Dual CCR Cave Diver course: two rebreathers in the cave, 5 days, 4 dives

Why take the Dual CCR Cave Diver course?

In a long cave dive the bailout gas of an open-circuit plan is the limit of the dive. With two rebreathers the limit moves: a failure of one unit far inside the cave is answered by the other unit, not by a long open-circuit exit. The course teaches to plan and dive the cave with that redundancy.

Who is it for?

Dual CCR divers with cave ratings on the rebreather who plan long cave penetrations, exploration and project dives.

How the Dual CCR Cave course runs

• 5 days, 4 cave dives. Classroom lectures, land drills and in-water work. Playa del Carmen or Puerto Aventuras area; transfer from Playa del Carmen included.
• Rate: $498 per training day in a group of two or more, $548 individually. Block I-CCR, for both units.

Training sites follow the rules on cave training sites of CREER, the regional cave diving committee of Quintana Roo (Comité Regional de Espeleobuceo, Ecología y Regulación).

• A personalized set of Cave Ha Diving Markers is a gift to every diver who completes the course.

Applicants must

• Be qualified in Dual CCR Diver and CCR Cave Diver or equivalent

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
• 1 oxygen regulator for the S7 onboard oxygen supply: oxygen-clean first stage with LP hose and QC4 (or 9/16) connector. The GBM kit includes its oxygen regulator; the S7 kit does not, so one oxygen regulator per diver is needed for the S7
• 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: 1 harness and wing suitable for the course configuration: for the S7 course, a sidemount harness or a backplate with doubles wing, able to carry the sidemount S7, 2 bailout cylinders and 2 stages; for Dual CCR, a harness and wing able to carry the chestmount GBM, the sidemount S7, 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); 3 to 4 safety/jump spools per person; 1 penetration reel (120 m) per team; 1 pigtail with at least 3 arrows and 8 cookies; 1 DSMB (closed type preferred); 1 wetnotes with pencil.

Rental: the other unit by the rental list (S7, GBM, JJ, Fathom, SF2 sets). Sofnolime $20 per kg, oxygen 3 l $19, bailout stage AL80 with EAN32 $9.

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 cave diving days on your rebreathers.
• Ocean Dual CCR DPV Trimix wall dives from shore to 150 m.