DIR- Generic Tdi Normoxic trimix or CCR?

[LanceRiley]

I have just finished my TDI extended range. I have a good 6months of diving at this level before ill consider my next class… should i go normoxic trimix? Or ccr route?

or should i get the normoxic before i go directly to ccr?

 

[Adobo]

I have just finished my TDI extended range. I have a good 6months of diving at this level before ill consider my next class… should i go normoxic trimix? Or ccr route?

or should i get the normoxic before i go directly to ccr?

Are you wanting opinions from divers that follow "DIR" diving approach or are you looking for opinions from the broader tech diving community? If it is the latter, you should ask this question in the tech diving sub-forum.

 

[sandiegoaes]

Go CCR. Based on the price / availability of helium, you will have paid for your rebreather well before you pay for the trimix course.

 

[Wibble]

I have just finished my TDI extended range. I have a good 6months of diving at this level before ill consider my next class… should i go normoxic trimix? Or ccr route?

or should i get the normoxic before i go directly to ccr?

Are you certified to use two decompression cylinders? That's way more important than using helium.

If you are certified for two cylinders AND your core skills are all in place (buoyancy, trim, finning) which it should be by now, then look at CCR.

CCR uses two bailouts once you're on the limits of recreational diving (circa 40m/130ft); bottom bailout and a deco gas. The extended range/normoxic training using two decompression cylinders and the planning is very appropriate for bailing out.

 

[PfcAJ]

Learn OC trimix.

Your development as a diver is more important than the economic “benefits” of a rebreather.

 

[Adobo]

Go CCR. Based on the price / availability of helium, you will have paid for your rebreather well before you pay for the trimix course.

Are you certified to use two decompression cylinders? That's way more important than using helium.

If you are certified for two cylinders AND your core skills are all in place (buoyancy, trim, finning) which it should be by now, then look at CCR.

CCR uses two bailouts once you're on the limits of recreational diving (circa 40m/130ft); bottom bailout and a deco gas. The extended range/normoxic training using two decompression cylinders and the planning is very appropriate for bailing out.

Folks, gentle reminder - DIR forum. If the OP meant for a broader audience with varying perspectives, fine but we should move this thread to another forum.

 

[Adobo]

I have just finished my TDI extended range. I have a good 6months of diving at this level before ill consider my next class… should i go normoxic trimix? Or ccr route?

or should i get the normoxic before i go directly to ccr?

Personally, I think the sensible approach is to first do a bunch of diving within the boundaries of the training you have already taken. Become comfortable and competent in that kind of diving. And then ask the question, what kind of diving do you want to be able to do that your current training doesn't allow for? That should guide you to what class you should take next.

As an aside, since you posted this question in the DIR forum, I'll take the opportunity to add that I personally feel that using helium sooner rather than later for deeper dives or dives in more challenging conditions is the next, more desirable step. Remember, classes basically give you additional tools in your toolbag to allow you to do things that you could not do before or to do things in a better way than you were doing them before. Having the ability to use helium in dives over 30meters/100ft (dives you are already certified to do) is a great tool to have. Whereas CCR gives you a tool in your bag to fix a problem that you haven't actually said you have.

I appreciate that other people advocate the CCR route due to cost benefits related to helium. Keep in mind though that CCR diving involves substantially more risks that open circuit diving doesn't have. Put another way, there is more cost to CCRs than how much the unit and the training costs. There is also the additional risk that you incur. In the DIR world, I personally know very few people (none actually) who have moved onto CCR diving without first having substantial experience and competence in advanced technical diving.

 

[Wibble]

With the current shortage of helium and corresponding expense, helium simply isn’t viable for OC diving. Certainly not the profligate usage of high ratio helium mixes for relatively shallow dives that once was common. Thousands of litres of helium now costing hundreds of €$£ in a twinset where it was tens of dollars in the past.

Of course that’s not the case for CCR.

Nobody dives deep or even normoxic depths on OC any longer. If you’re intending to dive deep, especially in far-off locations, the choice is simple. Either nitrox/air with the associated narcosis, or you dive CCR with rich helium mixes.

DIR needs to evolve.

 

[LanceRiley]

Are you certified to use two decompression cylinders? That's way more important than using helium.

If you are certified for two cylinders AND your core skills are all in place (buoyancy, trim, finning) which it should be by now, then look at CCR.

CCR uses two bailouts once you're on the limits of recreational diving (circa 40m/130ft); bottom bailout and a deco gas. The extended range/normoxic training using two decompression cylinders and the planning is very appropriate for bailing out.

Yes tdi extended range uses 2 deco stages. I woudnt say im perfect. But i still have 6months of diving before the next class. Im just planning ahead. Tdi extended range gets me to 55m

 

[Adobo]

With the current shortage of helium and corresponding expense, helium simply isn’t viable for OC diving. Certainly not the profligate usage of high ratio helium mixes for relatively shallow dives that once was common. Thousands of litres of helium now costing hundreds of €$£ in a twinset where it was tens of dollars in the past.

Of course that’s not the case for CCR.

Nobody dives deep or even normoxic depths on OC any longer. If you’re intending to dive deep, especially in far-off locations, the choice is simple. Either nitrox/air with the associated narcosis, or you dive CCR with rich helium mixes.

DIR needs to evolve.

If I had a nickel for every time someone posted in this forum about how DIR needs to change this or that or the next thing...

We have the entirety of the rest of scubaboard to discuss how you would do it. I suggest we use that. If we pollute this forum with non-DIR answers simply because you don't like the DIR answers, this forum will serve absolutely no useful purpose.