Making the leap: help choosing first rb

[rddvet]

@rddvet and what did you do with your sidewinder?

Never took it home. Instructor was nice enough to just charge me a rental fee. Based on that experience I will likely never take a ccr class unless it's a rental or loaner unit first. I was lucky that I loved my first unit from dive 1. I went into the sw class excited and ready to love it and was profoundly disappointed ( in the unit not the class. Like any good quality class I learned some things I didin't know). I'm interested in the Choptima, but won't base my choice to purchase on a try dive. I'd want to do the crossover on a loaner or rental then choose to buy a unit from there. I try-dived the sidewinder about 4 years ago or so before I had any knowledge about rebreathers. I thought it was great at that time and that's why I was confident I'd love it. Once I had some ccr experience under my belt it was a different story.

 

[tbone1004]

doesn’t Lamar still teach the optima too or has he relegated it only to their outside instructors. This could become a very controversial comment, but I find it very hard to recommend Paul Heinerth for training to anyone. There are a lot still hardcore in his camp, but even some of his former students and friends are really questioning referring people to him nowadays. That is not meant to detract from his legacy as a cave diving pioneer.

edit: I also spoke to Lamar recently about taking the choptima training with a rental unit (since I didn’t learn I hated the sidewinder until I dove it in class) and he suggest3d Ted. I assume Ted also still teaches on the optima?

right, Ted McCoy would be a good one. I forgot that he's still diving the O2ptima. He was my Mod1 instructor on the Meg and it was a really good class

 

[Superlyte27]

I have a unit to lend (with nerd) for class if needed. My schedule is usually wide open as I’m mostly retired from my real job. Ted is a better instructor than me for most people. He’s been teaching rebreather for as long as I’ve been diving I think. That’s 25+ years.

 

[Superlyte27]

For anyone doing a try dive on the CM. Make sure your chin is between the groove in the middle of the CL. If it is, it breathes better than anything. If it isn’t, is sucks (and blows at the same time) -Bart Simpson

 

[rddvet]

I have a unit to lend (with nerd) for class if needed. My schedule is usually wide open as I’m mostly retired from my real job. Ted is a better instructor than me for most people. He’s been teaching rebreather for as long as I’ve been diving I think. That’s 25+ years.

You referring to the Chopitma or the Optima (for the OP). I didn't realize you had a rental/loaner unit. Lamar only knew that Ted did.

 

[wedivebc]

The Optima looks narrower which seems like a plus on a crowded boat?

)
Boy, if the boat is that crowded that it is a factor in rebreather selection it's time to find another boat.

 

[Evan Davies]

Interesting read, though nobody in the States seems to care for JJ CCR?
It's renowned for being reliable and simple. It is after all the CCR that has the current depth record as far as I know. Will Goodman wouldn't use something he wasn't absolutely sure of for this.
rEvo, AP, Optima, Meg seem to be mentioned a lot, but not much on the JJ, SF2, Liberty etc. How come?

 

[rsingler]

Interesting read, though nobody in the States seems to care for JJ CCR?

I LOVE mine! And so does @doctormike!
I think the numbers are increasing, slowly.
It was an interesting choice for me. Liked the new technology in the X-CCR, but the JJ build quality and logical layout won me over.

 

[rddvet]

Interesting read, though nobody in the States seems to care for JJ CCR?
It's renowned for being reliable and simple. It is after all the CCR that has the current depth record as far as I know. Will Goodman wouldn't use something he wasn't absolutely sure of for this.
rEvo, AP, Optima, Meg seem to be mentioned a lot, but not much on the JJ, SF2, Liberty etc. How come?

I see JJs all the time. They're not unpopular

 

[rddvet]

I LOVE mine! And so does @doctormike!
I think the numbers are increasing, slowly.
It was an interesting choice for me. Liked the new technology in the X-CCR, but the JJ build quality and logical layout won me over.

X-CCR price took it out of contention for me.