Dive Shop Services

  • Rebreather Training

    Experience the ultimate tool for your underwater adventure.  Few other feelings on the planet are like being weightless underwater.... ohh you have already tried that?  What about completely silent, with no time stress, and the most comfortable warm non-dry air you can imagine. Yes!  This experience will change your perception of the underwater world.  There is no going back.
Training /
Rebreathers
/

Why dive a rebreather?

Photo by Kristina Flour on Unsplash

Silence

Enjoy the peace and absence of sound without constant bubbles scaring things away and ruining the mood of the fishes.

Warm humid breathing gas

No more dry mouth during and after the dive, stay better hydrated(especially on longer dives).  

No time stress

No matter how long your planned dive, being able to stay for hours eliminates that stress created by breathing off a limited  supply.

Don't scare the fish away

The subject of your photos hate open circuit, make the switch and they will be nicer to you!  Reduce backscatter and get closer to marine life... they will forget you are there.

Best Gas Mix

Having both oxygen and a gas that you can breathe at your deepest planned depth, the unit electronically or you manually control the content for the best mix at that depth.

Economics

Tiny cylinders equal tiny gas bills.  Hours of diving cost you just a few bucks(oxygen and absorbant).  Deeper dives with Helium are insanely less.  More bottom time?  Lots!

How rebreathers work

Removes CO2

Yuck!  The main canister houses the absorbant material which chemically reacts and removes your exhaled CO2 from the loop.  This also creates heat which makes inhaling so much more comfortable.

Adds Oxygen

Yum!  Those tiny cylinders hold hours of gas, since you only need to inject what your body consumes, there is no wasted gas at exhalation.  Your body consumes the same amount of oxygen at any given depth, so you don't use more gas the deeper you go.  Its sorta magic.

Maintain constant ppO2

No matter what depth you are at, the partial pressure of oxygen can remain the same.  Either manually adjusting this or the unit does it electronically to optimize on gassing of nitrogen and limiting your exposure to all gasses, which optimizes decompression.

Monitor Oxygen

Triple redundancy in sensors ensures that you know what you are breathing at all times.

Value of Training

Our success is measured by how often you dive after the course.  We strive to make you as comfortable as possible before, throughout and after the training course.  

This course was lots of fun and we spent so much time on the wrecks!

Jingyuan

Defender Helitrox Diver

Crossing over to a new unit boosted my confidence in the equipment and refined my in water skills.

Kurt

XCCR Air Diluent Diver

The pace of this course was perfect for learning new skills.

Leah

Defender Helitrox Diver

Anatomy of a Training Class

Disclaimer: Diving is a social activity... at least it is for most.  So our training experiences typically involve more than just a briefing, dive, debriefing, log books, exam, cert cards....  If that is what you are looking for, then now is a good time to search for a different instructor group. 


Pre-learning - Understanding certain fundamentals and learning new concepts is sometimes more easily accomplished in the comfort of your own environment and at the conveince of your own schedule. Typically about 4 weeks before your training sessions, we will send out the required agency materials, recommended materials, site/location specific information, supplemental training courses(IE Human Factors), and then start a continuous flow of short articles and dialogs to get you engaged in the subject.   All of this is to be completed before meeting up.  It will all be incorporated, reviewed, and expanded upon during in-person discussions.


Pre-requisite training, experience, and comfort - Each couse level has a benchmark entrance level of prior formal training, expected skill level performance, and general comfort with specific environments, team dynamics and task loading expected during the dives.
Schedule
Learning Materials
Equipment
Skills
Schedule
Typical 6-day Course*
  1. Theory, unit build
  2. Confined Water
  3. Open Water
  4. Deeper 
  5. Boat Dive
  6. Fun Dives

* Either a six day consecutive course or broken into two long weekends

Typical Daily Agenda - Flexibility is key, below is a typical schedule, however each class, each day, each moment is evaluated to maximize to constantly add value to the learning experience.
  • 0700 - Breakfast and daily breifing
  • 0800 - Final equipment prep and transport to site
  • 0900 - 1700 In-water/land based/classroom training with lunch 
  • 1700 - Dive center for gas fills or equipment modification
  • 1800 - Daily debrief and review of training/dives/tasks for next day
  • 1900 - Dinner with inspiring discussions on peer's dream dives and past experiences
Learning Materials

Required reading materials

All courses called any of the following: Level 1 / Module 1 / Rebreather Diver / Air Diluent Diver / Crossover

1.  IANTD Rebreather Manual and TDI Diving Rebreathers Student Manual(or TDI Generic CCR On-line Course)
     Contact instructor for access to these materials

2. Manufacturer’s manual and updates - see links below or at ccr.sub-gravity.com


3. Manufacturer’s Build Checklist - see links below or at ccr.sub-gravity.com
4. CCR Preflight Checklist

5. Rebreather Course Evaluation Form (provided in class)


TDI Helitrox decompression upgrade course:
1. TDI Decompression Procedures Student Manual
2. TDI Extended Range and Trimix Diver Student Manual
3. TDI Advanced Nitrox Student Manual or TDI Advanced Nitrox On-line Course


Other IANTD or TDI courses available
1. Contact instructor for complete list

Equipment

Required Equipment

Appropriate types, qualities, and configurations of equipment is an extension of your body that is our life support underwater.  Higher quality and specific types/configurations are required in more extreme environments.  Each level has specific minimum equipment lists.  While most of this should be personally owned by the student, some equipment can be rented during the training or new brands/types/configurations may be tested during the course.  Be sure to service all equipment in advance of all dives... especially training dives. As much as possible, equipment should be set up and ready to dive before the course.

