Openwater One... On a Rebreather

divingtoors

HI Guys.

The title is not misleading...

I got news from a very reputable source, that an training agency has begun a "new" training innitiative...

They want to train, and have started training, Open Water One (Yes, the course you did when u started diving, and knew nothing about anything diving related) with a CCR as SCUBA of choice....

I was mystified, confused and eventually schocked at what I heard...
I would have thought a Nitrox qualification, and then some knowledge on patial pressures, would at least be required for Rebreather diving, not taking diving experience and "watermanship" into account at all, at this moment..

Is this a common thing now?
Is this what the training agencies are heading for?
Is this happening elsewhere as well?
Is there sense in the, what I would like to refer to as "madness", that I am maybe not understanding?

What is the outcome of such training going to be?
I may be wrong, but I can think of one outcome only....

Regards

Johan

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nigelh

There is something wrong with this?
All that matters is that the course content is suitable for the prerequisites.

I think some of the AP staff did this ages ago including, so I heard, Nicky the telephone voice of spares.

Personally I think it's wonderful. I missed out. I'm already doing diving I'm not qualified for on OC as all my trimix is CCR but not to be qualified for ANY diving on OC? I'm so jealous.

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nigelh

kieranu

I would think this would definitely be where the industry would be headed long term, particularly now that there are some major industry players, and one in particular currently, moving into the CCR space. I'd definitely think that some pretty intensive theory covering gas physics and physiology would be involved in the course as is currently the case for advanced nitrox and air diluent CCR courses anyway.

It may seem like madness, but I'm sure old school open circuit scuba commercial and navy divers thought the same thing when people started being able to go out on their own and dive after a day or two of theory, a day in the pool and four dives in the ocean. As technology involves, its hard to stop "progress" and commercial interests coming into play. As traditional open-circuit gear increasingly becomes a commodity, the attraction of a new niche market with potentially better profits on CCR-related merchandise must also have its allure. Personally, I can fairly readily foresee a PADI (or possibly some spin off) CCR OW course without any previous SCUBA experience as a prerequisite being on the table in the not too distant future.

PhilSiswick

Personally, I think it's a great idea. Like Nigel, I wish it had been an option when I learnt, as I would have loved to have done it then, rather than transitioned later.

I would suspect that the cost of the unit plus the additional length/cost of the necessary training will keep this the preserve of more motivated individuals anyway, so it doesn't presage a mass migration into RBs. For that to happen, we'd have to see every dive shop, liveaboard and destination stock rental units. That's a long way off, IMO.

Cheers,

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Phil (WSKD 0001)

I have always felt that the dive I am on is not nearly important as the dives I plan to be on the rest of my life. Tom Rose, 2007

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KenStrickland

Hi Johan

You've expressed your shock and horror at this "madness" but you haven't explained what you think is wrong with going directly to CCR.

Every person doing their first dive is diving with equipment that is new to them. We rely on the training agencies to come up with courses that cover all aspects of diving, including the equipment to be used. So, as long as the course adequately covers the equipment, what's the problem?

When I did my Mod1 for Inspiration (IANTD) the instructor said something along the lines of: "I don't care how many years of experience you have on OC, when you start diving with a CCR you're back to being a novice."

I think we will see more of this happening in the future and, personally, I'm not against it.

Cheers
Ken

Paul Evans

Which Agency

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MrClive

hi all, well speaking from my personal experience, i know i dont know everything, and i had roughly 25 dives on oc before going onto a meg, to me ccr is the only path, and im just so looking forward to gainning as much underwater time, asking all the questions, and bascially like everyday life, learning as much as i can especially from all the members on this site, very generous people in their own experiences, and im all ears, thanks

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clive

Abbo

I wonder what kind of person would want to do openwater 1 on a Rebreather? First of all there would be the $1500+ course fee for a course that would have to be longer than Mod 1. That's over 3 times the $ cost of a PADI O/W course, and more than double the time investment. There would be very few dive shops indeed where he could rent gear, and the upfront costs for somebody who owned no dive gear would present a formidable barrier: $15k? He would find that many diveboats and clubs would refuse to have him, and most buddies he would pair up with would have no idea what to do in an emergency situation. As likely as not the dive leaders wouldn't know either. When he forgot part of his training there would, likely as not, be nobody around to help. Where if he messed up he risked death with no warning. And for what? - being massively overdressed with heavy gear and encumbered with sling tanks when everyone around him was lazily donning easy single tank rental OC gear for the simple dives at periscope depth. And when he got in the water he wouldn't able to switch off and enjoy the fishes like his single tank OC mates.

You need a pretty strong reason for taking the rebreather route. For me it was as a more efficient way of going deep, which was getting prohibitively expensive. I knew that my gear was not going to go straight up on a Yahoo auction because of the many happy years I'd been diving. But if the local demographics meet the profile of affluent people who can drop $15k on a new hobby and battle through a course with a near-vertical learning curve, I'd guess it could be an OK business...

caveseeker7

Been done years ago here in Germany on Drägers.

For decades divers who used UBAs used rebreathers.
Open circuit gear hadn't been invented yet.

Just ask Dave.
(sorry, couldn't resist )

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Cheers
Stefan



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and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media,
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brinoz

Hi,

when diving a rebreather, You always need a bail out scenario. Most of the time it is OC. So you must have a good/minimum knowledge of OC.

So an openwater one on a Rebreather must include an openwater one on OC. I hope so at least.

Regards
Bruno