This question came up in another thread.
Should CCRs only be used for dives that can’t easily be done on open circuit, or is it a reasonable option for an experienced open water diver? I’m thinking about this because a very experienced diver insulted me for making the switch without needing a CCR as the only tool for the job. At first, I was annoyed. But then again, maybe he is right?
I’m a relatively new CCR diver after a number of years of OC diving, including AN/deco in the northeast United States, with a little over 900 dives.
I am really enjoying my rebreather. I find the technical aspects fascinating and I like the challenge of the new skills and protocols. I like long dives with warm gas. I like having extra time underwater to deal with some problems. I like not having to haul two sets of double 119s around, with two trips each week in the season to a dive shop in midtown traffic. I’m looking foreward to doing mod 2 in the future, so that I can get back to staged decompression. I have found a great community of CCR divers who are very eager to help new people. I haven’t noticed much of a difference in the response of fish life to me in my rebreather.
On the other hand, I don’t plan on doing any dives that I couldn’t do on open circuit. I don’t want to do cave diving, or wrecks so deep that the volume of carried gas becomes a limiting factor.
Was he right? Is this just extra risk with no significant benefit? Am I just playing techie dress-up make pretend?
Should CCRs only be used for dives that can’t easily be done on open circuit, or is it a reasonable option for an experienced open water diver? I’m thinking about this because a very experienced diver insulted me for making the switch without needing a CCR as the only tool for the job. At first, I was annoyed. But then again, maybe he is right?
I’m a relatively new CCR diver after a number of years of OC diving, including AN/deco in the northeast United States, with a little over 900 dives.
I am really enjoying my rebreather. I find the technical aspects fascinating and I like the challenge of the new skills and protocols. I like long dives with warm gas. I like having extra time underwater to deal with some problems. I like not having to haul two sets of double 119s around, with two trips each week in the season to a dive shop in midtown traffic. I’m looking foreward to doing mod 2 in the future, so that I can get back to staged decompression. I have found a great community of CCR divers who are very eager to help new people. I haven’t noticed much of a difference in the response of fish life to me in my rebreather.
On the other hand, I don’t plan on doing any dives that I couldn’t do on open circuit. I don’t want to do cave diving, or wrecks so deep that the volume of carried gas becomes a limiting factor.
Was he right? Is this just extra risk with no significant benefit? Am I just playing techie dress-up make pretend?