I have just finished putting the first three Instructors through their update to allow them all to be certified as TDI Air Diluent MK-VI Discovery Instructors.

The full day was spent going over the unit, from bits in the box to fully assembled. We then went through the menu driven self checks the CCR does automatically as a pre-dive check, and finally all three Instructors spent time in the water familiarising themselves with the various menu options, possible failure points and just getting comfortable with the worlds first Recreational CCR.

All three were extremely impressed with the MK-VI Discovery. The automatic self checks performed flawlessly, the unit has great work of breathing, and the pre-packed Sofnodive 797 Scrubber cartridges were a cinch to replace. A really nice feature is the MK-VI Discovery will allow you to use almost any BC currently om the market - from a TransPac to a standard jacket BC.

The unit is light, sits very well on the divers back, and to quote Jason Blackwell - Time to sell my current unit & get me one of these!

The Poseidon MK-VI Discovery CCR is now available through selected dealers Australia wide. Call our office for more details

Tony

On a recent trip to North Florida, where our small group was diving both Open Circuit & CCR’s, it became very obvious the difference correctly mounting your stage bottles can have to your trim, and thus ability to negotiate smaller cave passages.

On this trip we were all using 5.5 litre ally stages, and with the addition of possibly Dive Rites lowest priced accessory, the Sidemount Neck Choker, and a couple of Sidemount Bungees, I was able to lift the neck of the stages up to a true in-line profile.

The choker is a small webbing strap, which mounts around the neck of the stage cylinder, and when you clip up the top snap of your stage bottle carry strap to the choker, then run the bungee through the gate of this now vertically oriented captive snap & clip it to the d-ring on your shoulder, you bring the entire stage bottle right up under your arm, significantly reducing your profile in the process.

Following one of our team through a low area in Madison Blue Spring, where no chokers were used, the diver had to constantly raise the top of the stage up with a hand to pass the tight bits, but those using the new rigging passed these same tight areas with ease, never using hands to raise or adjust the stages.

I suppose it’s like many small but really useful accessories – why hasn’t it been thought of before? All I can say is I am now using the chokers on all my stages, whether diving back mounts or my Optima CCR, and they work just as well for actual sidemount diving – The stages sit really high, and balance, buoyancy & trim is way better than ever before.

Check out the chokers at your nearest Dive Rite dealer now

Tony

Recently Dive Rite ran a Tech Tour in conjunction with Vision Divers. The Tech Tour gives divers an opportunity to learn a little more about ‘tekkie’ gear and how to put it together, but most importantly it gives divers an opportunity to physically try out gear such as the TransPac, various wings and regs in the water. The divers had an opportunity to dive several different configurations; single tanks, double tanks as well as sidemount.

Typically divers who have never been exposed to the harness and wing set up don’t understand why there are several different types of wings. The Dive Rite range consist of the Travel EXP, Venture EXP, Rec EXP and Classic EXP. Each wing is designed for a different function and it is important to choose a wing that best suits the type of diving you do.

The EXP range of wings are all donut-shaped. The donut design provides an even volume of inflation which provides greater stability and control in the water, this in turn helps divers with their trim and buoyancy control.

The Travel EXP is a popular choice among warm water divers who typically dive in a wetsuit or less. It is compact and perfect for single tank diving, with only 27lb of lift. More often than not, after a diver tries the Travel EXP on for the first time, they comment that it feels like they were not wearing a BCD at all, the design has such a small profile. The Travel EXP as the name suggests is perfect for travelling, as it is small, light and packs away easily.

The Venture EXP is also a single tank wing but was designed especially for use with heavier single tanks. The Venture EXP is most popular with temperate waters divers who dive in a drysuit. In order to accommodate the extra weight it offers more lift then the Travel EXP, with 45lb of lift. While is has a larger lift capacity, it still has a sleek and unobtrusive design which aims to reduce drag in the water. The trapezoid-shape of the wing gives single tank divers lift around the hips, exactly where it is needed to help divers achieve horizontal trim underwater.

The Rec EXP is our most popular wing, as it is a hybrid that can be worn with both single and double tanks. It is a 50lb wing which easily accommodates two back mounted cylinders. This versatile design allows a diver to dive a deep wreck in the morning on twins for example, and go straight to a shallow shore dive in the afternoon without changing anything on their rig.

When diving the Rec EXP with a single tank the wing retainer system keeps the wing close to the divers body, ensuring that the wing does not ‘taco’ or wrap around the tank, giving the diver greater buoyancy control. Further, the Rec EXP can be altered to become a dual bladder wing at a later date, if desired. This is an easy upgrade if redundant buoyancy is necessary, for example when a diver chooses to do deep dives in a wetsuit.

The largest wing in the Dive Rite range is the Classic EXP and it has been designed especially for diving with double tanks and stages and has 68lb of lift. This wing is too large to be used with single tanks safely, but it can be used with smaller double tanks as it has an optional Gusset Control System cord, which helps to streamline the wing. The GCS does not restrict airflow as it allows the wing to inflate to its full capacity; it simply promotes added streamlining and buoyancy control. If diving with multiple stages or heavy double tanks, this is the perfect wing. The Classic EXP can also be upgraded to a dual bladder if needed.

Agnes

Lamar Hires, Dive Rite CEO, recently visited Australia to teach an O2ptima rebreather course. He is our guest blogger this month.

After spending two weeks teaching in Australia I remember why I like the country and most of the dive sites. I have to say however, that there are a couple of training sites I can do without diving again, after spending many hours on multiple days diving them. I know that Australia has some great cave diving though and I do plan to come back and do some fun dives out on the Nullarbor.

I like to use every class as an opportunity to grow and observe as an instructor. I am still very active in my personal diving, so watching students deal with tasks helps me formulate alternatives and safer practices. This was the case in Australia as well, as I was teaching the O2ptima rebreather course ideas came flooding in.

During the course, we discussed bailout options and gas management options and actually implemented some new techniques for bailout. The students found them easier and from my perspective they are much safer. In the absence of a BOV, position the second stage of the bottom gas bailout around your neck on a necklace as if you were on open circuit. We found this to be more efficient when having to bailout than going for a regulator secured to the neck of a sling bottle.

Congratulations to all the students and in particular Chris Bojarski for becoming an O2ptima instructor. Thanks also for turning me on to author Matthew Reilly, I just finished “Ice Station”.

Lamar

Due to the current strength of the Australian dollar, Aqua Tech Australia are excited to announce large price reductions across the Dive Rite range - some products have reduced by up to 30%. This means local prices are now very competitive on a world scale. For example the RRP of the TransPac Harness is now only $525… our ever popular Rec Wing is now only $535.

There is no need to buy off shore! Take advantage of the great prices locally, buy with confidence, and get total Australian warranty and great customer service that your local store can offer you.

See your local dealer for details.