Starting Technical diving GUE Vs TDI VS PADI?

[ginti]

I should add something for the OP @YahiaAhmed

My reasons for GUE are:
- very good quality control, meaning that choosing a good instructor is easy. I like to change instructors as often as possible: since the quality is (more or less) guaranteed, I just have to be sure the teaching style and the personality of the instructor are ok for me: this helps me in saving a lot of time
- I change country often because of my job (4 times in the last three years), and the standardization/team mentality helps me in finding people with whom I can dive easily, again saving a lot of time
- access to projects

I believe you can have all of these with other agencies as well, but I found it so much easier with GUE

 

[johnkendall]

I am a GUE trained diver but not CCR.
I have always been thinking about the same regarding the backmount gas but where I differ is about the place of the RB.
In my view, by placing it, in berween tanks it make everything a bit more logistically chalenging. Personaly, I judt add a side tube RB or a front RB and nothing change from the basic oc config (beside xtra dil hose of course).
So why GUE chosed the JJ and adapted instead of adapting a RB?

The vast majority of diving is big enough for a backmounted configuration. Anywhere that isn't big enough isn't going to work with a set of doubles on your back anyway, so no benefit there.
We didn't just pluck the JJ out of thin air, it was decided upon after several years of testing of every CCR that was on the market at the time. It was based on decades of rebreather diving with the RB80, as well as the long experience with CCR from some of our instructor corps (for example Richard Lundgren was involved in the original testing of the Inspiration in around 1996 iirc)
By keeping the CCR on the back, with large bailout tanks there too it means you have space for deco cylinders where you need them.

Thanks
John

 

[jale]

The vast majority of diving is big enough for a backmounted configuration. Anywhere that isn't big enough isn't going to work with a set of doubles on your back anyway, so no benefit there.
We didn't just pluck the JJ out of thin air, it was decided upon after several years of testing of every CCR that was on the market at the time. It was based on decades of rebreather diving with the RB80, as well as the long experience with CCR from some of our instructor corps (for example Richard Lundgren was involved in the original testing of the Inspiration in around 1996 iirc)
By keeping the CCR on the back, with large bailout tanks there too it means you have space for deco cylinders where you need them.

Thanks
John

Thanks
Yes, I forgot the RB80 is part of the reason
Anyway, a tube RB on the right side doesn't affect anything at all and provides a lot of simplicity regarding logistics.

 

[johnkendall]

Thanks
Yes, I forgot the RB80 is part of the reason
Anyway, a tube RB on the right side doesn't affect anything at all and provide a lot of simplicity regarding logistics.

That's not true. It effects the long hose. It effects your width, it potentially has worrying work of breathing (any side mount rebreather is going to be twitchy about position for work of breathing etc etc
I'm not saying that any of these are not manageable, but they are considerations that have to be taken into account.
Thanks
John

 

[rjack321]

I was more thinking about deep sea exploration. And, of course, for big group dives (always in the sea, for instance wreck hunting). What do you think about these scenarios?

If you are remote its quite difficult to get refills on the 50s (or 7L). You need a big booster and lots of drive gas. Compared to refilling 3L cylinders which can be done with a baby booster.
Its heavy, hauling one over the tube of a RIB is a 2 person job.
The manifold hose is teflon lined SS and leaks helium so you have to shut down the lola valves during storage - which is very much the opposite of how doubles are stored and refilled.

Its fine, it works, its not rocket science. In some applications its a poor choice, in others its lovely.

So why GUE chosed the JJ and adapted instead of adapting a RB?

You can have that! The SF2 is damn close to what a RB80 would be like with a solenoid.

 

[jale]

That's not true. It effects the long hose. It effects your width, it potentially has worrying work of breathing (any side mount rebreather is going to be twitchy about position for work of breathing etc etc
I'm not saying that any of these are not manageable, but they are considerations that have to be taken into account.
Thanks
John

Well, it depends how long your tube is. Some RB are not longer than the old huge canister lights that were used before and to donate the long hose you don't even need to go out of the loop.
Regarding the wob, GUE divers are always so cool in the water and their trim fits perfectly the position of a tube RB

 

[jale]

You can have that! The SF2 is damn close to what a RB80 would be like with a solenoid.

Yes a SF2 is only a closed SF1 which itself is a RB80 clone
It would have seen as a natural choice.
Maybe the carbon construction, maybe more personal link with JJ and AP?
Anyway, they made a choice and it is their and they look happy with that

 

[jale]

double post!

 

[KenGordon]

Since you dived with people using this configuration, do you believe it is valuable in the kind of dives you did?

Everyone was fine and had a lovely time. There were some issues with battery wires in one of their heads but the bloke also had a halcyon light so had very good soldering skills.

I flew but they had to drive. I used 3s and bailout from the boat. Of course this meant they got fills at home before they left which will have been cheaper.

 

[YahiaAhmed]

Thanks everyone for your comments and advise. I've contacted my instructor and I decided to go for GUE. It's a bit more expensive, but it seems like it worth every penny, and it's the right investment.