Category — Training

JJ CCRs take over Mexico!!!!!

Some time ago I was lucky to have the possibility to do a cross over training to the JJ CCR. My Instructor was Sami who is teaching on the unit since quit some time and already performed some very deep dives in the cold mines of Finland.
We started off by taking the unit completely apart even the sensor harness and the solenoid as well as running through the functions of the Shearwater Predator. The first thing that comes to mind is SIMPLICITY. The unit is extremely easy dis- and assembled and I LOVE the possibility to open/clean the solenoid as well as to change the wiring of the cells with no tools out in the field. This makes the unit especially interesting for people that travel a lot or do projects in remote areas.
The Predator has the OLED display that I am already a big fan off due to my Liquivision X1 and same as the X1 the menu is so incredible easy that even a 5 year old could use it.

The unit is very solid built and due to the back mounted counter lungs is very clean in the front. It has a manual O2 button that can be swiveled around and therefore be used as an off board gas intake. With the metal stand you can easily park the unit even on uneven ground without having to constantly worry that it will dip over. The can is made in a way that almost any tank seize will fit and there would be also the possibility to dis-invert the cylinders if wanted!

Right after that we went to the Cenote Chikin Ha for some confined water training. Already gearing up was nice due to the back mounted counter lungs which makes it very similar to putting on a set of doubles (minus the weight of course =)
Under water the unit performed flawless and some of the things I liked right away was the work of breathing, the single hand set and how easy and fast it is to flush the unit.
We worked ourselves though the standard exercises including Hyperoxia, Hypercapnia and Hypoxia as well as Boom scenario and different computer settings and options. One thing that the JJ has that I like on any CCR is the possibility to perform a diluent flush while being off loop with no mayor changes in buoyancy.

Some of the things I didn’t like was first and foremost the very sensitive automatic diluent valve which basically fired each time I was lowering my head a little, although I have heard that this got corrected some time ago and there is the option to switch it off and use a manual add button (similar to the oxygen one) only.. In my opinion diving with minimum loop volume is very important for good buoyancy control and steady PO2.
Also I felt the unit to be quit butt heavy even though I was diving in a dry suit which again though is the same with almost all units on the market. Other things that bothered me a little were the water trap on the exhale side which simply doesn’t keep the water in the lung when you are diving in a horizontal trim and the bail out valve that constantly free flows when you are on the surface which can easily be fixed with a shut off.

The next day we went down south of Tulum to dive Kaan Luum which was really cool and a great experience. We ran through all of the emergency drills while swimming around in this huge sinkhole in absolutely green water.
Thank you Sami again for a great course and some awesome dives!!!

After that I started a CCR cave crossover with Mia who came also with her JJ from Finland.

She did her Cave One last year with me on OC and now was back for more. We had an amazing five days full of incredible long cave dives filled with drills and exercises. This is definitely one of the most demanding courses we teach here and divers need to have their units fully under control if they want to use them here in the cave environment. Many of the local caves are shallow and due their no/low flow nature are filled with fine grained sediments which once disturbed can stay disbursed in the water column for hours. Diving these caves asks for a super streamlined gear configuration, precise buoyancy control, fine tuned propulsion techniques and expert skills in dealing with zero visibility situations. The key skill is to deal with potential problems without creating new ones while in the process.
It was definitely not a walk in the park but Mia was on top of her game and was very focused and concentrated through out the course and therefore successfully completed it which made me very proud!

Congrats Mia, good job!!!!

I hope to soon get some more JJ divers here for some more CCR cave diving fun.

In the end of January 2011 I went to the ISC Megalodon CCR Rebreather factory located in Centralia, Washington, USA to take a continuing education program and in the process become a Megalodon Rebreather Instructor Trainer.

Some 8 or 9 years ago I told myself that I need to take at least one training program myself once a year in order not to forget how it feels to be a student and to further my own knowledge and techniques. One of the great things about diving is that the depth of knowledge is seemingly endless and as more as I know as little I really seem to know.

I arrived in Centralia about 2 am in the morning after a long flight with a number of plane changes. When coming out of the Seattle Sea-Tac airport walking to the rental car I had to put on all the warm cloth I could muster and had brought with me from Mexico as it was close to freezing.

