It was finally time for the first dive with the Hunchback, my semi-closed rebreather. I had built it from the leftovers from a butchered Dräger Ray. I had finally received my last piece that was missing, a Ray hose from Germany. It arrived Thursday and I couldn’t wait to enter the water. The weekend came and I prepared for the first dive. I was a little anxious about the details of the Hunchback. Would the pieces hold together? Would I be able to breathe ok? Etc. I had so many questions running around in my head that I could barely sleep the night before the first trial dives.

 

I put on the gear and slipped silently into the water. I heard the hissing sounds from the gas addition and the OP valve, I checked my Oxygauge, I started to breathe, every thing felt ok, I decided to go down. My safety divers got the signal and down we all went. I was very keen to all sounds right now, my whole body was in a alarm status, anything weird or a feeling that something was wrong would make me abort or bail-out. My safety divers were close and looking out for me. I started to swim and “feel” the rebreather. I is hard to describe the “feel” a rebreather moment, but for me it is everything that regards the rebreather inside the water: How it breathes, how it breaks the water, how easy it is to feel parts on it, how the hoses feel, how the mouthpiece feels, how the gas addition feels, etc.

 

My readings of the Oxygauge were ok according the pre calculated values. I made two trial dives during the weekend. The second test was actually in open water environment. I decided after the first pool trial dive that I had to try it in open water, just to get the “real” feeling of how it behaved. We went to a max. depth of 7 meters, and it was an excellent trial dive with no problems what so ever. The only thing that I noticed was that I was to light. I have to add two kg to my integrated “weightbelt”.

 

I used during my trial dives two safety divers at all times. I would like to thank them: Ulrika Lagerlöf, Anders Bauvin, and Thomas.

 

Two gentlemen that has helped me with my thoughts around the “hunchback” and has inspired me to build a SCR are: Åke Larsson and Peder Siepel. Thank You for all your kind help and for taking the time to answer all my “weird” questions!