Cave training with Harry Averill? Experiences?

[MarineResearch]

The teamwork being taught in these courses is simply world class, glad to know everything is being addressed.

The statement was not made relative to teamwork, but a frank discussion of how to deal with an unresponsive, non-breathing diver when you are too far from the entrance to even reasonably rescue a diver. If I had a medical incident and stopped breathing 1,000 feet back in a cave, the last thing I want my buddy to do is try and haul me out of the cave to "save" me; only to die trying. At best, I'm brain dead, but more likely just plain dead. I think this is a reasonable discussion to have amongst cave divers, whether students or fully certified, especially when the parties involved were all older than 50.

 

[ucfdiver]

The statement was not made relative to teamwork

clearly.

1000ft back in a cave isn't that far...AT ALL. It's completely reasonable to tow a disabled diver unless your gas plan is razor thin. Once breathing stops, OK, by all means come back later, but until then I'd expect buddy to be towing the disabled team member, even an unconscious buddy.

 

[rjack321]

clearly.

1000ft back in a cave isn't that far...AT ALL. It's completely reasonable to tow a disabled diver unless your gas plan is razor thin. Once breathing stops, OK, by all means come back later, but until then I'd expect buddy to be towing the disabled team member, even an unconscious buddy.

Agree 1,000ft is definitely a do-able tow.

To clarify my earlier comments, for me diabetes is a complete contra-indication for overhead diving. Any instructor with diabetes should not be instructing in an overhead and diabetic students should not be allowed either.

 

[TSandM]

Has it occurred to anyone that we have absolutely no credible information that this particular instructor is, in fact, a diabetic, and that it may well be slander (and is at the very least extremely unfair) to continue to discuss this as fact when it may not be?
.
As a physician, I am not at all sure that all diabetes is a complete contraindication to overhead diving, or perhaps even to teaching. Diabetes is a disease with a very wide spectrum of manifestations, ranging from mild blood sugar elevations to life-threatening ketoacidosis. Anyone with a history of significant hypoglycemia or whose glycemic control is brittle shouldn't be diving, period, let alone in an overhead. But there are a lot of folks with mild glucose elevations who are on mild medications like metformin, and probably don't present any greater risk underwater than the average, overweight smoker in his 50's (which matches a lot of the folks I saw cave diving in Florida!)

BTW, I agree with Harry -- unresponsive and not breathing in a cave? I park you for the recovery divers. Breathing is a whole different story.

 

[LiteHedded]

Has it occurred to anyone that we have absolutely no credible information that this particular instructor is, in fact, a diabetic, and that it may well be slander (and is at the very least extremely unfair) to continue to discuss this as fact when it may not be?
.
As a physician, I am not at all sure that all diabetes is a complete contraindication to overhead diving, or perhaps even to teaching. Diabetes is a disease with a very wide spectrum of manifestations, ranging from mild blood sugar elevations to life-threatening ketoacidosis. Anyone with a history of significant hypoglycemia or whose glycemic control is brittle shouldn't be diving, period, let alone in an overhead. But there are a lot of folks with mild glucose elevations who are on mild medications like metformin, and probably don't present any greater risk underwater than the average, overweight smoker in his 50's (which matches a lot of the folks I saw cave diving in Florida!)

BTW, I agree with Harry -- unresponsive and not breathing in a cave? I park you for the recovery divers. Breathing is a whole different story.

me too. I'm not towing my dead friend out of a cave for a thousand feet

 

[PfcAJ]

me too. I'm not towing my dead friend out of a cave for a thousand feet

Thanks bro...

 

[LiteHedded]

no problem man. I will tow out your scooters, lights and bolt snaps though.

 

[rjack321]

no problem man. I will tow out your scooters, lights and bolt snaps though.

Tanks? Suit? suit is not going to stay wearable for long.

 

[MarineResearch]

clearly.

1000ft back in a cave isn't that far...AT ALL. It's completely reasonable to tow a disabled diver unless your gas plan is razor thin. Once breathing stops, OK, by all means come back later, but until then I'd expect buddy to be towing the disabled team member, even an unconscious buddy.

The context of the statement had nothing to do with a "disabled" diver. I would gladly tow my buddy, or even a complete stranger, if they were merely disabled but still breathing. Once the breathing stops, and efforts at restarting breathing fail, it's a body recovery.

However, it is a great opportunity to take their stuff before LiteHedded gets there.

 

[LiteHedded]

his suit doesn't fit me.

btw I wouldn't want my buddy bothering towing me out either.