Beginning cave diving Pensacola

[MT_Shadow]

I am looking at getting into cave diving. I will be in Pensacola for training "Navy" for over a year and I am hoping to jump ship enough times to get a ways into the training program. I need a local dive shop, instructor for cavern?, and suggestions for getting started. I also want to try a dive on the USS Oriskany. My current level should at least get me onto the top of the wreck. Maybe to the bridge?

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Couple good shops in Pensacola including MBT Divers and Dive Pros, both are easy enough to find. Neither really offer any cave training.

For cave training, go a bit further East, to where there are caves, and get an instructor who dives caves regularly. You'll want to start off with a cavern course, then get some time in at that level getting profficient with your newly learned skills and a new environment before moving onto Intro, Apprentice(depending on agency) and Full Cave. You won't have to go far, the caves start just an hour East of P'Cola and you can find several instructors teaching in the panhandle.

As for the Oriskany, most operations will want an AOW and/or proof of a dive(or dives) to a certain depth. However, you can probably pay for a guide and they'll letcha dive.

 

[MT_Shadow]

Not sure how I am going to get to a cave yet. Will be stranded on base. Do you know anyone within an hour or so who teaches cavern. My profile might be f'd but I am Advanced certified now. And have maxed depths at my elevation without going deco. I would love to dive the flight deck but I won't have time to run my training up to that yet. I will have rescue finished before then though. It will be next summer.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Well... you're gonna have to go to where there's caverns to take a cavern course, so plan on ATLEAST an hour drive for that, to get to Vortex or Morrison(closest caverns). You may also be required to drive another 30 minutes in order to dive Jackson Blue, which is another really great cavern and excellent training site.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/members/dive-aholic.html - send this guy a message, he teaches cavern and he's over in Marianna and will be one of your closest choices. He's here on ScubaBoard and is likely to post in this thread before too long anyway.

Kenny Paramore, Jeff Bauer, Jeff Lofflin are other instructors in the area that teach in NW Florida.

 

[MT_Shadow]

Thanks I'll hit him up

 

[Dive-aholic]

Thanks for the referral, Mat! MT, I already sent you a reply. One thing I didn't think about was car rentals. When I was in the military and didn't have transportation, I would rent a car every now and then on the weekends just to get away from the base. The rental agencies on base are usually pretty reasonable. Mat is right, you'll have to get at least to Morrison/Vortex area for the training. Although I also highly recommend diving Jackson Blue during your cavern course. It's a huge cavern worth diving. Beware though! Once you see caverns like Morrison and Jackson, you'll be renting a car every weekend just to go back for more!!!

 

[MT_Shadow]

hahaha Thanks for the # dive-aholic. I will keep it in my phone till I arrive at MOS. also I see no downside to an addiction like diving no worries here.

 

[GLENFWB]

Rob is right...you will get addicted. Morrison started the addiction for me. Then after I took cavern, some "crack dealer" took me to Jackson Blue and gave me a taste of that...now I am hooked. Any available money goes to feed my addiction.

It doesn't help when you have crack dealers (note: I am speaking of cracks in the ground) like Ed, at Cave Adventures willing to feed your addiction. Soon, I will take Intro. with Rob (I guess in terms of addiction, he is an Enabler) ...and the vicious cycle will continue. Right now I am sitting here at work...wondering when and how I will get my next "fix". Dang, while typing this I am getting the shakes. Guess I will have to go watch some videos on cave diving to calm me down.

MT, if you have a problem with transportation for a cavern class...just let me know. I am close enough to Pensacola to help you out. I am always looking for an excuse to head to Marianna.

Thanks for the referral, Mat! MT, I already sent you a reply. One thing I didn't think about was car rentals. When I was in the military and didn't have transportation, I would rent a car every now and then on the weekends just to get away from the base. The rental agencies on base are usually pretty reasonable. Mat is right, you'll have to get at least to Morrison/Vortex area for the training. Although I also highly recommend diving Jackson Blue during your cavern course. It's a huge cavern worth diving. Beware though! Once you see caverns like Morrison and Jackson, you'll be renting a car every weekend just to go back for more!!!

 

[Dive-aholic]

I just had some crack today. I'm going to get some more tomorrow. I can't wait!

 

[MT_Shadow]

Thanks everyone. Sorry for the lapse in response, I dove in Seattle Last weekend great experience with new BP/W. I find the set up to be way easier to trim. Also the octopus was great. I can't wait to get to your neck of the woods!