CCR Normoxic Trimix Diver course on GBM: 4 days, 4 dives

Why take the CCR Normoxic Trimix Diver course?

The course helps divers transition from recreational closed-circuit diving to technical rebreather diving. It challenges divers in a controlled, supportive environment. The focus is on the essential skills: managing the rebreather effectively, maintaining the equipment and following protocols during a technical dive. It also reinforces fundamental rebreather skills and strengthens the diver’s ability to address both open-circuit and closed-circuit failures. So it builds a solid foundation for further advanced technical diving. Diving past 50 m (170 ft) demands polished skills, substantial experience and mental resilience for deep, helium-based dives. Proficiency at these depths opens the door to project diving, exploration and discovery.

Who is it for?

The course is for CCR Nitrox / Helitrox divers who aspire to dive beyond their current level. They have completed a minimum of 50 experience dives on the rebreather since class completion. The CCR Normoxic Trimix course gives them the tools to safely extend their range on the rebreather. It builds and enhances their technical diving abilities. Divers on a technical path must be ready to handle emergencies. They also execute dives where they cannot make a direct ascent because of decompression obligations. This type of diving requires greater physical fitness, because divers carry more equipment and face increased decompression stress.

What will I learn?

• Cultivating, integrating and expanding the essential skills required for safe technical diving; identifying and resolving OC and CCR problems
• The technical CCR configuration and the potential failure problems associated with it
• General decompression strategies; helium to minimize narcosis; CCR and single decompression stage diving for decompression procedures
• Planning technical dive missions: gas management, absorbent canister endurance strategies, oxygen toxicity management, decompression strategies

How the CCR Normoxic Trimix course runs

• 4 days, at least 4 dives including three Trimix dives, 300 minutes of in-water time. Classroom lectures, land drills and in-water work. Transfer from Playa del Carmen included.

The deep ocean dives of the course are from a private boat in Akumal. $100 per dive on top of the course price, the same for one diver or four. A solo student pays the individual rate plus the boat.

• Rate: $398 per training day in a group of two or more, $448 individually.

Included: professional Advanced Technical Dual CCR Cave Diving instructor, hotel pickup and drop-off in Playa del Carmen, doubles or sidemount tanks with EAN32, weights, and the final examination

Not included: Students must bring their own tech/cave level diving gear (requirements will be provided) or rent it, Additional sets of Doubles or Sidemount tanks with EAN32, Stages, Drysuit tanks, Sofnolime, Oxygen, Trimix or Argon fills for both students and Instructor / DPV rental for students and Instructor / Cenote entry fee / Any Rental equipment will be charged accordingly, Foto/Video service, Diving insurance, Camera fee (depend on Cenote policy), Fuel or boat surcharges for remote locations out of Playa del Carmen and Puerto Aventuras areas (as per student request), eLearning materials or/and printed manuals, Certification fee ($60 per card), Tips for instructor

Applicants must

• Be qualified in CCR Nitrox / Helitrox Diver or higher, or equivalent
• Be a minimum of 18 years of age
• Be physically and mentally fit and able to swim. Obtain a physician’s prior written authorization for prescription drugs or any medical condition that may pose a risk while diving
• Be experienced with technical diving configuration and related skills: Basic 5, V-Drill, S-Drill, 6 propulsion techniques including back kicks and helicopter turn, perfect buoyancy, trim no more than 20 degrees out of neutral (see the GBM CCR Nitrox / Helitrox Diver course, link /rebreathers/gbm-ccr/)
• Have a minimum of 100 logged dives beyond an autonomous entry-level scuba diver. Have a minimum of 10 dives deeper than 36 m (120 ft)

Equipment

Students must bring their own equipment per the list below or rent it from Cave Ha. Any rental equipment, including the S7 and GBM rebreather units, tanks, gases and sorb, is charged on actual usage. Students cover the cost of all gases and sorb used by the instructor, cenote entrance fees and certification card fees at $60 per card.

Cylinders per diver: 2 diluent/bailout cylinders AL80 DIN (sidemount or backmount doubles); 2 deco stage cylinders: 1 AL80 DIN and 1 AL40 DIN (oxygen).

Regulators and rigging

Regulators. Every regulator on the dive must be able to feed a rebreather: with two units in the water, every cylinder is a possible gas source for either unit. We recommend Swagelok QC6 connectors for diluent and QC4 for oxygen; standard 9/16 inflator connectors are acceptable.

• Diluent/bailout regulators, sidemount option: 2 regulator sets, each with DIN first stage, second stage, SPG, LP hose for the wing and drysuit, plus one LP hose with a QC6 (or 9/16) connector for the rebreather diluent port
• Diluent/bailout regulators, backmount doubles option: 1 technical regulator set with 2 DIN first stages, 2 second stages (long hose and necklace), SPG, LP hoses for the wing and drysuit, plus one LP hose with a QC6 (or 9/16) connector on each first stage for the rebreather diluent port
• 2 stage regulator sets for the deco cylinders, one of them oxygen-clean; each with an LP hose and connector for the rebreather: QC4 (or 9/16) on the oxygen regulator, QC6 (or 9/16) on the other
• Rigging: 2 sidemount rigging sets for the AL80 bailout cylinders if sidemount, 1 stage rigging set for the AL80 deco cylinder, 1 stage rigging set for the AL40

Exposure protection, harness and instruments

Exposure protection: 1 well-fitted drysuit with front-entry zipper, 2 pockets and 1 P-valve, plus 1 undergarment (Thinsulate 150 or equivalent); or 1 well-fitted wetsuit thick enough for 3-4 hours in 25 C water daily (5-7 mm preferred) plus tech shorts with 2 pockets; 1 thin neoprene hood; 1 pair of neoprene gloves, at least 1 mm.

Harness and buoyancy: the harness and wing of your rebreather, able to carry the unit, 2 bailout cylinders and 2 stages.

Instruments and accessories: 1 bottom timer or deco computer, independent of the rebreather electronics; 1 wrist-mounted compass; 1 primary light, canister type or handheld type; 2 backup lights; 1 pair of Jet fins; 1 primary mask plus 1 backup mask; 1 small cutting device (for the webbing harness); 2 safety spools; 1 DSMB (closed type preferred); 1 wetnotes with pencil.

Rental: GBM mCCR TEC set $59 per day, Sofnolime $20 per kg, oxygen 3 l $19, Trimix 18/45 in an AL80 $194, deco stage with EAN50 $19, AL40 with oxygen $24.

Rules of the course

• Medical: every participant completes and signs the standard Diver Medical Participant Questionnaire before the activity. A YES answer to any question in its final section requires written approval from a physician before diving. Without it the guest does not dive.
• Liability: every participant signs the standard diving General Liability Release and Express Assumption of Risk before the activity. Without the signed form the guest does not dive.

Next step

• CCR Trimix Diver on GBM, 5 days, to 100 m.
• CCR Cave Diver on your rebreather, 4 days.