be trained to use rebreathers, but because they are specific to the Rebreather, which one do I do?
I'd love to do the training on the YBOD, but it's unlikely I'll own one soon. Here in sunny Melbourne, there are plenty of people offering Dolphin courses, but I may not want a SCR (mybe I should).
I've been nitrox trained since 1996, so I suspect I'll qualify to do SCR. It's my understanding that I would need to be advanced nitrox trained before anyone lets me into a CCR course.
Time for me to listen to your advise.

cheers

Bear

Unfortunately your choices are limited in Melbourne. There are a few xCCR's being dived, including a new batch of PRISMs, a couple of YBODs, a Meg, a KISS Classic, a small number of closed (ala Tubby/JDZ) modified Dolphins and a couple of SCRs (Dolphin/Atlantis and maybe an Azi).

JDZ or Mike may have a better idea of who is playing the game down here but in my experience, Rebreather's on any mainstream charter is a rare sight.

As far as YBOB training is concerned for the East Coast, you have Bazza at Southern Cross Divers in Sydney and Jason Blackwell from Dive Dive Dive in Brisbane.

There is a Rebreather Users Group being established in Melbourne so you would be welcome to go along and chat to the people that have already made the commitment. The next meeting is at the Bell's Hotel in South Melbourne and further details can be found on the VicTech site.

IMHO, you need to decide which unit you are interested in based on the dives you are doing. Going along and meeting people who are diving in the same locality as yourself may help with your decision.

Cheers

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http://www.victech.org
VICTECH.ORG: A web resource for Technical Divers in Victoria

decoweenie

A little more...

1) TDI is planning to introduce CCR course(s) for divers with only Nitrox cert. At least this is what I heard that TDI is planning for the KISS anyway. When ? Who knows...

2) If you are interested in a ECCR, take a course with the YBOD isn't bad. You will at least learn the basic knowledge about how to dive a ECCR, and when/if you buy another ECCR, you just have to do a shorter-time-frame and lower-cost cross-over course to the new unit (providing you have adequate hours on the first unit).

You would be a lot more informed after having a course and put some hours on any unit, so if you could afford the course, do it. Then you could understand the discussion about the differences between units a lot better afterward, and will be able to make a much more informed decision on which unit to buy.

poindexter

Thanks for the advise guys.

I may make it to Bells, only, how will I recognise the Rebreather dudes. Do I look for a guy wearing thick rim glasses?

cheers

Bear

Hahhahahaha

While I picked Drew (Cleveland Rocks ) Carey for an avatar I don't think I look too much like him apart from being on the chubby side, ok, huge side of normal.

Check my profile and you will find a recent image, so, if you see a big guy who looks like that standing with some other smaller people then you will have the right group. Other than that, just look for your typical victorian diver wearing polar fleece tops with dive related logos. I will post more details on RBW/VicTech including a couple of contact numbers when the meeting draws closer.

Cheers

__________________
http://www.victech.org
VICTECH.ORG: A web resource for Technical Divers in Victoria

silent bubbles 2

No , we'll be the ones upstairs making all the noise and talking about the pros & con's of Rebreather diving on a charter boat here in melbourne . everyone please visit www.bluewedges.org and lend a worldwide support to save our bay from total and un needed destruction

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www.aquapix.com.au

Mike

Nah - I did Inspo and Prism courses without ever doing ad nitrox.
In general I think it's expected that if you are willing to front up the $1k+ for a CCR course that you will understand PPO2 pretty well. It was taken for granted on both courses that you knew what you were doing, you'd have struggled to keep up if you didn't. PPO2 calcs / NOAA exposure limits / air equivalency depths for setpoints etc are all tested without any review.

As far as instructors, there are also Dave & Logan Apperly (I assume they are both still teaching). They both come very highly recommended, and would provide a more formal course than Baz (be hard not to really ).

As for which CCR course to do - it doesn't really matter if all you are after is understanding of a CCR and the expererience of diving one. You're stuffed in Melbourne for a formal course though - Sydney, Brisbane or Perth are the options.

My suggestion would be to do as Bear said and wander along to the pub night and meet the usual suspects. (Contact JDZ via here or diveoz - he is the default co-ordinator type, everyone rings him). There is a lot of knowledge there, diluted by gumbies like me. Perhaps do some diving with whoever is doing the type of diving you are doing, and steal their unit when they are not looking? You'll get as much out of this as you would out of generic course (IMO of course...). The biggest practical component of a CCR course is the unit specific stuff so perhaps hold off on doing a course until you are required to in order to buy a unit. (Prism for instance seem to cost the same for a crossover as a full course)

Mike

Steve

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