Cave Diver wanna be...need some help

[octgal]

Hey everyone,
I'm very interested in becoming a cave diver after i finish my rescue diver cert. Was wondering if any of you had any advise for someone who has yet to expierence this awesome side of diving. Is it really as dangerous as people tell me it is?? And where on earth do you guys find your dive buddies, as i don't know anyone here in ontario canada that's a cave diver (although i haven't look too hard yet)

Any thought and advise are welcome!

 

[Mark Vlahos]

Hey everyone,
I'm very interested in becoming a cave diver after i finish my rescue diver cert. Was wondering if any of you had any advise for someone who has yet to expierence this awesome side of diving. Is it really as dangerous as people tell me it is?? And where on earth do you guys find your dive buddies, as i don't know anyone here in ontario canada that's a cave diver (although i haven't look too hard yet)

Any thought and advise are welcome!

The dangers of cave diving are always present, but with the proper training, they can be managed. When you take the cave classes your instructor will do everything possible to test your ability to safely manage extremely stressful situations. I told my instructor that it was OK with me to simply rip off my mask, or yank the regulator out of my mouth when I was least expecting it. No Mask Swimming was a weak point I needed to overcome and during the OW training portion this became apparent, so I gave him permission to take it off (my mask) every chance he could and he did! I don't know if I needed to give him permission or not, I suspect he would have done the same even if I had not specifically told him it was fine. Your instructor will "give" you multiple problems to deal with, in some cases he will give you multiple problems at the same time.

Cave instruction is expensive, and the gear needed for cave diving is expensive, so budget several thousand dollars and lots of time. If you want to take the classes from cavern through full cave all at once it can be done in just one week, but that is pretty intensive. I would encourage you to allow at least two weeks or longer. It is probably a good idea to separate the instruction into two separate trips, the first for Cavern and Intro, the second for Apprentice and Full Cave.

Cave country in north Florida is where I got my instruction, the instructors in that area teach a lot so the they are top notch.

As far as finding buddies, ScubaBoard is an excellent tool. You might try to plan a trip and meet a diver who is also not from the area where you will be diving, or you could plan on meeting up with a local. I do not know if there are any caves in your area, so I am assuming that you would travel to either Florida, or Mexico for most of your cave diving.

I really enjoy the caves but unfortunately I am not able to get in one at the present time since I am in California for work and will probably be here for a while. I wish you luck in your quest.

Mark Vlahos

 

[octgal]

Wow thanks for the info. I'll need more expierence for this one as the thought of have my mask and reg ripped out in a cave is a little scary! But thanks!!!!

 

[MikeFerrara]

Hey everyone,
I'm very interested in becoming a cave diver after i finish my rescue diver cert. Was wondering if any of you had any advise for someone who has yet to expierence this awesome side of diving. Is it really as dangerous as people tell me it is?? And where on earth do you guys find your dive buddies, as i don't know anyone here in ontario canada that's a cave diver (although i haven't look too hard yet)

Any thought and advise are welcome!

Are the people telling you how dangerous it is cave divers or just folks who have seen it on TV?

My most frequent dive buddy is my wife but I don't suppose that will help you. LOL. I have met numerous people along the way through training and running around cave country that I've dived with including a few that frequent this site.

The only advice I have is choose your instructors and buddies carefully and go SLOW. At one time it was mostly untrained divers getting hurt in caves. Now, I think the most deadly sin is going too far too fast. Learn the cave you're diving and the skills needed to dive it before trying to "eat up line". Learn to reference the cave and run line, as apposed to just mindlessly following it. Having the ability to do a slick job of running a line around the cavern is more likely to save your life than running out to buy a scooter so you can see the far reaches of the cave by following some one elses line FAST. Often the prettiest part of the cave is in or near the cavern/entrance and I've seen so many divers race right past it probably without really seeing or enjoying it. It's like fishing. The guys staying on the north side of the lake hop in their big fast boats and race to the south end of the lake to fish while the guy from the south end of the lake race to the north side to fish. LOL Some of my most enjoyable dives are cavern dives done with my son after the "real dive" is over. The guys who are hauling ten times the gear and going ten times as fast/far as you are aren't always having ten times the fun. They're just working ten times as hard and taking ten times the risk.

 

[Tamas]

Well said Mike.

 

[octgal]

i agree, thanks for that Mike. You are absolutely right, thats pretty much how i dive, dive smart, and dive safe and the main thing is to enjoy it!!! I like to moutain climb and i always enjoy it more when i stop and actually look around at the beautiful view along the way rather then race to the top like some people only to find themselves in a huge cloud! I'll take this all slow and do it one step at a time. The ones telling me cave diving is dangerous are the same divers that seem to hold something against technical divers too.

 

[Mark Vlahos]

Wow thanks for the info. I'll need more expierence for this one as the thought of have my mask and reg ripped out in a cave is a little scary! But thanks!!!!

Aw shucks, the mask being ripped away is the least of your worries. by the time the course is over you will be certain that the instructor is trying to kill you, but this is a good thing. You don't want the first time you are without a mask or lights to be in a real emergency situation. A hard instructor who is quite willing to fail you is what you need.

I did not mention any specifics about gear, and I probably should have, it will help you plan now and make some smarter purchases, (I hope).

Double Cylinders with an Isolation Manifold
Backplate and wing designed for double cylinders
Two first stage regulators
Two second stage regulators
Regulator hoses for "long hose" type of configuration
10 watt HID or equivalent canister primary light
Two backup lights LED or Incandescent
Two low volume masks
Primary Reel
Safety Reel
Backup Safety Reel or Spool
some Jump / Gap Reels, I have 3
WetNotes and or Forearm Slate with two pencils

The above list is just an introduction to the gear. It is also a good idea to have training in the use of NITROX, Advanced NITROX, and Decompression Diving.

Some or perhaps all of the gear may be available for rent, this will help to control expenses, but if you like the cave dining you will probably want to own it all. A dry suit is also worth considering, but the Florida caves can be dove wet, but a thick wetsuit is a good idea for the long bottom times involved. You could easily cross the $5000 US mark on gear.

Mark Vlahos

 

[Tamas]

...You could easily cross the $5000 US mark on gear...

and then some! I am past that already and have not even started my cave certs!

 

[Mark Vlahos]

and then some! I am past that already and have not even started my cave certs!

Yea, that's for sure. I was actually thinking about the pile of gear that you have on your back just before you get into the cave. Not any of the "wrong" purchases made along the way. Not the cost of any of the training, Not the costs of transportation or hotels.

Every time I add up the bottom line I think my wife is going to kill me.

Mark Vlahos

 

[octgal]

great thats encouraging lol...i try and not think about it.