Walking into the factory of ISC in Centralia later on that same morning I met familiar faces such as Jerry who is responsible for sales and customer contact, Steve who is doing final assembly and met Danny who is assembling the electronics, cables, scrubbers and heads.

Leon came in a little while later and we went right into the theory and lecture part after a tour of the ISC factory. Lectures and discussions became a big part of my 6 day experience at ISC, the depth of knowledge, details, stories and backround information about the Megalodon units, research, development, CE and ISO testing as well as diving related stories where tremendous.

The lectures and discussion where interrupted by workshops, hands on training, assembly of units and detailed explanations about scrubbers, BOV’s, electronics, the APECS and COPIS versions of the Megalodon Rebreathers as well as the brand new Predator and Pathfinder CCR Rebreathers that are to be release later on this year. When they are ready they are ready is the word on the release date.

After 3 days of workshops, lectures and discussions on the 4th day Dave and Peter came in from from Canada to pick up Peters Megalodon, and take some training with Leon I was lucky enough to watch and participate in.

After unit assembly, table dives and dirt dives with lengthy discussions about boom scenarios, Hypercapnia, Hyperoxia and Hypoxia drills as well as flood recovery we where ready to go to the water.

The confined water sessions that same evening where held at the Evergreen College in Olympia, Washington where I was able to watch Leon teaching with one of the greatest teaching tools, direct Instructor to student communication with direct, immediate and detailed voice input. Awesome. During the pool time Dave and I had the chance to dive the Pathfinder CCR Rebreather. Super compact unit with Manta counterlungs over the shoulder back mounted. The Pathfinder I was diving was a hybrid version with constant mass flow oxygen injection as well as a solenoid with electronic regulated injection.

The next, the 5th day we went diving at a dive site called Sund Rock. I had with me all my cold water gear I own including a 100gr. undergarment underneath my 400 gr. undergarment, 400gr. socks, a double hood and thanx to Dave from Canada dry gloves. That day, of all days, I felt a bit sick but as I was dressed up and could hear the music playing I was ready to dance … and dive. I am glad I went, first time and dive ever for me in the Emerald Sea with cold wind and rain in the parking lot as we getting ready. It was so cool to finally see the giant Octopus, plume sea enenemies and there was even a cool wooden wreck. Very nice. The coldest part was on the surface actually, talking, briefing, de-briefing and planning. Guess it came from the rainwater runoff that was colder then the ocean water. Great dive though. Worth every effort, minute and pain.

The last and 6th days was more discussions and theory when Ron came up from Portland. So good to see all these guys, having a good time and sharing the same passion. When my time was finally over I was looking back the last 6 days and could not believe how fast the time went and how much more I have learned. A total awesome experience. I have to thank Leon and the ISC staff for taking me under their wings and provided me with so much insight. Thanx a lot again and I hope I can come back one day and do the technician course.

I have taken quite a few diving related and Rebreather related training programs over the years but being able to go directly to the factory, have access to all and everybody with the brain, designer and CEO of the Rebreather factory being my Instructor on a 1:1 basis was such a tremendous oportunity I apreshiate very much.

The trip was crowned with a day of leisure visiting Leigh in Tacoma to talk about a cave exploration and survey project we have in mind here in Mexico and a walk around the glass museum in Tacoma as well as the court house with great glass art inside the giant waiting hall. The second visit was to friends Craig and Deb in Olympia who made me a wonderful dinner accompanied with great wine and a great long conversation.

The time I had in Washington State was awesome. On my way back home the Central U.S. was hit hard by a snow storm so when getting to the Sea-Tac airport at 06:00 in the brisk morning all flights to Dallas where canceled and the rebooking line was endless. As I got to the counter the smiling lady got me onto different airlines, planes and routes and actually got me back to Cancun the same day with only 3 hours delay. The very coolest thing was the flight from Seattle to Portland in a clear crisp winter sky, flying close to Mt. St. Helen with its snow covered caldera. What an awesome sight. What an awesome trip. What an awesome insight gained.

I love continuing education.

Matt