Trip Report -- Rebreather Diving in West Palm last weekend

Last Saturday morning I left Lakeland at 5:30am and drove to West Palm Beach to meet up with Marco Delano and David Benoit, two semi-closed rebreather diver students. We spent the morning going over rebreather physiology and putting the Drager and Azimuth units together. After lunch, it was off to Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures. Despite the approaching cold front we had sunny skies, no wind, and flat seas. We did two afternoon dives of approximately one hour each on Tear Drop and Playpen. The viz was average for West Palm (approx 40 feet) though not spectacular. The water was a pleasant 75 degrees despite it being late December. With a not-so-normal southbound current we drifted across a multitude of tropicals, eels, and a couple of green turtles. One diver, Dave Mott, from Tampa shot a large grouper and bagged a couple of lobsters. Unfortunately, he didn't invite us to his place for dinner. Check out my website (www.debersole.com) for photos.

We then spent the evening breaking down and disinfecting the units, going over more academics, and taking the dreaded examinations. After Marco and David aced the Drager and Azimuth exams it was off to bed. Sunday, we knocked out two more one hour dives at Bath & Tennis and Breakers to complete the required four hours of bottom time for certification. The cold front had moved through so the air was brisk but the skies were blue, the seas remained flat, and we had two more enjoyable dives in the beautiful waters of West Palm. Thanks go out to Sandy and Ryan, our divemasters from Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures. And congratulations to the two newest IANTD-certified Semi-Closed Rebreather Divers, Marco Delano and David Benoit!!! Welcome to the silent world of bubble-free diving!

If anyone out there is interested in a "Discover Rebreather Experience" or certifications on either the Drager Dolphin or Azimuth, let me know.

debersole:

Last Saturday morning I left Lakeland at 5:30am and drove to West Palm Beach to meet up with Marco Delano and David Benoit, two semi-closed rebreather diver students. We spent the morning going over rebreather physiology and putting the Drager and Azimuth units together. After lunch, it was off to Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures. Despite the approaching cold front we had sunny skies, no wind, and flat seas. We did two afternoon dives of approximately one hour each on Tear Drop and Playpen. The viz was average for West Palm (approx 40 feet) though not spectacular. The water was a pleasant 75 degrees despite it being late December. With a not-so-normal southbound current we drifted across a multitude of tropicals, eels, and a couple of green turtles. One diver, Dave Mott, from Tampa shot a large grouper and bagged a couple of lobsters. Unfortunately, he didn't invite us to his place for dinner. Check out my website (www.debersole.com) for photos.

We then spent the evening breaking down and disinfecting the units, going over more academics, and taking the dreaded examinations. After Marco and David aced the Drager and Azimuth exams it was off to bed. Sunday, we knocked out two more one hour dives at Bath & Tennis and Breakers to complete the required four hours of bottom time for certification. The cold front had moved through so the air was brisk but the skies were blue, the seas remained flat, and we had two more enjoyable dives in the beautiful waters of West Palm. Thanks go out to Sandy and Ryan, our divemasters from Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures. And congratulations to the two newest IANTD-certified Semi-Closed Rebreather Divers, Marco Delano and David Benoit!!! Welcome to the silent world of bubble-free diving!

If anyone out there is interested in a "Discover Rebreather Experience" or certifications on either the Drager Dolphin or Azimuth, let me know.

Click to expand...

Rebreather certified with Doug Debersole from SB !!!!!!

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We are Rebreather certifed !!!!

Special thank's to Douglas Debersole from Scuba Board, for an excellent class and wonderfull experience on rebreather's, both the Dolphin and The Azimuth.
You can see myself (black and blue wetsuit) and my buddy David (black with grey strip wetsuit) on the West Palm trip report on Douglas webpage at www.debersole.com trip report on 12/18/2004, If you like pictures, check out his page, awsome pic's !!

My buddy David and I are finalley SCR rebreather certifed on both the Azimuth, and the Dolphin !!!

Withen a year we plan to goto CCR for 250+ feet to start our deep exploration wreck dive's !!

We hit WPB Sat am, all had breakfest, and went over our dive plan.
Sat afternoon we hit the water, there were reports from the earlley boat's of 80' plus vis.
Sea's were 2'-3' Sat afternoon, and sun was shinning!!We hit the water (temps at 74-75)
and what an experience diving bubbleless, wow how quite!! Droped down to 60', and a very pleasent experience diving the rebreather. I was VERY happy with the result's of diving them both all weekend, and definatley buying one here for X-mas for myself

If you never tried a rebreather, Douglas offer's the experience for a cost, and if you like WARM moist air, no bubble's, EXTENDED bottom time, and getting right up close to fish, this is the way to go.

Douglas was very professional, been diving over 30 year's experience,, wonderfull person, and really love's the sport of diving, thank's again!!

If you want a in-depth experience, i will be posting another fourm under the rebreather section .

Thank's again Douglas for a wonderfull weekend, and opening up a whole new world of Silent, bubble less diving, and looking foward to our trip in FEB down to the key's with my boat to do some Wreck dive's now with our rebreather's