My New Toy

[stuartv]

I definitely don't get the attitude I've seen numerous places that suggests that a CCR deco course somehow could not teach OC skills that are needed for a BO ascent.

Why make a student who is going CCR do an OC-specific course to learn OC ascent, instead of just teaching them the OC skills they need as part of their CCR course?

And, especially, would anyone seriously say that a CCR student needs to first learn how to dive doubles, with all the skills for S drills and valve drills, in order to be able to safely and competently do a BO ascent? Do they seriously have to learn how to tech dive in sidemount, with all the sidemount-specific skills before they can learn to do a safe BO ascent on CCR?

Students can, apparently, take a 4 day AN/DP course and be turned loose to go do deco dives. Why can't a student take a CCR course (of some length) and learn how to do a BO deco ascent as part of that, with no prior OC Tech experience?

 

[RainPilot]

I agree with your premise Stuart. One thing to consider though, is the benefit to a student of coming out with an OC cert at the end. I always advise my students to do the OC and CCR concurrently where possible.

The primary benefit is that they then have the ability to do those dives on either. Useful when your CCR decides to die on you on your once in a lifetime Chuuk trip for example.

 

[Andrew Dawson]

....the ability to do those dives on either. Useful when your CCR decides to die on you on your once in a lifetime Chuuk trip for example.

I sure hope they got to do the deep dives at Chuuk!! We did a fantastic 6 days of tec diving there on the Odyssey...wow, what a trip! Anyway, back to the thread

 

[Marie13]

You might want to keep an open mind regarding training with Ron... One of you is going to have to cross the border, and I have a feeling that that's going to be an issue for some time yet.

Doesn't Ron live in Minnesota?

 

[Stoo]

Doesn't Ron live in Minnesota?

My mistake Marie... I was thinking of Ron W. out of Benthic in Windsor... He's a ReVO trainer though.

 

[Marie13]

Nope. His shop is in Windsor.

Ah, a search on FB shows a Ron Benson in MN that is a friend of a bunch of my diving friends. And Google shows his dive shop in MN.

 

[Jack Hammer]

@stuartv, the point is that there is quite a difference between rationalizing how a situation will or should have been handled than there is from when one is actually in it. Real world experience can make a big difference in the outcome. It's totally easy until it isn't.

 

[Southside]

It's an interesting discussion to hear the different viewpoints on CCR training only vs OC and CCR.

My latest update, I picked up my cylinders from DRIS and spent a while talking to the Manager there. I took my rescue class from him and he told me that he did all of his rebreather training with Ron Benson and that Ron was instructed by Tom Mount. It sounds like I've found a great instructor and it was reassuring to hear his high opinion of Ron.

I talked to Ron and he completed the service on my Se7en. All it needed was two new oxygen sensors and a new mouthpiece which is a huge relief seeing as I bought used with very little knowledge of rebreathers. He is going to convert the technical CL's into BMCL's for me as he said that is how he prefers to dive the unit and how he teaches all his technical classes.

I am going to drive up to Minnesota Monday night after work and spend all day Tuesday doing the classroom portion of the course. Going through setup, tear down, cleaning, pre tests, and then going into the pool for some confined water time to practice skills.

The OW dives are going to be the first weekend in June at Lake Wazee in Wisconsin.

@RainPilot helped me get in contact with Poseidon in Sweden and I was able to order a scrubber canister that was cheaper than anywhere I could order from in the US and it got here in less than a week.

I'm finishing my homework of going through the TDI and IANTD books on rebreathers and really looking forward to getting in the water.

I'm going to buy a keg of Sofnolime through Ron and I've been researching the best places to order from. I'm already dreaming of ordering a pallet to save on cost haha.

 

[grantctobin]

It's an interesting discussion to hear the different viewpoints on CCR training only vs OC and CCR.

My latest update, I picked up my cylinders from DRIS and spent a while talking to the Manager there. I took my rescue class from him and he told me that he did all of his rebreather training with Ron Benson and that Ron was instructed by Tom Mount. It sounds like I've found a great instructor and it was reassuring to hear his high opinion of Ron.

I talked to Ron and he completed the service on my Se7en. All it needed was two new oxygen sensors and a new mouthpiece which is a huge relief seeing as I bought used with very little knowledge of rebreathers. He is going to convert the technical CL's into BMCL's for me as he said that is how he prefers to dive the unit and how he teaches all his technical classes.

I am going to drive up to Minnesota Monday night after work and spend all day Tuesday doing the classroom portion of the course. Going through setup, tear down, cleaning, pre tests, and then going into the pool for some confined water time to practice skills.

The OW dives are going to be the first weekend in June at Lake Wazee in Wisconsin.

@RainPilot helped me get in contact with Poseidon in Sweden and I was able to order a scrubber canister that was cheaper than anywhere I could order from in the US and it got here in less than a week.

I'm finishing my homework of going through the TDI and IANTD books on rebreathers and really looking forward to getting in the water.

I'm going to buy a keg of Sofnolime through Ron and I've been researching the best places to order from. I'm already dreaming of ordering a pallet to save on cost haha.

SubGravity, generally. There isn’t much that’s cheaper after shipping, especially if you’re not organizing a pallet buy

 

[broncobowsher]

...

I'm going to buy a keg of Sofnolime through Ron and I've been researching the best places to order from. I'm already dreaming of ordering a pallet to save on cost haha.

Subgravity, $150 to your front door. Have yet to find a better all in price. I know a few that are less, but shipping hurts.