I Passed the Rebreather Course!

It was an intense seven days! There were a lot of new skills to learn, both in the classroom (theory) and later put into practice in the sea.

Jacek has been the best instructor I’ve ever had. I’ve completed many diving courses over the past 20 years, but the quality of this course and the teaching has been truly world-class.

It was slightly easier for me to pick up the new CCR skills since I had previously completed a course and some practice on a rebreather already — an SCR. Still, there were plenty of new skills to learn!

I’m very happy with my choice of the KISS Sidewinder as my CCR. My long-term plan is to move into cave diving, though that’s a gradual process. Now that I’ve completed the course, I need to start building up experience with the unit before I can move on to any advanced CCR training. It might take a year or two — there’s no rush!

At present, I’m certified to use the CCR up to 40 metres with decompression. This opens up many possibilities, not just for cave diving but also for deep technical diving trips. Currently, I’m certified up to 40m, but there are further training options to gradually extend those depth limits.

I don’t want to dwell on all the issues I had with my previous rebreather, but I’m extremely happy with my new choice. Since the KISS Sidewinder is a mechanical CCR, nearly the entire unit is field-repairable — I can do it myself! We took apart every single component, dismantled and reassembled it. It’s a very simple, clever design.

The unit has no electronics, other than the dive computer — a Shearwater, which I’ve had for many years and which has never failed me. This dive computer measures the oxygen in the unit through a simple cable: no batteries, no circuit boards, nothing extra!

It’s also lightweight and compact, making it easy to travel with. The unit is simple to assemble, and running through the checklists is straightforward — unlike other, more complex electronic CCRs on the market.

I was also surprised to learn that in most emergency situations, you can actually resolve the issue during the dive and stay on the CCR! I had always assumed you had to bail out every time — at least, that’s what the SCR required in all situations. With the KISS, unless it’s something severe, the unit can still be used safely. That’s a great feature, especially for long cave dives!

Now, I eagerly await the arrival of my own unit in the post over the next couple of months — I can’t wait!

Small video I've put together (Videos done by Jacek), of my CCR Dives on the Naranjito Wreck in Cabo de Palos - Spain: