ATJ
Contributor
I am considering getting a CCR mainly for diving around Sydney, Australia but would also use it further afield where appropriate.
There is a particular dive site in southern Sydney (called The Leap) which I dive very frequently and I think a CCR would be very useful. The site is usually a shore dive and is essentially a drift dive with the entry and exit points being are around 500 metres apart. You jump in at the entry point and swim to the sand line which is just over 20 metres and drift/swim along the sand line which gradually gets shallower. The site can be easily dived on air with a regular 12.2L tank but you don't get to spend much time looking for cool critters. If you dive on air you can't spend much time at the start of the dive because you hit your NDL quite quickly. I usually dive the site with a 15L tank with Nitrox which gives me more bottom time.
The site has a lot of really cool critters with the Sydney pygmy pipehorses being the way coolest. The pygmy pipehorse are tiny (maximum length 55mm) and can be very difficult to find. You could spend 30 minutes looking at just one rock for them but finding them is a thrill. I am finding that even with the 15L tank I'm not getting enough time to both look for pygmy pipehorses but also look for the other interesting critters such as seahorses and weedy seadragons.
I think a CCR would be the logical choice to get more bottom time. I should mention that both the entry and exit points are at the bottom of cliffs and are accessed by steep steps. I can cope fine with the 15L even in my dry suit but anything larger (such as an 18L or twins) would be unmanageable. This is another area where a CCR would excel.
I completed training on a Poseidon MkVI in 2012 (TDI MkVI Discovery Air Diluent Diver) but never went on to buy or hire one (the plan was to use one on a subsequent dive trip but circumstances changed). I quite liked the MkVI and know it would do the job although I'd at least need a refresher course.
I am wondering what other options I might have.
There is a particular dive site in southern Sydney (called The Leap) which I dive very frequently and I think a CCR would be very useful. The site is usually a shore dive and is essentially a drift dive with the entry and exit points being are around 500 metres apart. You jump in at the entry point and swim to the sand line which is just over 20 metres and drift/swim along the sand line which gradually gets shallower. The site can be easily dived on air with a regular 12.2L tank but you don't get to spend much time looking for cool critters. If you dive on air you can't spend much time at the start of the dive because you hit your NDL quite quickly. I usually dive the site with a 15L tank with Nitrox which gives me more bottom time.
The site has a lot of really cool critters with the Sydney pygmy pipehorses being the way coolest. The pygmy pipehorse are tiny (maximum length 55mm) and can be very difficult to find. You could spend 30 minutes looking at just one rock for them but finding them is a thrill. I am finding that even with the 15L tank I'm not getting enough time to both look for pygmy pipehorses but also look for the other interesting critters such as seahorses and weedy seadragons.
I think a CCR would be the logical choice to get more bottom time. I should mention that both the entry and exit points are at the bottom of cliffs and are accessed by steep steps. I can cope fine with the 15L even in my dry suit but anything larger (such as an 18L or twins) would be unmanageable. This is another area where a CCR would excel.
I completed training on a Poseidon MkVI in 2012 (TDI MkVI Discovery Air Diluent Diver) but never went on to buy or hire one (the plan was to use one on a subsequent dive trip but circumstances changed). I quite liked the MkVI and know it would do the job although I'd at least need a refresher course.
I am wondering what other options I might have.