Cave diving lessons

[dutchpickle]

I was thinking about taking cave diving lessons in central Florida but am quite frankly scared.

I've been reading here about divers hogging up the cave entrance and not letting you out, instructors screaming at you for cocking up, people ripping up your logbook, runaway scooter drivers conking you in the head and all sorts of wierd ****e.

Would I be better off taking my lessons in England?

 

[daniel f aleman]

Yes. England.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Not sure where you read all of that stuff. While there are some issues that may occur from time to time, it's nothing like you describe and not very common at all. I trained and have done all of my cave diving in N. Florida and have yet to come across anything like that. I'm sure there's cave training in England, but can't comment on it as I don't know anything about it. I do know the caves in England are much different than what you'll find in N. Florida or Mexico. If you plan on diving those caves on a regular basis, then get your training there. Otherwise train where you plan to dive.

 

[JimC]

I'll second the notion.

If you are going to cave dive in England, get your cave training there.

 

[karstdvr]

I agree with statement of train where you plan on diving. Although the one advantage with cave diving training in England with CDG, versus US/Mexico, is that you will become a caver as well. This sound stupid,but most cave divers in North America don't have any caving skills,because they are divers first and cavers later.
Looking at your web site,you might consider Australia,and training with the CDAA.

 

[Meng_Tze]

I was thinking about taking cave diving lessons in central Florida but am quite frankly scared.

I've been reading here about divers hogging up the cave entrance and not letting you out, instructors screaming at you for cocking up, people ripping up your logbook, runaway scooter drivers conking you in the head and all sorts of wierd ****e.

Would I be better off taking my lessons in England?

Not that I have seen/experienced. Also bear in mind that most stuff on the internet should be taken with a grain of salt....

 

[in_cavediver]

If it helps, I've been diving caves for the last 5 years every chance I can get to go south. So far, no instructors have berated me publicly or privately. I've never been blocked into a cave by other divers (and if I was, lead with the tanks, divers are softer than steel!). Never been hit in the noggin with a scooter. Haven't had my logbook defaced, well except for a few buddies signatures but hey. I have had the privledge to dive with a few gators though.

Oh, and watch out for the divers with the knifes. The love to slash long hoses.....

 

[dutchpickle]

...posted after reading Brucies entertaining account of a rough week in Florida. sorry, it just left me in stitches

Florida is the only option for me and I really would like to dive the Cenotes some day.

 

[H2Andy]

hmm... the reports you post are wildly exagerated

two great instructors i can recommend are Rick Murcar and Johnny Richards

contact either one if you want Class A training

on the other hand, there's a lot to be said for training where you are going to be diving

 

[do it easy]

I have heard of an instructor blocking the entrance to a spring... The divers were trying to enter without a reel and he wouldn't let them IN.