It’s been a while since my last post – and for good reasons. The high season in Gozo kept me busy underwater, guiding, teaching, and sharing the ocean with new divers every day. Then life decided to throw in some personal challanges too. So writing took a little pause.

But during that time, I also had the chance to explore something completely new to me: a CCR dive. And honestly, it made me stop and think about how much diving has evolved..and where it’s heading next.

So let’s talk about it. CCR – is this really the future of diving?

What CCR Really Is

CCR stands for Closed Circuit Rebreather. It’s a system that recycles the gas you breathe underwater – removing the carbon dioxide and adding oxygen back in – which means you’re diving in a closed loop instead of blowing bubbles into the water.

The result? Longer dives, quieter experiences, and incredible gas efficiency. On a CCR, it’s not about the sound of your bubbles anymore: it’s about your heartbeat, your breath, and the silence of the sea around you.

The Beautiful Side – Pros of CCR Diving

• Silent exploration: Without bubbles, the marine life doesn’t react the same way. You become part of the environment rather than just a visitor.
• Extended bottom time: Because your gas is recycled, you can stay longer, especially on deeper dives.
• Gas efficiency: No wasted bubbles means you use less gas: a huge benefit on trimix dives or in remote areas.
• Constant oxygen optimization: The unit adjusts oxygen levels automatically (or you can do it manually, as you wish), which can reduce decompression time and make the dive more efficient.

The Demanding Side – Cons of CCR Diving

• Complexity: It’s not plug-and-play. CCR diving requires constant focus, understanding your equipment, and following checklists religiously.
• Maintenance: It takes time to prepare and clean. There’s no skipping steps here.
• Cost: The price of the unit, sensors, and upkeep can make your wallet feel a little lighter.
• Risk factor: It’s a technical system, and any error – mechanical or human – can escalate quickly if not handled calmly and correctly.

Is CCR the Future?

Maybe it already is – at least for some of us.
For deep explorers, wreck lovers, and cave divers, CCR feels like a natural evolution. For recreational divers, it still might seem too complex or too expensive for now.

But technology is changing fast, and every year, CCRs become more reliable, more intuitive, and more compact. I think it’s not a question of if it becomes the future – it’s just when more divers will feel ready for it.

---

My First CCR Dive: Silence Under Pressure

After a long and busy high season in Gozo, I finally found time to try something that had been following me around for a while – CCR diving. I did my first dive with Gozo Technical Diving, probably the most respected technical diving school on the islands.

For years, I had colleagues and friends who were obsessed with CCRs, real enthusiasts who swore it changed everything about how they experienced diving. I, on the other hand, was never fully convinced. In my mind, the technology still felt too young, and the statistics of accidents and fatalities were, let’s say, not reassuring.

Still, I was curious. Everyone said how difficult it was, especially the buoyancy control, and that it completely changes how you move underwater. So I went in with mixed feelings: excited because it was something new, and honestly thinking I probably wouldn’t enjoy it.

The Dive: Entering the Loop

The first few minutes underwater were..surreal. It’s hard to describe the sensation of hearing nothing but your own breathing. No bubbles, no sound, just the steady rhythm of inhale and exhale. It felt like a massive breathing meditation – except this one happens thirty meters deep.

You even breathe differently: a light, gentle inhale and a stronger exhale to keep the loop moving. Once I found that rhythm, something shifted. The fish didn’t swim away. They didn’t seem bothered or afraid. They just were there, moving peacefully around me. For a moment, I caught myself thinking — is this how fish feel underwater? It was both fascinating and strange at the same time.

The Manual CCR: Playing the Instrument

I tried a manual CCR system, the Triton. It suited me better: the control freak part of me felt more comfortable knowing I was injecting the oxygen myself rather than relying on a computer to do it.

The unit was mounted on my chest, with the oxygen on the right side and the diluent on the left. There’s something almost artistic about managing it: checking the gauges, balancing the gases, feeling the subtle change in buoyancy. At one point, it honestly felt like I was playing an instrument: like some kind of underwater harmonica player. A strange image, I know..but that’s how it felt.

The Realization: Trust and Mindfulness

Before this dive, I didn’t really trust CCRs. Now, I see it differently. If properly maintained, regularly serviced, and never neglected, I believe the human error factor can be reduced almost completely.

What surprised me most was how meditative the whole experience felt. The silence is deeper than on open circuit, it keeps your focus on your breath and brings you into a calmer, slower mindset.

We even did a few exercises during the dive, like mask clearing, which is definitely more challenging and behaves differently on a closed circuit. But I loved it. It reminded me that no matter how much experience you have, there’s always more to learn, always another layer of awareness to reach underwater.

Stay Tuned..

This first CCR dive definitely won’t be my last. It opened a new chapter in my diving journey: one where silence, precision, and mindfulness meet.

We ended the session already talking about future dives and training, and I left the water smiling, knowing that this is just the beginning.

Stay tuned — the loop continues.