Apologies - the comment maybe could have used a bit of clarity and I think I may have ruffled a few feathers with no interest in the tech diving. It was more along the lines of carrying the 100+ pounds of gear etc on OC here in the PNW so a sidemount is probably not my preferred path.
I work in a highly technical scientific field so attention to detail is literally what I do on a daily basis - my ability to handle the CCR is definitely within my wheelhouse.
This was simply just a very general ask.
The OP checked out many pages ago, why?
To the OP, I got into CCR for extended bottom time and better wildlife interaction. I have not been disappointed. The “technical” aspect was much less interesting to me than my basic goals.
“Technical diving” is a subjective term with different meanings to different people and certifying agencies. Shouldn’t breathing any compressed gas underwater be considered “technical”, since it’s wholly unnatural to all terrestrial animals? Wildlife thins out around 65M in my experience, which only requires normoxic trimix, which is not as difficult to master as hypoxic trimix. An air diluent CCR is essentially a nitrox mixing machine which can provide near 99% ”nitrox”, which is itself a made up term. The weeds are everywhere and grow quickly in any discussion of technical diving.
When I got my CCR certification in 2002 the only prerequisite was basic nitrox, which only covered up to 40%, despite the ability to breathe 90+% O2 on CCR even with air as diluent. In my 2002 NAUI course, I learned about O2 toxicity, both CNS and OTU versions of O2 exposure. When I realized how little actual knowledge and experience there was on the subject of high PO2 diving, I decided to learn more. What was true in 2002 is still largely true today, meaning all of us are practicing hyperbaric medicine on ourselves, and very few people if any, outside of commercial and military dive organizations, can claim to have any real, practical knowledge about constant PO2 to diving.
If you are considering getting into CCR diving be aware of 2 very important things:
You are pushing the envelope of human physiology, but not so much that you are playing Russian roulette. There is a knowledge base and standards/practices to guide you to a reasonably safe outcome. (This is IMHO, so if you are the type who believes diving CCR is a death wish, please save your ire for someone more susceptible to fear mongering and virtue signaling.)
Understanding your physiology and the working principles of your particular gear are the best predictor of your safe participation.
To wrap thing up as to the OP’s question:
The best CCR is usually the simplest one, which means it has the least crucial components that can malfunction (which is a good design approach for all life support equipment) and perhaps most importantly, requires maximum diver input/involvement in the operation of the unit. This sounds like an extra rigorous approach to CCR diving, but I have not found that to be case. It’s actually reassuring and pleasurable to be aware of both your life support gear’s proper functioning, and your environmental stimulus. You can do more than one thing at once, especially if they are so intimately related. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance!
Get a simple CCR, learn how it and your body work, build your experience and knowledge and you will be rewarded..
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