as a rebreather diver i have been going quite well, i have done a few mods to my unit.
1) i have plumbed in my ALI80 stage cylinder via a QR coupling to provide me with more than enough bailout.
2) i have added possibly the most important mod anyone can make to a CCR - a BOV (bail out valve)
3) repainted my standard yellow shell - i do like to be different!
4) i’m in the throws of ordering a HUD for my unit but i’m not quite sure which one - it looks like a revodream but it might be a shearwater HUD.

oh, and i’ve done lots of FW dives on the unit but not so much in the way of SW.
my forthcomming plymouth trip should sort that out a bit!

has it all been worth it?

the combined instructor course - no, i dont feel i’m up to the required standard.

rebreather course + buying the unit - OH YES, AND SOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

anyway, with that out of the way i was able to get back to work for a rest for 5 days.
then it got really messy!
november 22nd saw me jetting off to sunny lanzarote for what was officially called a BSAC combined instructor event (we called it hell).
actually, it was fantastic - bloody hard work but it was good.
the instructors (peter,terry and wynne) are something else, if i can be half as good as any of them, i will be a very happy man!

so there we are, i am now a TDI inspiration ccr diver and a BSAC open water instructor…………..not bad, i wonder what december will bring?

a few weeks ago i went on a club dive with our RHIBS - what a shambles! half of the people pulled out when they got there and we didnt dive what i wanted to dive.
this left me a little annoyed but i was just happy that i could get a couple of dives in, however, after 2 days of humping my twinset about and getting fills at the end of the day (will all the pissing about from the club we were too late so had to fill the tins next morning as soon as the gas station opened - thus waiting in line for ages).

add this to the exitement caused a few weeks ago when my SoS manifold blew an o’ring, spewing £15 worth of nitrox in the spare room and the cost of agir brock manifold, bands and fresh o2 clean.
enough is enough!
i looked into a dolphin SCR - hmmm, half the price of a used CCR but not half as usefull. sod it i’ll go full CCR!!

so here i am, inspiration classic in its crate taking pride of place in the lounge, instruction manuals & training manuals cluttering up the coffee table - MOD1 booked for second week in november.
hmmmm, finish MOD1 - go back to work for 5 days then off to lanzarote to do the BSAC combined instructors course. busy month!

where am i now? - 30th august 2007 saw me qualifiy as a Dive Leader and i have booked up to attend the combined instructor course in november.

advanced nitrox qualified and working towards extended range then sports mixed gas, i have even been told by the wife that i can get a CCR (but only if i buy her a jaguar XK8- hmmmmmm, do matchbox still make toy cars?)

so to all you nay sayers and miserable b@stards - screw you!!
it was worth buying and training in a twinset,wing and VR3………………..

thank you to kaz (my wife), leigh and les - i owe you all so much.

i started diving with a local BSAC club back in september 2006!! - i have now started to train as a sports diver and there is talk of me doing the IFC later this year.

some of you might recognise my name, it was me that caused uproar on the yorkshire-divers forums and BSAC forums by starting (and completing) my ocean diver training it a 12ltr twinset and wing - now i intend to rock the diving world because i have bought a VR3 and i havent actually done the first sports diver lecture as i type this (shock, horror)

well, my veiw is - if its comfortable and you can use it safely then do it! i have my own instructor that is leading me very well through the BSAC sylabus and she is happy, i’m happy and comfortable - what more can we ask for!!??

anyway, thats enough for now.
(gotta find my flame proof jacket for the replies!)