Photos from CCR Experience - Sunday, June 13th

[John Rawlings]

Well, today was another successful CCR Experience! Congratulations to Mel Clark and Curt McNamee for putting on another successful event! Participants were able to try out a number of different Closed-Circuit Rebreathers, and there were many folks there that caught the CCR bug!

I was there as a photographer and all-around smart-ass. Here are some photos that I took today:

Mel "doing her thang"!

Jerry Watley discusses the Megalodon line-up, including the new "Pathfinder".

Henry Wang and the latest addition to the KISS line - the "Explorer".

Harald prepares NWDC member, gutholmj, to descend with his Inspiration CCR.

An Inspiration (left) and a KISS (right) ready to fly!

The entire line-up

The KISS Explorer underwater

Inspiration and rEvo underwater from above

Back from a trip to the "deep end"

Erik briefs Mike (dieseldude) on the COPIS Megalodon CCR

Greg (Loanwolf) briefs a diver on the use of the rEvo

George (Gillenvy) prepares a diver to descend with his rEvo

Mel....on open-circuit!!!!

a KISS briefing....

Bob (Grateful Diver) probably already wondering how much this will ultimately cost him....

[Dusty2]

No No NO must resist! Awe what the hell, even if I wanted one I couldn't afford it anyway.

Hope you guys left your credit cards at home.

[spatman]

looks like fun. i have to get to one of these events someday.

so who else from NWDC tried out a ccr?

[John Rawlings]

looks like fun. i have to get to one of these events someday.

so who else from NWDC tried out a ccr?

I know that Mike (dieseldude) was there, and Bob (Grateful Diver). There were probably more, but not knowing them by faces I don't have a clue.

There was a team from the Seattle Aquarium there along with Jeff Christiansen - the sixgill team - and I believe at least one guy from the Oregon Aquarium.

[Mattleycrue76]

I really wanted to go to this, but I had some class dives schedules for that day. Probably for the better, I have a feeling I might like it waay too much.

[John Rawlings]

..... I have a feeling I might like it waay too much.

CCRs do tend to have that effect on people! It's an exciting time to be diving - the three major units readily available here in the PNW, the Megalodon, KISS and rEvo, are, quite simply, all superb machines that have reached a state of outstanding reliability.

I'm in love with the new KISS Explorer, myself, and just have a couple of things that I still need to add to my KISS Classic to switch it over to an Explorer.

- John

[camerone]

so who else from NWDC tried out a ccr?

I was on deck in a T-shirt, helping out answering questions for those of you diving the units...and spent the lecture prodding Mel down certain paths Probably my last NW Dive experience for a while, as I'm packing up and moving inland for the forseeable future (Denver...)

-C

[John Rawlings]

I've always been amazed at the huge number of dive shops in Denver.....all of them with airline brochures on the counter!

Sorry that you're leaving Seattle, but may your future be a bright one!

- John

[gutholmj]

This was a really fun day. Figuring out how to manage buoyancy was really strange when your breathing has no effect. The really cool part was the one time where I managed to get dialed in for about 30 seconds. You're totally stationary no mater how big of a breath you take.

I need to start saving my pennies.

[John Rawlings]

This was a really fun day. Figuring out how to manage buoyancy was really strange when your breathing has no effect. The really cool part was the one time where I managed to get dialed in for about 30 seconds. You're totally stationary no mater how big of a breath you take.

I need to start saving my pennies.

It would've been nice to have met you! I probably should have made an announcement and asked how many NWDC members were there!

[Grateful Diver]

This was a really fun day. Figuring out how to manage buoyancy was really strange when your breathing has no effect. The really cool part was the one time where I managed to get dialed in for about 30 seconds. You're totally stationary no mater how big of a breath you take.

I need to start saving my pennies.

It would've been nice to have met you! I probably should have made an announcement and asked how many NWDC members were there!

... he was the guy standing behind me in the KISS Explorer line ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[John Rawlings]

... he was the guy standing behind me in the KISS Explorer line ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Uhhhh....OK....my memory's not as good as it used to be! I'll have to take your word on that one! Is he in any of the pics above?

- John

[Joshua Smith]

This was a really fun day. Figuring out how to manage buoyancy was really strange when your breathing has no effect. The really cool part was the one time where I managed to get dialed in for about 30 seconds. You're totally stationary no mater how big of a breath you take.

