Cave Training - No Nearby Caves

[ccrprospect]

Hello,

So I have worked my way through open water tec training, and am now considering cave courses. Those photos are just so damn gorgeous and I also would like to enlarge my skillset.

I can certainly travel for my cave course(s), but…the nearest cave diving location is at least a 4 hour FLIGHT away. Even if I do manage to travel twice a year to cave dive, realistically, and given work/family commitments, at most I would only be doing 10-15 cave dives a year or so.

Interested to see if anyone here has been in similar shoes. Is it worth it to get cave training even if far away from a nearby “cave country” ? If yes, why? I don’t want to spend money, time, and effort on an endeavor that I can’t partake in often unless there are other, less obvious, benefits.

 

[PfcAJ]

4hr flight isn't so bad. Go a few times a year and enjoy it.

 

[J-Vo]

You won't be able to rack up a lot of dives as you would living next to a cave, but you can maintain skills in home waters enough to enjoy it when you get the chance. I did intro in 2019, and Full Cave in 2020. I've managed to rack up 55 cave dives outside of class as well, so it's not all bad.

I'm not sure where you are in Europe, but there is a lot of mine diving available around the continent as well. You may be surprised.

 

[Marie13]

Never mind.

 

[ccrprospect]

Nearest option (4 hour flight) are caves in France/Spain, so would be about same for mine diving in Europe

 

[RTodd]

Skills are the same once you have them. I usually only cave dive once a year. I often stay for a month but it still isn’t that many cave dives.

 

[kensuf]

Most of the people that I know that are cave divers don't live anywhere near caves.

 

[DogDiver]

If want to play with the big dogs, you have to first get off the front porch.

 

[tursiops]

Hello,

So I have worked my way through open water tec training, and am now considering cave courses. Those photos are just so damn gorgeous and I also would like to enlarge my skillset.

I can certainly travel for my cave course(s), but…the nearest cave diving location is at least a 4 hour FLIGHT away. Even if I do manage to travel twice a year to cave dive, realistically, and given work/family commitments, at most I would only be doing 10-15 cave dives a year or so.

Interested to see if anyone here has been in similar shoes. Is it worth it to get cave training even if far away from a nearby “cave country” ? If yes, why? I don’t want to spend money, time, and effort on an endeavor that I can’t partake in often unless there are other, less obvious, benefits.

I used to drive 12h each way to dive caves for 3 days, several times a year. I now have 144 post-training cave dives....but it was a lot of effort.
I gave up cave diving when I turned 80; I still miss it. The wife is now happier, so it is not all bad.

 

[Tribal]

Its a 10/11 hour drive to Lot, flying with all the gear isn’t fun, from belgium. You won’t do it often but the times you do is definitely worth it.
Many people you see there don’t life nearby but like mentioned above, there are mines all over Europe and you can practise in open water.