  • SubGravity Defender CCR or XCCR 
  • Two ways to monitor PPO2 and calculate deco
  • Mask and backup mask with proper storage
  • Fins(no split)
  • Two line-cutting devices
  • Jon line with clip and proper storage
  • Wet notes and pencil
  • Spool/Reel with a minimum of 40 metres / 130 feet of line
  • Delayed surface marker buoy (DSMB) with a minimum of 12 kg / 25 lbs lift
  • Exposure suit appropriate for the open water environment where training will be conducted
  • Appropriate weight and proper storage
  • Bailout gas supply with appropriate cylinders and regulators
  • Suggested equipment: Backup everything
Skills
Open Water Skills to complete(these will be broken up into various dives based on progression and dive conditions)

1. Pre dive checks
    a. Unit buildup
   b. Scrubber canister check
   c. Breathing loop check
   d. Positive and negative check
2. Verify diluent and oxygen (O2) cylinder contents using O2 analyzer where appropriate
3. Demonstrate correct pre dive planning procedures including
   a. Limits based on system performance
   b. Limits based on oxygen exposures at chosen PPO2 levels
   c. Limits based on nitrogen absorption at planned depth and PO2 setpoint
   d. Thermal constraints
4. Emergency procedures
   a. Mouthpiece familiarity drills - underwater repair
   b. Gas shutdowns and loss of gas - Boom drill
   c. Broken hoses
   d. Flooded absorbent canister
   e. Carbon dioxide (CO2) breakthrough
   f. Low oxygen drills
   g. High oxygen drills
   h. Flooding loop - and clearing
   i. Electronics and battery failure
   j. Properly execute the ascent procedures for an incapacitated CCR diver
5. Use of BCD/suit and effective management of loop breathing volume for buoyancy control
6. Stop at 3-6 metres / 10 – 20 feet on descent for leak bubble check
7. Electronics systems monitoring for PO2 levels (SETPOINT) and switching setpoints
8. Manual control of setpoint if electronically controlled CCR is not used
9. Use of lift bag / delayed surface marker buoy and reel (where relevant and applicable)
10. Proper execution of the dive within all pre-determined dive limits
11. Demonstration of safety stops at pre-determined depths
12. Constant loop volume management
13. Post dive clean of unit
   a. Mouth piece and hoses
   b. Clean and disinfect unit
   c. Inspect components of unit
14. Diver maintenance of unit
   a. Cell remove and replace
   b. Mouthpiece strip and rebuild
   c. Replacing batteries

Decompression related in water skills
1. Demonstrate comfort swimming on surface and at depth carrying 1bailout/decompression cylinder
2. Demonstrate ability to drop and retrieve one bailout/decompression cylinder while maintaining position in the water column
3. Demonstrate ability to deploy SMB or lift-bag solo and as a member of a team
4. Demonstrate appropriate reaction to gas hemorrhage from manifold or first stage, SPG and primary regulator
5. Demonstrate appropriate reaction to simulated free-flowing deco regulator
6. Buddy breathing deco gas for at least 1 minute
7. Oxygen rebreather mode at less than 6 metres / 20 foot stop
8. Complete 1 bailout scenario at depth to include decompression obligation on open circuit

Which course is right for you?

After choosing a unit, depending on your previous experience, enroll in one of the following courses below.

IANTD Standards
TDI Standards

The table below outlines what is required for each training agency.  It is noted using this format: 

Course Name (# of deco minutes allowed/minimum # dives /# training minutes)

Note: If diver holds and open circuit equivalent certification, course requirements may be less

 IANTD Diver Max Depth TDI Diver
 Recreational (0/4/300)70'  
Advanced Open Water (0/4/120)100' Air Diluent (0/8/480)
 Recreational Mixed Gas (0/6/400)130'  
 CCR Diver (15/6/500)140' 
  
 Air Diluent Decompression (∞/4/240)
Helitrox: <= 20% He and >= 21% O2 (∞/4/240
 Advanced Recreational Trimix (15/4/120)170'  
 Normoxic (∞/4/300)200'  Mixed Gas: >= 16% O2 (∞/6/360)
 Normoxic Plus (∞/2/110)233'  
 Trimix (∞/4/330)330'  Advanced Mixed Gas (∞/7/420)
Expedition Trimix  (∞/4/350) 400' 

Costs

After the expense of buying a unit, your training should be the next priority.  Our goal is to train with you until you no longer get things wrong, not simply until you get it right once.  We gauge success by the creation and cultivation of active divers.

Tuition Quote
Travel to your backyard or dream destination requires transportation, lodging, etc
Consumables during the course include absorbent, gas fills and rentals.
Tuition of $1,000 to $2,000 per standard course and $300/day custom training. This does not promise a certification card, but just covers professional education on this level of training course. Typically this amount covers instructor's expenses. Admission to dive sites/boats/charters are extra.

What is next?

Complete the following and soon you will be a closed circuit rebreather diver!  Please contact us if you have any questions at all.

Course training level

Depending on your goals and previous experience, the right training course will get you started on the path to meet you goals and achieve your dream dive.

Calendar

After you have decided on what and where, lets make a commitment to when it will happen.

Duration/format

Logistics of travel, equipment and other personal commitments may dictate how the class should be broken up and scheduled.

Pay Deposit

Your 1/2 tuition and all non-refundable deposits will lock our training schedule for those dates and we are all commited.

Location

With appropriate local conditions, you could be learning to use your new toys in your own backyard.  We could also go to that tropical destination you have always dreamed about.

Gain Access to materials

After paying tuition, we will send you the online learning codes, any digital media and other articles to read before class starts.

Contact us for more info