Rebreather Diving
IMPORTANT INFORMATION!
Have you ever wondered what it's like to dive on a rebreather? Closed-Circuit Rebreathers (CCR's) offer several advantages over Open-Circuit SCUBA, including:
- Reduced gas needs, resulting in lower gas costs
- Increased gas efficiency, allowing for longer, deeper dives
- Optimum gas mix control, reducing decompression times
- Relative silence, allowing you to get closer to wildlife
- Increased options and time for problem solving, making them far safer as an option for diving
- And more.
A rebreather captures exhaled gas, removes carbon dioxide using a chemical absorbent (commonly soda lime) in a scrubber unit, replenishes the consumed oxygen, and recirculates the cleaned and refreshed gas back to the diver through a breathing loop. This process prevents the loss of unused oxygen and inert gases like nitrogen or helium, which are otherwise expelled as wasted bubbles in open-circuit systems. The efficiency of rebreathers increases with depth due to the higher ambient pressure, making them particularly advantageous for deeper dives and when using expensive gas mixtures such as trimix and heliox. However, they are equally as efficient with standard air used in recreational profiles too. This closed system also allows the diver to control the gas mixture, thus maintaining optimum oxygen levels throughout the entire dive profile. Additionally, because gas isn't wasted in the form of bubbles, there's no noise, making rebreathers particularly beneficial to photographers, videographers, wildlife enthusiasts, scientists, and explorers alike.
Due to their advantages, rebreathers are considered the safest form of diving, however, they are also much more complex than OC SCUBA. Rebreather diving demands a higher level of skill, attention, and situational awareness due to more potential points of failure. Rebreather divers, therefore, must understand the increased risks inherent in using CCR's, and must have strong self-discipline, remain dedicated to continuous practice, improvement, and growth, be conservative in decision-making, humble, and be capable of holding themselves fully-accountable and responsible for their own decisions and choices.
Rebreather courses require a very different mentality than that of Recreational diving. Candidates must be assessed for authorization to enroll before being accepted into a course, intensive study and practice are mandatory once enrolled, standards are far higher, and so are the expectations--Just like Leadership courses. Also just like Leadership courses, candidates can not begin Rebreather training until after all Core Recreational minimums have been completed, and even then, candidates are constantly evaluated, and not guaranteed certification.
Remember: Education and Training are Purchased. Certification must be EARNED.
Candidates for all courses are expected from day one to show up with highly developed diving KSA's. They should already have well-developed knowledge of dive science (physics, chemistry, biology), equipment (types, function, use, benefits, etc.), mastery of ideal breathing, buoyancy (within +/- 0.5m), trim (within 0 - 30deg AoA), and finning techniques (with emphasis on frog kicks, helicopter turns, and back finning), a solid understanding of decompression theory, and considerable experience in a wide array of environments and conditions as a diver.
Students must supply their own diving equipment, and all equipment must meet safety requirements. A Minimum Required Equipment list will be provided upon course registration. The one exception to this is the rebreather itself, which may be rented if the student isn't ready to purchase their own at the time.
All courses may be taught in back-mount or sidemount configurations. If the diver is not already sidemount certified, and desires to complete a course in sidemount, they must complete either the NAUI Sidemount Diver course, or the IANTD Technical Sidemount Diver course, prior to conducting any course using a sidemount equipment configuration.
Course graduates of all programs below will receive a lifetime internationally recognized certification for each course from the International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers (IANTD).
What are the costs of each course?
Please read the Course Costs section below to learn more.
ALL rebreather programs are ISO compliant.
Please refer to the FAQ's page for more information and common questions regarding training, payment, course structure, and more.
These are Rebreather Certification Programs, and as such, require 100% initiative and extensive effort from the student. Failure to Train on behalf of the student may result in being Dropped from Roles.
The minimum age for all courses is:
- 18 years or older
The minimum prerequisites for all courses are:
- AOW certified (if NAUI)
- AOW + Deep (if IANTD or Other Agency)
- Nitrox certified
- BLS and O2 Provider within the previous 24 calendar months
- Signed medical clearance from a physician familiar with hyperbaric medicine
Additional requirements include:
- Candidates must have good swimming skills, including a good development of basic swim strokes, and pass a Class 2 Swim Test (Refer to question 11) prior to being allowed to enroll in their first course with PDC.
- Candidates must demonstrate Mastery of Core Skills for diving (Refer to Question 8).
- It is STRONGLY recommended that students have at least 200 logged dives, considerable experience as a diver, and have spent time practicing basic and advanced level skills on each dive, before considering enrolling in this course. Including: neutral buoyancy, breathing, finning, navigation, dive planning, gas management, understanding dive science, use of equipment, etc.
- Candidates must have the ability to remain calm in stressful situations on shore, in the water on the surface, and underwater
- Candidates will be evaluated for knowledge, skills, and experience prior to enrollment, and in-water skills and swim test at the beginning of their first course.
Recreational CCR (RCCR) Diver
This Program is designed to train qualified certified recreational divers in the safe use and technology of basic CCR diving, and to independently plan and conduct dives within no decompression limitations, using up to a 1.3 PO2, and to depths up to 100 fsw (30 msw), on the specific unit on which they received the training.
