Is CCR for Me?

ccrs

Disclaimer: I make a living selling rebreathers and rebreather training. Therefore, I have a vested interest in getting people to take classes and buy units. However, I routinely tell people that a CCR isn’t a good option – because it isn’t for them. I put this text together to explain who a CCR makes sense for. The goal is to talk some people out of a CCR (for now). That seems counterintuitive, but I know it will allow them to have more fun, and maybe, down the road, they will find a use for the unit and think of me.

Rebreather Training

Rebreathers are awesome tools for underwater activities. I talk to people every week who want to dive a rebreather, and I see lots of wasted time and missed opportunities to go do great dives. There are two main ways to get started with rebreather training.

#1 One path is for experienced recreational divers who want to become no-decompression certified closed-circuit rebreather (CCR) divers. We could call this a recreational CCR cert. Then, after experience using the machine, they upgrade to do deeper dives on the CCR. This approach is a CCR-first approach. The goal is to get time and familiarity with the unit before progressing into decompression diving without a substantial background in technical diving.

#2 The other path is for experienced technical divers who are ready to transition their deeper and more complex dives from open circuit to a CCR. In this case, people who are already experienced technical divers start diving CCR in the technical world. They still take things progressively deeper, but rely on their technical diving experience in open circuit as they transition to CCR. This approach is a CCR-need approach.

Both options are valid, but in my experience, the second path is better. The best reason to get into CCR diving is that you actually need it for the dives you want to do. Rebreathers shine when dives become logistically difficult—things like long bottom times, deep dives, or remote locations where carrying large amounts of gas would be a challenge.

There is – kind of – a third option. Take a technical diving open circuit class, then take the CCR deco class. This is similar to #2, but the divers don’t have any (or much) tech diving experience. This option is by far the worst. Getting a deco card and being a deco diver are two different things. Divers who are only card holders don’t typically finish their CCR deco class and end up with a recreational certification (if any) and follow the path of #1.

 Risk

I don’t want the risk of open circuit

Here is something important to understand: CCRs are not a shortcut, and they are not a magic tool that makes diving easier or less risky.

Rebreathers are not better or lower risk than open circuit for any given dive. Rebreather diving carries unique and serious risks. One of the most common causes of fatal CCR accidents is hypoxia—having too little oxygen—especially at the surface before the dive even starts. This is something that almost never happens on open circuit unless you are using very low-oxygen mixes, like a trimix with a low fraction of oxygen. For example, diving 32% nitrox on a 100-foot wreck with open circuit gear carries a much lower risk of hypoxia or hyperoxia than doing the same dive on a CCR.

On top of that, rebreather divers have the risk of hypercapnia, which is too much carbon dioxide. There is also the chance of chemical injuries from a caustic cocktail if water hits the absorbent material inside the scrubber. Plus, static lung loading—the strain on your lungs from the breathing loop—can be more of an issue with CCRs.

Now, it is true that CCRs give us a lot more time underwater. That extra time has absolutely helped some people deal with emergencies and make better decisions. But just because they offer more time does not mean we can ignore the other risks. Those risks are real, and they happen often enough that we have to take them seriously.

Because of this, the decision to dive a CCR should come with a clear and solid reason. You need a reward that justifies the added complexity and the higher stakes. Rebreathers require a lot of training, regular maintenance, and constant attention to detail. I personally do not think CCR diving is difficult. In fact, I think it is easy once you get the hang of it. But that is part of the problem. The simplicity of using one, the modern electronics, and the overall fun experience can make you feel more confident than you should be.

Goal

But, the CCR is cool…

Absolutely. I get this. The question is – do you want to see the Oriskany or do you want to feel cool in a rebreather? If the goal is the gear, then go for the gear. If the goal is the dive, then go do the dive.

Diving

Isn’t open circuit diving wasting time and money?

This is a common sentiment. I understand it. The more time you spend on a rebreather, the better you get on it. So, why not just get on a unit ASAP and build experience? Well, the added risks are one component; the other is that if you go open-circuit diving, you’re literally doing the dives you want to do. For new technical divers, the cost (both time and equipment) of OC tech training is far below the cost of the CCR and time.

There are many shipwrecks between 100 and 200 feet that are very enjoyable with open circuit and good gas planning. If your goal is to explore deep wrecks, then take a deco course, build up your experience, go actually do wreck dives, and then take a trimix class to hit the deeper ones. You will learn a lot, and you will be capable of doing those dives without needing a rebreather. If you’re diving in trimix depths routinely – more than once a month – then the cost of trimix might validate the purchase of a CCR.

The same is true for most cave dives. Open circuit, with proper training and equipment, can get you into a lot of amazing places. Add in stages and a DPV, and you’re cruising through awesome passages.

Takeaway

My suggestion is this: go do the dives you dream about. If you get to a point where gas logistics, depth, or time become real limitations, then it might be time to switch to a CCR. But make that decision from a place of experience, not excitement.

I have seen that recreational divers who start CCR training without a solid technical background struggle more, enjoy their experience less, and take longer to reach their goals. Even many experienced technical divers have trouble passing their CCR tech course on the first try. These are serious tools, and they demand a serious approach.

Do not rush into rebreather diving. Take your time, build your skills, and let your dive goals show you when it is the right time to make the switch.