Cave practice, why it's needed

[Wendy]

I have an al backplate and faber double 85's and I don't need any weight. I guess its just a benefit of being a girl being able to have little tanks, good breathing rate, and no weight.

 

[ScubaSteveC]

Around here (diving in Missouri) the water temp is around 52 degrees, which requires (for me at least) a drysuit. I have never dove in Florida, but I've heard that its much warmer.

Steve

 

[VTWarrenG]

ScubaSteve,

Of course, if you're doing a cave penetration, you won't be carrying a primary reel unless you're the reel man -- and if you are the reel man, your reel will be in your hand. This much is, I believe, self-evident.

However, on wrecks or other non-cave dives, you'll often have to carry the reel around a good bit before deploying it.

I'm aware that this is the Cave forum, though.

- Warren

 

[ScubaSteveC]

I was answering based on cave diving. We don't see many wrecks (or much of anything) in the lakes around here.

Steve

 

[D.I.R.Lizard]

Campana~
Well you realized you were wrong in where you clipped the reel. Now do you realize maybe you should not have been trying to carry reels(especially when unneeded). When you were trying out new doubles and drysuit. You need to be comfortable in your gear before you start adding other items. That you are not quite ready to be so task loaded is apparent by the fact you are bouncing off the bottom of the mudhole you were diving in. I only hope your bouncing buddy is not the same Mike who you said was your Cave Instructer. Scary!

 

[Campana]

That was a little irritating. The spirit of my post was to point out why practice is needed. I was deliberately exposing mistakes that I made. Perhaps I overstated how klutzy I was being, it wasn't that bad. I hope that everyone realized that I was being self critical. Self critical means I get to critisize myself, and am willing to do that. I didn't ask for help in critisizing myself. If I want help, I'll ask for it. Suggestions are of course welcome.

And no, it wasn't "scary". And no, the Mike in the story is not my instructor. I've had some bad dives with my instructor, too, I've been a klutz in an actual cave, too. And I have made some mistakes there too.

But, uh, I don't think I'll tell you about those.

 

[Campana]

I've gotten several dives in with the doubles, and that is going much better. I've got my FredT heavy plate with a P weight and don't need any ditchable weight any more. I've breathed the doubles down pretty low and still am slightly negative without a light or any reels, argon bottle, or other equipment and with very little air in my drysuit. I can walk around with the tanks and feel strong enough to carry them fairly easily. Bouancy is good/trim is good. I feel like I'm ready to do a short cave dive with them and my light. Did some practice with my instructor dropping and picking up stages and that went well too.

I've got the manifold that I'll be using with my 104's or 120's when I get them in a couple of weeks.. I intend to make several trips to the Scubapark with them before I venture into any overheads.

Hopefully, both sets of doubles will be ready to go to Florida with me at the end of April. We'll be doing some slow, short, easy dives there for practice with two teams, and my skills will continue to improve, if the Lord's willing and the Creek don't rise.

Heading out this weekend for a couple of practice dives at the Scubapark.

Will keep everyone posted if there's any interest.