Aquanauts' Roger M. Smith (center) with the MV Trident's Jamie MacLeod (left) and Stuart Oehl. The Trident's famed deep wreck explorers finally got CCR certified with Aquanauts' help.

When it comes to wreck hunting and exploration in Thailand, there are few who can rival the experience of the MV Trident’s Jamie Macleod and Stuart Oehl. But what may surprise many is that nearly all their technical expeditions have been done on open-circuit, not closed-circuit rebreathers.

“We’ve been meaning to get some proper training on CCR for ages,” Jamie said. “We’ve organized dozens of CCR expeditions and supervised thousands of dives so the theory and logistics of the unit weren’t going to be too much of a problem. It was simply the diving we needed.”

Having known for Jamie for years – and with Aquanauts positioned as one of Thailand’s premier rebreather-training centers – I offered to get both guys certified and started on the road to becoming CCR instructors. (more…)