PADI Dolphin & Ray Rebreather Course

Have you ever thought about how it would be to dive and make little to no noise, or to be able to slip up on fish and other marine animals without frightening them with your bubbles? Have you ever wondered how a rebreather works and how you can have long dives on small amounts of air?

The PADI Rebeather course for either the Dräger Dolphin or Ray units will explain and answer your questions on rebreathers. These two units recycle the air you exhale, add a little nitrox mix and re-supply you with breathing gas suitable for your planned depth.

Course Highlights

During the PADI Rebreather course you will learn the theory of operation on either the Dolphin or Ray unit, how to set the units up for diving, perform pre-dive safety checks, and dive safely with a rebreather. The theory of operation will cover basic nitrox principles, dive planning, inspired gas calculations, and equipment component nomenclature. Hands on exercises setting up the equipment will walk you through pre-dive tests and calibrations necessary before submerging. Proper care, maintenance, cleaning and storage of the units will also be covered.

The course consists of two nights of academic sessions, a final exam, a pool orientation session and three open water dives on either the Dolphin or Ray unit. Northeast Scuba will certify you on both units for a modest upgrade fee.

Prerequisites: PADI Enriched Air certification or equivalent, and at least 15 years old.

Instructional Equipment: The students will be supplied with a manual on Semi-closed circuit rebreathers, the Dolpin and Ray units. Northeast Scuba will supply the Dolphin or Ray units as part of the class along with scrubber compound and nitrox fills. Students are required to bring their normal diving equipment as listed below. (During pool and open water sessions there may be a necessity to share the rebreather equipment, therefore you may be making some dives as a buddy while on open circuit.

Required Equipment and Materials: Students are responsible for providing a complete SCUBA equipment package including mask, fins, snorkel, boots, appropriate exposure protection, (students wishing to use dry suits must show proof of dry suit certification or they may elect to use Northeast Scuba's dry suit option for the course), hood, mitts or gloves, BCD with LPI , regulator with octopus or alternate air source (not a "Spare air"), SPG, depth gauge, timer or watch, compass, weight system, two tanks, knife, whistle, RDP and log book. Note: some of the very basic equipment items may be available for rental, however items such as masks, fins, snorkels, timers, knives, and whistles must be purchased.