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Thread: Ft. Lauderdale Megalodon Diver

  1. #11
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    Hi Eric,
    I did my homework ;-) and checked Jill's sites before, and is easy to see She's Top. But I like to know how is a meg course? what you do during the week, lots of classroom? dives? if you like to share your experience... I like Jill also because She shoot video and photos too, and Im a photographer and makes it more interesting.
    Thanks,
    Gustavo

    Quote Originally Posted by mempilot View Post
    Jill is top notch. I will use her again in the future, and I have sent many other divers to her over the last year. You can get a hold of her via her website www.rebreatherpro.com, and tell her Eric Stadtmueller sent you.
    "I think we find true happiness when we step out of ourselves, when we give to others. Unhappiness is self and happiness is others. It's indisputable. Only by extending yourself can you grow. Through friendship, love, sharing, or through knowing... It's a matter of making yourself a mere vehicle moving toward others, and not a vehicle from others to yourself".
    Jacques Ives Cousteau
    Extract from Chantiers de l'avenir (Paths of the future), June 1995: Birthday: A Young Man of 85

  2. #12
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    Yes, but more importantly, Jill has a Cis-Lumar Mk VP!
    SMN Publisher

  3. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by Guscabana View Post
    Hi Eric,
    I did my homework ;-) and checked Jill's sites before, and is easy to see She's Top. But I like to know how is a meg course? what you do during the week, lots of classroom? dives? if you like to share your experience... I like Jill also because She shoot video and photos too, and Im a photographer and makes it more interesting.
    Thanks,
    Gustavo

    Gustavo,

    I know this thread is a few months old now, but if anyone else reading it is interested in how a CCR is structured then i can share my experience. I was first certified on an Evolution. I did about 8 hours of classroom type stuff and we did 8 dives on the unit. Then, a year later I crossed over to a Meg and that wasnt as intense since CCR fundamentals were already there. That was 2 days, not much classroom mostly diving the unit and learning it. You can really do most of your reading before class, pick up the books and read them a few times. It will make so much more sense later.

    Enjoy

  4. #14
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    I do prefer the Vision electronics, especially the scrubber temp stick. I allows me to get 6-7 hours out of the scrubber when doing recreational profiles.

    I have seen the Meg in person repeatedly and the build quality looks really good.
    SMN Publisher

  5. #15
    Registered Users mempilot's Avatar
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    Default CCR Training

    Becky hit the nail on the head when commenting about pretraining preperation. I read Bozanic's rebreather text book, as well as ANDI's Megalodon Rebreather manual. I had actually started researching CCR about two years prior to actually purchasing a unit. I had several mentors during that time that included Tom Mount, Rob Davies (RIP), and a few other locals who had purchased their units about 6 months ahead of me. The key here is, do your homework and it will go a lot smoother.

    I transferred over to CCR after years of diving technical OC, so a lot of the diver fundamentals were already engrained in me. That made the concepts of CCR easier. Other than the rebreather itself, I didn't have to learn new gear or procedures like handling decompression bottles which are now called OC bailout and decompression bottles. If you are already technically inclined, then the biggest thing to get used to with a rebreather is bouyancy. It is completely different on CC vs OC, since you retain gas volume in the loop as well as any other bouyancy device like a wing or drysuit. In OC, your lungs are a variable in bouyancy. In CC, they are a constant, since you just transfer their volume to the counterlungs and back.

    As for the training with Jill; it follows the IANTD curriculem and syllibus. I traveled to her, so we did our training in the springs and caverns of North Central Florida. My final few dives were in 40 Fathom Grotto with some light decompression thrown in at instructor's discression. The training for the prepared mind is not really that difficult, but I am used to using checklists and memory item recall during emergencies in my job as a pilot. This more complicated task loading and the bouyancy issue are the two hardest things to master during CC training.

    You will run the gammit of rebreather failures and conditions during training:

    1. hypoxia/low PO2
    2. hyperoxia/high PO2
    3. hypercapnia/elevated CO2
    4. failed electronics/no PO2 monitoring/SCR
    5. failed O2 solenoid/open and closed
    6. loop flood
    7. OC bailout and OC ascent
    8. manually operated CCR/manual gas bypass for DIL and O2
    9. removing and passing off bailout bottles
    10. dive planning/constant PO2 tables
    11. gas extending contingency procedures for failed eCCR/SCR

    etc etc etc...

    The training, while demanding, is quite enjoyable. Jill is the perfect blend of layed back and tough, and she is a joy to learn from.

    Eric Stadtmueller

  6. #16
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    Thanks for all the answers.
    I been reading about rebreathers for some time, got the Bozanic manual last year, and Im doing technical diving with doubles, trimix and deco bottles, preparing for the real thing ;-) My tek instructor dive along us in his meg, and ill do a tryout before going to the course in Florida.
    Im not a pilot but I allways double check my equipment, Im a professional skydiver, and better be sure of what you you have in your back before going out the door!
    Can I download the meg manual somewhere?
    Gustavo
    Pd. I saw my instructor meg, fell from the back of his truck to the pavement, without a single damage...
    "I think we find true happiness when we step out of ourselves, when we give to others. Unhappiness is self and happiness is others. It's indisputable. Only by extending yourself can you grow. Through friendship, love, sharing, or through knowing... It's a matter of making yourself a mere vehicle moving toward others, and not a vehicle from others to yourself".
    Jacques Ives Cousteau
    Extract from Chantiers de l'avenir (Paths of the future), June 1995: Birthday: A Young Man of 85

  7. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Guscabana View Post
    Can I download the meg manual somewhere?
    The best manual for the Meg is published by ANDI and can be found here

  8. #18
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    Jill is already booked in the dates I will be in Florida, she suggest me to contact Gregg Stanton from Wakulla Diving center. Now we need 1 to 3 more divers to fill the class, the dates are november 11 to 18, if anybody is interested please contact Gregg at g3stanton@wakulladiving.com

    Thanks!
    Gustavo

    www.guscabana.com
    "I think we find true happiness when we step out of ourselves, when we give to others. Unhappiness is self and happiness is others. It's indisputable. Only by extending yourself can you grow. Through friendship, love, sharing, or through knowing... It's a matter of making yourself a mere vehicle moving toward others, and not a vehicle from others to yourself".
    Jacques Ives Cousteau
    Extract from Chantiers de l'avenir (Paths of the future), June 1995: Birthday: A Young Man of 85

  9. #19
    Registered Users mempilot's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Guscabana View Post
    Jill is already booked in the dates I will be in Florida
    We will be completing CCR Cave with Jill the first week of December.

  10. #20
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    I'm dive buddies with Padipro on the board here. We both dive Megalodons, mostly on wrecks in SE FL.

    Any other Meg divers on here?

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