Tech and Training

Technical Diving & Training

Expired sensors from an Inspiration CCR

Oxygen sensor shortage leaves rebreather divers high and dry

Oxygen sensors, or "cells," which are used in rebreathers have a limited shelf life and need to be replaced every 12 to 18 months. However, new ones are currently not available to the dive community.

In the United Kingdom, oxygen cell manufacturers have been mandated by the UK government to supply cells to the medical industry, leaving the dive community with back orders.

Full Cave Navigation Protocols in Mexico

Guide line in Cenote Chac Mool, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. Photo by Larry Cohen.

I started cave diving in Italy in 1990. At that time, the rules were very clear, codified and related to the kind of caves that were encountered in my region. Very often, they were resurgences with current (sometimes strong) or sumps inside caves, with water ranging from crystal clear to the color of coffee and variable visibility, depending on the rains.

Are dangerous and meaningless records being spurred on by recognition by Guinness Book of Records?

Depth record called into question

In September 2014, Egyptian national and technical diver Ahmed Gabr performed a deep dive off Dahab in the Egyptian Red Sea under the auspices and observation of adjudicators from The Guinness Book of Records. After the dive, Gabr was acknowledged for having reached the record depth of 332m, surpassing South African Nuno Gomes who made it to 318m in 2005, also off Dahab.

Diving Then and Now: The Wookey Hole Caves—Birthplace of Cave Diving

Penelope Powell and Graham Balcombe kitted up in Wookey Hole Cave for the first ever cave dive in 1935. Historical photo courtesy of Mendip Cave Registry and Archive Cave Diving Group.
Penelope Powell and Graham Balcombe kitted up in Wookey Hole Cave for the first ever cave dive in 1935. Historical photo courtesy of Mendip Cave Registry and Archive Cave Diving Group.

The beginnings of cave diving can be traced to the Wookey Hole Caves in England. And 85 years later, divers like Matt Jevon are still doing their part to discover this cavern’s full potential.

Getting Lined Up: Troubleshooting Sidemount Tank Configuration

A pair of divers wearing cleanly-configured sidemount kit. Cave photo by S.J. Alice Bennet.

I like sidemount. I will frequent­ly, jokingly, disparage the configuration, but I do like it. It can be comfortable and streamlined. It can be very flexible. There is an argument to be made for completely isolated redundancy. Mostly, it is good for moving through places no bigger than the space below your coffee table.

Rebreather Forum 3: Failure is NOT an Option: The Importance of CCR Checklists

Richie Kohler told the audience "The human element is most fallible. We prepare and train for equipment failure. We have a great advantage over pilots who cannot jump into another airplane mid flight. We can carry bailout systems and use them. But our checklists is our primary defense to not ever having to get there."

Human beings will make mistakes and have memory lapses. Richie Kohler

(File photo) Megalodon Rebreather Training

Rebreather Forum 3: Be RoSPA CCR Aware

To this end RoSPA worked with a number of rebreather industry experts to identify key safety issues.

RoSPA Video

The result was a film that gives divers and those new to rebreathers a solid awareness of the key safety factors for diving with rebreathers.

Eight years ago today – Friday 18th May 2012 – this film was unveiled at a very important international safety symposium called Rebreather Forum 3. In fact ‘CCR Aware‘ opened #RF3.

What were the aims and objectives of Rebreather Forum 3

Over the course of the following three days 400 experts, manufacturers, instructors, training agencies and divers from around the world gathered to improve understanding, with the hope that this would translate to improved safety across the board.

We can always do things better. So it is a rationality check to see if we can make things safer.

Dr Neal W Pollock

What were the aims and objectives of Rebreather Forum 3

Over the course of the following three days 400 experts, manufacturers, instructors, training agencies and divers from around the world gathered to improve understanding, with the hope that this would translate to improved safety across the board.

We can always do things better. So it is a rationality check to see if we can make things safer.

Dr Neal W Pollock