Been busy diving

[Marie13]

I mean... I think we all try to have at least a little fun in class?

Fun is for the surface interval, not for actual cave training dives. Yes, I take this stuff pretty seriously.

 

[NorCalDM]

OMG, I don’t know how you folks who regularly travel with your gear do it. I did a rough test packing last night with the big wheeled duffle and my wheeled carryon.

Lights (can light and two backup lights), regs, and computers in carryon. Mask in mask box with a few other small things stuffed in box (such as transmitters). Takes up entire bottom of carry on. I am a very difficult mask fit so I am not about to risk my mask getting damaged.

SM rig and wetsuit take up most of rolling duffle.

Going to have to go minimal on clothes. One pair of Teva sandals. Might only take one bathing suit, although two would be better.

I KNEW there was a reason I drive to dive!

I'm not a fan of the duffel for packing gear as they just don't work for me. I use a dive specific Stahlsac "Caicos" is the one I like and it's lite so not wasting weight on the bag itself. I can get fins, Alum. BP&W, 5mm full wetsuit, regs in padded bag, 2 masks in hard cases, boots/gloves and come in at 46-47 lbs. I can get two sets of fins in if I pull the reg out and put it in my carry on with computers. Also leave yourself a couple pounds to spare on the way out because your gear will be damp on the way back no matter how good you think you dried it. Never had an issue with regs or masks in my check on bags in almost 20years of traveling with gear. I pack my regs in a padded reg bag and put them in-between my wetsuit for more padding and masks always go in hard cases. Now that I've said that I'll probably lose everything on my next trip!

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

Hey Marie..... I just recently checked out this thread and really enjoyed the entire read. You are a true searcher. Cheers!

 

[Marie13]

A friend who has been going to PDC/Cancun for years suggested I use Thomas More to/from CAN airport. I got a private shuttle for $180 round trip.

 

[Manatee Diver]

Fun is for the surface interval, not for actual cave training dives. Yes, I take this stuff pretty seriously.

At least in Florida they often try to do both. The first half of the dive other than leading you get the enjoy the cave. The trip out is a dive from hell. Of course that means you often don't see a thing on the exit.

But yeah I pretty much have to use two checked bags.

A friend who has been going to PDC/Cancun for years suggested I use Thomas More to/from CAN airport. I got a private shuttle for $180 round trip.

Ouch that has gone up a lot. I seem to remember it being half that in 2019.

 

[Marie13]

I’m probably going to pull out my big hard sided bag too. Enough room for more than the absolute minimum for clothes.

My intro class was so damned intense that I don’t remember a lot of specific stuff. Firehose.

 

[Manatee Diver]

My intro class was so damned intense that I don’t remember a lot of specific stuff. Firehose.

Happened to me, I barely remember most of the cave I saw during App Cave. During full cave I remember a lot more as it was much easier due to few new skills, just proving that I could dive at that level.

 

[Johnoly]

I mean... I think we all try to have at least a little fun in class?

Standing on land, laugh & joke no problem. But Cave class while in the water is nothing like Open Water classes. It will test your mental strength when your instructor's first words upon surfacing are "Well you just died on that dive" and you knew it before he said it and you wonder if you should quit.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Standing on land, laugh & joke no problem. But Cave class while in the water is nothing like Open Water classes. It will test your mental strength when your instructor's first words upon surfacing are "Well you just died on that dive" and you knew it before he said it and you wonder if you should quit.

I'm not saying it is or should be like OW... putting myself in @Marie13 shoes, heading to MX, cenote, cave class... eating interesting foods.. one can only hope that she has the time of her life. Honestly I hope she has "fun". Maybe I should have said enjoy yourself? Enjoy the experience?

 

[Marie13]

I'm not saying it is or should be like OW... putting myself in @Marie13 shoes, heading to MX, cenote, cave class... eating interesting foods.. one can only hope that she has the time of her life. Honestly I hope she has "fun". Maybe I should have said enjoy yourself? Enjoy the experience?

The traveling is going to effing suck. It always does. And you people wonder why I love road trips. I’m looking forward to the diving. And having a porter to haul gear.

At least on SW, I don’t have to fight for my aisle seat (you do NOT steal my aisle seat) that sometime thought they’d steal - and thought I’d happily take a middle seat instead. Yeah, right.