Rebreather diving and being 'technical'

[jepuskar]

You have two people taking a rebreather course....one has worked on cars all their life and the other has worked as a history teacher. Both are excellent OC divers with pretty much the same diving experience and knowledge.

Seeing the insides of a rebreather with the hoses, orings, connectors etc etc...doesnt really phase the car mechanic but intimidates the heck out of the history teacher.

They both are set to take a class on a CCR and plan to dive it within recreational limits.

For those of you that have taken a CCR class, at the end of class when its time to go diving will there be a 'stronger' diver among the two assuming they both equally understood the aspects of the course?

Thanks,

Jason

 

[caveseeker7]

Hard for me to answer as I don't work on cars, I drive them.
But a thought or two ...

If you're the shop monkey you wanna make sure your hands are clean when working on the O2 side of your rebreather.

I can think of a couple of examples where mechanical engineers prefer mCCRs, not trusting electronics, while electronic engineers prefer such controlled units. To the point of one pulling the electronics on a MK15.5 and turning it into the "ultimate KISS".

Mechanical ability, which is what I guess you refer to, can come in handy. How handy probably depends on the rebreather model you're using. The Jetsam as well as the SCRs are all mechanical units, so most all work is just that. On these you probably have a headstart. Same if you want to restore say a MK15 and have to bend the tubes from scratch. But many of the problems that all CCRs have seem to revolve around the electronics, from sensors to controllers and batteries.

Most basic courses don't include much more than changing and adjusting bits and pieces like valves etc., just as basic OC don't include rebuilding demand valves. For the bits shared with OC you can take equipment courses from agencies, and some manufacturers offer maintainance courses. SMI does, and they depend on the need of the user , and ISC offers customers to visit the company for a week and build his own rig from scratch. For all those being handy with tools comes in, well, handy. But most units these days are plug and play, and manufacturers have improved in that respect. Just look at the little Sport Kiss (compared to its older sibling), or the O2ptima using the ExtendAir cartridge.

But I don't know if mechanical ability will make a stronger diver. I would think that a person with such skills is probably less intimidated by looking at rebreather and hence might initially be more comfortable. Then again the history teacher may well have compensated for that by very thorough research, both of the unit chosen and rebreather diving in general. And is thus as comfortable with the choice.

The single most important thing is probably the state of mind, realizing that you have to be diligent, that complacency will eventually kill you. That the training just gives you the skills to get proficient and gather experience. You don't need a college degree to understand that.

However, the blue collar worker has a more physical job than the bookworm and is thus likely a stronger diver. :11doh:

 

[jepuskar]

Thanks Stefan. I understand your thinking on this. I guess once everything is explained in the course that the history teacher would be at ease...hopefully.

 

[wedivebc]

I am a marine engineer who has also worked as a mechanic and I dive rebreather so let me take a stab at this. The mechanic is trained to recognize problems and trouble shoot in a logical fashion. When a problem arises he will think it through starting with the most obvious and working down from there. Some diagnostics with a RB can be done underwater for instance you feel a headache, you can figure out if the scubber is channeling or the mushroom valves are leaking by a simple test. Either way you are going to bail so even if the history teacher does not identify the problem he still would take the appropriate action and end the dive.
A mechanic will know a good o-ring from a bad one and know when 2 pieces are fitting together properly, but I can't think what would make one a better diver than the other.

 

[jepuskar]

Well maybe a better diver is not the right way to put it....

How bout this....would the mechanic have any distinct advantages learning to dive a rebreather than someone who doesnt know a screwdriver from a fork?

 

[caveseeker7]

Dave, you never met some of the mechanics working on my cars.
... trouble shoot in a logical fashion. ... they were more trouble
than logic and I wanted to shoot.

Jason, learning to dive probably not, maintaining or fixing the unit likely yes.

 

[wedivebc]

Dave, you never met some of the mechanics working on my cars.
... trouble shoot in a logical fashion. ... they were more trouble
than logic and I wanted to shoot.

There is where the difference between what we do and what goes on the bill arises

 

[Mr.X]

Well maybe a better diver is not the right way to put it....

How bout this....would the mechanic have any distinct advantages learning to dive a rebreather than someone who doesnt know a screwdriver from a fork?

You said both were excellent OC divers. This statement suggests both have a working knowledge of pneumatic systems as related to OC diving. Hence, your statement of knowing a screwdriver from a fork cannot be applied to this scenario. A decent OC diver would know how to rig a kit, take care of tanks, run hoses, buoyancy and initiate minor repair to their systems etc. Again, in afore mentioned scenario I am inserting my own values as to what constitutes an "excellent" diver.

Realistically, there are very few indicators of how people are going to react unless you do a series of psychological and physiological assessments prior to engaging in training. Think of the assessments as what they are - a vetting process. The cheapest one going is an interview, a show of plastic cards, logbook and what not.

If I were to hazard a guess, I would say the more intractable (mentally) of the pair would be the one facing greater challenges during the paradigm shift. Mental X

 

[Atticus]

I will offer the opinion that if I did not understand how a particular rebreather worked I would not dive it. To be fair I am an engineer (software/firmware) and I learn by understanding how and why something works.

The history teacher type probably learns better by rote.

Neither approach is wrong, but they do learn differently.

It might be best for them to take separate courses

 

[Hoyden]

I'd say the answer depends on whether the mechanic has spent his life working on old cars or new ones. If he is able to work on newer cars (with multiple computers and complex emission control systems), then my money would be on him to come out of the class better able to trouble shoot and mange his CC rig. If he is used to working on older, more basic cars with almost no electronics then all bets on him are off.

Jackie