karstdvr:Good points,and I agree the internet can be an asset. Unfortunately I think one avails itself more than another now a days,and less of a balance as we'd like to see.
The one beneficial thing about having a mentor that has a lot of experience is that you are given feedback one place the internet is not capable of going,in the cave itself. Mentorship can be done directly ie light signal because trim is causing silting or vicarious means ie I see the mentor go to a modified flutter when I enter a fissure type tunnel,then I do it to.
It would be hypocritical for me to call the internet bad as far as a source of advice,because I use it myself,but I think Jim Wyatt's analogy is good,and shows we should apply "caveat emptor" to the things we read.
Happy 4th of July, Kelly!!
It'll be interesting to see what kind of reaction I hear from people about "A Local Viewpoint" in the upcoming NACD Journal, as it's basically about the internet and cave diving!
I'm pretty new to "Scubaboard" but I must say I think that internet advice is far better given at the recreational level than at the technical level of diving where the newbie technical diver seems to have an opinion about everything!
...only an hour and a quarter 'til I get to go cave diving....
Safe diving,
Rich