Minimum Training Days/Dives: 6 Days, 8 Dives
RCCR Deep Diver
This Program is designed to qualify Recreational CCR certified divers to safely conduct no-stop rebreather dives using air as diluent to a depth of 132 fsw (40 msw).
Minimum Training Days/Dives: 6 Days, 7 Dives
RCCR Altitude Diver
This Program is designed to qualify Recreational CCR certified divers to safely conduct rebreather dives at altitudes greater than sea level.
We conduct our local Altitude training by Mt. Fuji! :D
Minimum Training Days/Dives: 2 Days, 3 Dives
RCCR Trimix Diver
This program is designed to provide RCCR certified divers with a breathing medium for extending their dive depth to the maximum recreational limit of 132 fsw (40 msw), without exceeding no-decompression limitations, by using recreational trimix mixtures with ENDs no greater than 100 fsw (30 msw).
Minimum Training Days/Dives: 4 Days, 4 Dives
RCCR Rescue Diver
This Program is designed to develop proficiency of RCCR certified divers, who maintain current DFA-Pro certification, in self-rescue and buddy-rescue KSA's and techniques.
Minimum Training Days/Dives: 4 Days, 4 Dives
RCCR Elite Diver
This certification has been designed to provide divers with the highest recognition in the recreational rebreather level before entering the professional diving circle in teaching or in technical diving.
Minimum Training Days/Dives: 4 Days, 4 Dives
CCR Self-Sufficient Diver
This Program has been designed to provide qualified divers with “self-supported - self-sufficient” training.
Minimum Training Days/Dives: 4 Days, 4 Dives
Advanced EANx CCR Diver (MOD 1)(40m / 132 ft)
This Program is designed to train qualified certified divers in the safe use and technology of basic CCR diving, and to independently plan and conduct dives with mandatory decompression using up to a 1.3 PO2, and to depths up to 132 fsw (40 msw), using air or nitrox as diluent, on the specific unit on which they received the training.
Minimum Training Days/Dives: 6 Days, 8 Dives
Triton CCR Crossover Course
This Program is designed to train divers who are certified in another CCR unit in the safe operations and design characteristics of the M3S Triton mCCR. It will certify them at the Advanced EANx level, with option for upgrade to ART/ART+
Minimum Training Days/Dives: 3 Days, 4 Dives
Advanced Recreational Trimix CCR Diver
This Program is designed to train RCCR or higher certified divers in the safe use of trimix mixtures, and technology of basic CCR diving, to safely and independently plan and conduct dives with mandatory decompression, using up to a 1.3 PO2, and to depths up to 150 fsw (45 msw), on the specific unit on which they received the training.
Minimum Training Days/Dives: 6 Days, 8 Dives
Advanced Recreational Trimix Plus CCR Diver
This program is a continuation or add-on to the Advanced Recreational Trimix CCR Diver program. The "Plus" program extends the range of ART CCR divers to conduct mandatory decompression dives to depths up to 170 fsw (51 msw).
Minimum Training Days/Dives: 2 Days, 2 Dives
Normoxic Trimix CCR Diver (MOD 2)(60m / 200 ft)
Coming soon
Normoxic Trimix Plus CCR Diver (MOD 2)(70m / 230 ft)
Coming soon
RCCR Divemaster
This Program is designed to provide responsible training for those persons wishing to supervise divers up to the RCCR level. These include RCCR Divers, and RCCR Rescue Divers.
Minimum Training Days/Dives: Until Completion
Advanced EANx CCR Supervisor
This Program is designed to provide responsible training for those persons wishing to supervise divers up to the Advanced EANx CCR level. These include RCCR Divers and RCCR Rescue Divers
Minimum Training Days/Dives: Until Completion
ART CCR Supervisor
This Program is designed to provide responsible training for those persons wishing to supervise divers up to the ART CCR level. These include Advanced EANx CCR Divers, RCCR Divers, and RCCR Rescue Divers
Minimum Training Days/Dives: Until Completion
M3S Triton
The Triton mCCR is fast becoming the most popular rebreather in the world! It is a CE rated, chest-mounted, mixed-gas mCCR, capable of recreational and technical use, that is currently the lightest, smallest, most capable, most travel-friendly mCCR on the market. Chest-mounted rebreathers have the superior advantage of being able to mount to any harness, and as such, can be used in any configuration (backmount or sidemount), making them the most versatile and adaptable rebreathers there are. Additionally, chest-mounted rebreathers can be used by themselves, or in conjunction with a second rebreather in a dual or bailout configuration. And finally, chest-mounted rebreathers have the best Work of Breathing (WoB) as the counterlungs are below the diver. The M3S Triton holds the title of "Best Work of Breathing", with 1.57 j/L at 100 m, and at 75 L/min with HELIOX 10/90 diluent, and it is also the first and foremost leading chest-mounted mCCR to be approved IAW CE EN 14143 : 2013, 0 - 100 m.
We teach, train, and certify Triton divers under IANTD standards in both backmount and sidemount configurations, at both recreational and technical levels.
To learn more about the Triton, and to buy your own, please visit: https://en.ccrtriton.com/
M3S Neptune
Coming Soon