Cave Training

[tdrake75]

My daughter is dive master and IDC, I am a master scuba diver. We are looking to do cave training, we have both done the PADI speciality for side mount. Looking in either Florida or Telum. Love to hear some suggestions on what organization? what dive shop? and what instructor you all love?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Mobulai]

My daughter is dive master and IDC, I am a master scuba diver. We are looking to do cave training

I hope to be saying this sentence in 15 years (mine is 3yo )

Florida or Telum

big difference in the dive conditions, one for Alu warm and shallow (mostly) and one for steel cold (and deeper) — not that I dove in either (or any cave for that matter)
You’ll have to start with Cavern courses 1st; would be good also to get familiar before hand with stage(3rd tank) handling and deco procedures (or even trimix) depending on the types of caves you have in mind

 

[VikingDives]

My daughter is dive master and IDC, I am a master scuba diver. We are looking to do cave training, we have both done the PADI speciality for side mount. Looking in either Florida or Telum. Love to hear some suggestions on what organization? what dive shop? and what instructor you all love?

Thanks in advance!

I'm a fan of the folks at Under the Jungle. I've worked and/or trained with all of them. Mexico has prettier caves, and there are a bunch of high-quality instructors down there. Pricewise, it's generally more affordable when you factor in housing and flights.

In general, I'd say there are some philosophical and equipment differences between the two (fl and mx). I don't have a ton of experience in Florida, but overall it seemed like there was more of a creative approach to doing thing (configuring equipment and hose routing in sidemount come to mind). Mexico errs toward more uniform, team-diving approach.

In Mexico, you'll likely learn on aluminum tanks, which require more attention during a dive to keep trimmed. While that's a bit more work, it's easier to go from AL to steel, than vice versa.

 

[Mobulai]

I'm a fan of the folks at Under the Jungle.

VRC is a world class dude, I hear a ton of great things— someday when I make it to MX I hope to train with ‘em

 

[VikingDives]

VRC is a world class dude, I hear a ton of great things— someday when I make it to MX I hope to train with ‘em

Yes he is. I did Sidemount, Intro to Tech, some of AN/DP and Intro with him. He's a fantastic instructor. I've worked with everyone in that shop and they are all world class. I'm going to be working out their shop next month with one of my students who wants to train in warm water, then I'm going to do some cave training with Nat. You can't go wrong spending money there - I'd say in the years I've worked with them, they've 10x'ed my knowledge.

 

[Bowers]

Florida has more flow to learn to manage. I’ve had students use al80’s in florida but lp steel tanks and drysuits are more common since water temps are around 70 F and depths average 60’-110’. Not sure where you are located but it may work for you to do a cavern class at the closer location then do more cave training at the location of choice once you have a better idea of what will be involved.

 

[Manatee Diver]

I don't have a ton of experience in Florida, but overall it seemed like there was more of a creative approach to doing thing (configuring equipment and hose routing in sidemount come to mind). Mexico errs toward more uniform, team-diving approach.

LOL that is how Florida describes Mexico, a bunch of cowboys doing whatever they want.

Florida is pretty uniform until it comes to CCR. Florida does have a slightly larger solo diver population as a significant portion of the population is local, but it is still like 80% team diving.

 

[VikingDives]

LOL that is how Florida describes Mexico, a bunch of cowboys doing whatever they want.

Florida is pretty uniform until it comes to CCR. Florida does have a slightly larger solo diver population as a significant portion of the population is local, but it is still like 80% team diving.

Yeah, I should have caveated it with "I don't have a ton of experience in Florida, and there are a bunch of good instructors there too..."

I tried not to let my subpar experiences in Florida cloud my comments. It really does all come down to the instructor. I've seen some crazy sh!t in both places.

 

[boulderjohn]

I have no quarrel with anything anyone has said so far.

The differences are surprisingly significant because of the water temperature, flow, common depths, and cave structures. I think you really need to use a drysuit in Florida, and if you decide to do that, you should be an experienced drysuit diver when you start the class. If I were to start all over again as a sidemount diver (I first learned backmount), I would start in Mexico, get comfortable with that, and then take additonial training in Forida.

 

[tdrake75]

VRC is a world class dude, I hear a ton of great things— someday when I make it to MX I hope to train with ‘em

Sorry, who is VRC? Where does he train?