I need to start saving my pennies.

This made me laugh. I vividly remember our first real descent in class- Me, Calvin, and the other two students all lawn darted into the silt inhaling for all we were worth, then started our polaris missle impersonations as we shot too much gas into our wings! It was pretty funny. It took me a while to get comfortable with it, but it DOES get easier.

[limeyx]

This made me laugh. I vividly remember our first real descent in class- Me, Calvin, and the other two students all lawn darted into the silt inhaling for all we were worth, then started our polaris missle impersonations as we shot too much gas into our wings! It was pretty funny. It took me a while to get comfortable with it, but it DOES get easier.

Hey, I resemble that comment

When does the "getting easier" part start ? haha

[Mattleycrue76]

... he was the guy standing behind me in the KISS Explorer line ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Uhhhh....OK....my memory's not as good as it used to be! I'll have to take your word on that one! Is he in any of the pics above?

- John

How about the one in his avatar?

[John Rawlings]

How about the one in his avatar?

That's the problem....I don't recall seeing him there. Wet people in wetsuits and masks might not look the same as an avatar shot of someone fully dressed and dry. I'm hoping that Bob will say, "yeah, he's the guy in photo 4" or something similar that will tweak my memory.

- John

[loanwolf]

How about the one in his avatar?

That's the problem....I don't recall seeing him there. Wet people in wetsuits and masks might not look the same as an avatar shot of someone fully dressed and dry. I'm hoping that Bob will say, "yeah, he's the guy in photo 4" or something similar that will tweak my memory.

- John

I think you can see his feet in the photo of Bob on the KISS.

[Joshua Smith]

This made me laugh. I vividly remember our first real descent in class- Me, Calvin, and the other two students all lawn darted into the silt inhaling for all we were worth, then started our polaris missle impersonations as we shot too much gas into our wings! It was pretty funny. It took me a while to get comfortable with it, but it DOES get easier.

Hey, I resemble that comment

When does the "getting easier" part start ? haha

For me, it was around 100 hours. I have to admit that, even after 300+ hours, I'm still not as good with it as I was on OC. Of course, maybe I just think I was better on OC than I really ever was.....

[gutholmj]

This was a really fun day. Figuring out how to manage buoyancy was really strange when your breathing has no effect. The really cool part was the one time where I managed to get dialed in for about 30 seconds. You're totally stationary no mater how big of a breath you take.

I need to start saving my pennies.

It would've been nice to have met you! I probably should have made an announcement and asked how many NWDC members were there!

I was really pushing my personal boundaries for the day just by introducing myself to Bob in the parking lot but yea, it would have been nice to meet a few more people in person.

[gutholmj]

... he was the guy standing behind me in the KISS Explorer line ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Uhhhh....OK....my memory's not as good as it used to be! I'll have to take your word on that one! Is he in any of the pics above?

- John

I'm the gorgeous guy trying the Inspiration in the first of the pool pics.

[scubagrunt]

Hi Guys!!!
A huge thanks to all the staff who helped out on this demo to make it possible, they did a great job. thank you to all the guys who attended it was a great day and a fun one also.
mel

[John Rawlings]

... he was the guy standing behind me in the KISS Explorer line ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Uhhhh....OK....my memory's not as good as it used to be! I'll have to take your word on that one! Is he in any of the pics above?

- John

I'm the gorgeous guy trying the Inspiration in the first of the pool pics.

Ah....the blue camo wetsuit! I remember you now! We'll meet up again sometime and I'll shake your paw!

- John

[limeyx]

For me, it was around 100 hours. I have to admit that, even after 300+ hours, I'm still not as good with it as I was on OC. Of course, maybe I just think I was better on OC than I really ever was.....

So I guess with only about 7.5 hours I should shut up and put up then! Sadly a lot of boats/charters are Open Circuit only down here (admittedly I have only seen this as a problem since I got the RB

[gutholmj]

Sadly a lot of boats/charters are Open Circuit only down here...

So they won't take CCR divers? Do they give a reason why?

[Grateful Diver]

Sadly a lot of boats/charters are Open Circuit only down here...

So they won't take CCR divers? Do they give a reason why?

Same reason some boats won't allow solo diving, I suppose ...

... ignorance ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)