Rebreatherworkshop February 2012
Team: Peter Gärtner, Manuela Schoch, Oli Kurtz, Tobi Ziegler, Tibor Czuppon, Darko Petkovic, Stefan Bayha
Guests: Florian Hang, Holger Scherr, Markus Osswald, Carsten Richardt, Wilke Reints, Danny Beiert, Heinke Teichmann
At our annual meeting at the end of 2011 the idea was discussed to organize a rebreather workshop with training again. Since the last workshop 2 years ago the number of rebreather divers in the cavebase has not increased significantly, but everyone was of the opinion .... a little practice and training never hurts. In addition, we had invited a few people from our last Cavebase and Friends meeting in September 2011, some of whom also dive RB and have clear interest.
This year the workshop should last only one day, the team standards and procedures we had already worked out last time and so far established. So this time we had to repeat the single points and of course put them up for discussion again, after all the end keeps turning and everybody had gained experience in the last 2 years. Our guests got the chance to experience the topic PSCR in theory and practice.
So everyone met at 9:30 at Manu and Peter in Münchingen. Tobi Z. brought a huge box of Berliner / Krapfen and Peter made sure that the coffee pot was never empty. After everyone had arrived and the seminar room was set up in the living room, the 2nd RB workshop could begin. At the beginning the agenda of the day was discussed and the schedule was fixed. Fixed point was the appointment in the evening in the swimming pool for the In Water Session.
The workshop began with a historical overview of the beginnings and developments of recirculating equipment. Continuing with a discussion that should never be missing in the field of technical diving: the advantages and disadvantages of the different RB concepts like PSCR, MCCR, ECCR, etc. Our group is still convinced of the PSCR concept and it is still the standard in Team CAVEBASE. But of course the "own" and other concepts are discussed. The structure and functionality of the PSCR was next on the agenda. Here everyone could disassemble and reassemble (s)one device into all individual parts. Each component was discussed in detail, the different PSCR types were examined and possible faults were discussed in detail. The main focus was not only on the defects and their causes, but clearly on the avoidance or early detection of defects.
The "Team Checklist" shows which checks are necessary to ensure the function of the rebreather (during assembly, in the water). As we are a mixed RB / OC team, it is always important to include our OC'ers in such workshops. Because what can I recognize as an OC'ler when I am in the water with a RB'ler. This increases safety and is our 1st priority.
The lunch break was bridged with 3x party pizza, Berliners and coffee.
The part of physiology and medicine we put on the afternoon, because our team doctor came in the morning only from the night service and had earned a cap sleep. In this excursion Manu went into the physiological function of the lungs / breathing. Important points were especially the different reactions of the body to non-physiological proportions of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Other equipment topics such as hose routing, mouthpiece, general configuration and the switch block, as well as a few words about lime filled the day. At the end, we conducted a risk analysis together, once again raising awareness of the dangers of PSCR diving. At the end of the "dry" part Danny showed us some thoughts about the Sidemount RB, the advantages and disadvantages and the different possibilities of use as a sidemount or bail-out gyro.
Fixed point was the appointment in the swimming pool for the in water session. Stefan had again organized the swimming pool in Bietigheim and so we could bring our equipment to the pool from 20:30 and from 21:00 into the water. Thanks again to the TSC Bietigheim!
For the in-water session we had a few exercises planned, joint checks, diver recovery and a mild hypercapnia test. Darko and Heinke could strap a gyro on their backs for the first time and go diving with it.
At 23:00 even the last diver had enough, we all put our diving gear in the cars and drove to the King for dinner. There we had the debriefing and the feedback round of our rebreather workshop.
In this sense,
Your Cavebase
Gallery
[module-218]