Doing Tech+Cave on a RB?

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Lukas

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Toronto, Ontario
First, I apologize in advance in case I sound stupid.

Ok, this is a hypothetical situation for me, as I do not own a rebreather, and I'm not planning to do Cave 1 and 2 anytime soon (Not because caving doesn't entice me, I am absolutely hooked on anything cave related :D , I just don't have the money:( ).
However, since rebreathers are in the long run a bit more cost efficient, and simply wayyy cooler to dive (they are of course also more dangerous, but theire getting better every year) I know I'll end up with one at some point in my diving career (if you can call it that).

So, I was sort of thinking of skipping the whole doubles tech setup step for monetary reasons and go straight to a rebreather, then go on from there. However, GUE REQ.'s say that you have to have a min. of 20 dives with a doubles setup for cave 1. Since most LDS's I've been to won't rent a doubles setup (and I wouldnt WANT to do 20+ rec dives and all my course dives in rentals anyways), I would have to buy my own doubles wing, manifold, backup reg, etc etc. Now this costs a lot of money, and since I'm planning to dive RB in the end run anyways, is there a way I could skip this and go straight to the RB and do courses from there?
 
If you want to go that route why even bother with GUE?
 
Can't be done via GUE. You must be open circuit trained to Tech2 before diving their rebreather.

You should look into another agency if this is your objective.
 
as stated before. you can not go the GUE route and do it on a rb, you will have to go thru the steps using oc first, and then move onto RB. But you will have to do it on their RB the RB80, which is a scr rb not a full CCR rebreather. if CCR is the way you want to go then you need to rethink and go down the TDI or IANTD route.
 
Lukas, as already mentioned the GUE route is rather restrictive in regards to rebreathers. So far no CCR has been allowed on any of the explorations, they are ... frowned upon, to say the least. The only rebreather that has been in use for cave exploration is the Halcyon RB80. Solid design, nice craftmanship, but quite expensive for what it is. Only two instructors for them, and as mentioned DIR-F, Tech 1 and 2 are among the prerequisites. When I talked to JJ a few years back it was possible to substitute Cave 1 (back then only Tech 1 was required), though that may have changed, too.

Aside from GUE/DIR organized diving, there are several formerly DIR diving people that now do it all wrong, using CCRs. :D You may want to PM Benthic here at Scubaboard, he and his better half are among the black sheep.

Lots of good knowledge and skills to be learned at GUE, but neither tolerance nor CCRs are part of that agency. If you do want to go down that route I recommend getting an instructor that does the diving you want to do. If that's cave diving, there are several CCR instructors on various units from Inspos and PRISMs to Optimas and Megs that you can train with. In my experience the instructor is more important than the afiliation he has, though there are differences in the training materials. There ANDI is way ahead.
 
I would recommend NOT doing cave training on a rebreather. You'll probably be task-loaded enough as it is, the last thing you need is something else to worry about.
 
SparticleBrane:
I would recommend NOT doing cave training on a rebreather. You'll probably be task-loaded enough as it is, the last thing you need is something else to worry about.
So are you basing this on your cave experience, your RB experience or did someone tell you that?

In reality RBs are very well suited to cave diving, they are used by many divers to push beyond the limits of OC dives and for the most part an experienced RB diver is no more task loaded than any other cave diver. As others have mentioned the GUE route may not be the way you ewant to go for this.
I suggest you ask this question on www.rebreatherworld.com where more actual rebreather cave divers frequent and less internet quarry commandos:shakehead
 
He hasn't moved to doubles yet, from his post. Thus it's going to be a LONG time before he's an "experienced" RB diver. I just don't see the point in complicating the training.
 
SparticleBrane:
He hasn't moved to doubles yet, from his post. Thus it's going to be a LONG time before he's an "experienced" RB diver. I just don't see the point in complicating the training.
While I agree with doing OC cave diving prior to RB caves I don't agree with your reasoning that RBs are more task loading.
I think a RB diver should know how to manage OC gas in a cave for bailout reasons. They should be able to plan a safe return to the exit in the event of a loop failure using OC equipment and that is the only reason I can think of for taking initial cave training on OC.
I own 2 sets of steel doubles that I have not used in ages because I tend to go places they won't take me.
My recommendation to the OP is to take cavern/intro on OC, get trained and comfortable on a breather and after 100 or so CCR dives go for full cave training on your chosen unit. You will never look back.
I don't know where you got the idea RBs are more dangerous. They are a tool used by people are are going far beyond the limits most OC divers adhere to and therefore account for a higher number of dive incidence but only because of who are using RBs and why. Not because they are inherently dangerous.
 
wedivebc:
I suggest you ask this question on www.rebreatherworld.com where more actual rebreather cave divers frequent and less internet quarry commandos:shakehead
I hate to break it to you. But there is a good chance that someone on RB World is FOS as well.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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