Cavern course?
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That's more of an issue of making sure instructors are stressing the differfence. Forcing people into single tanks seems dumb. I know when I was cavern certified I sure as hell wouldn't wander into the cave cause I was afraid my instructor would find out
MichaelMc
Working toward Cenotes
Fear of getting caught might not be the same as knowing better.
I think of it as not dressing people up in cool tactical gear and then telling them:
"Remember, you may be dressed like SEALS, but you're accountants playing paint ball at the mall. Don't go into any actual battles. But don't you look cool. Off you go with your new toys."
<next scene>
Billy Bob and Jane driving past the cave.
"Hey we have all the gear and they showed us how to use it.... It's not that complicated. They showed us. And we did good."
Not that a good cavern class is like playing dress up paint ball at the mall.
But I'm happy to hear if I'm off base on the reasons.
I took my Cavern in doubles. But, I also did Cavern/Intro through TDI.
Capt Jim Wyatt
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I was not involved in that particular standards change so I am only going to guess why the change was made.
If a diver just wants a "taste" of overhead s/he can enroll in the cavern course. They will learn the very basics such as reel running, gas management, more situational awareness etc. If that same person is interested in becoming cave certified they can enroll in the apprentice cave class and they take the cavern phase in double tanks.
It's simple: if an individual is going to be diving in twin cylinders in an overhead, we'd rather spend four full days with them and teach them some basic cave diving principles in the case that they are tempted to go beyond the cavern zone.
A single tank is pretty much self-limiting in terms of how far a person is going to penetrate, but twin cylinders may give them too much ambition.
"forcing a person into single tanks seems dumb" - no one is being forced into single tanks for their first cave course. Under the standards change, the first course in cave training IS Apprentice (basically "intro to cave" with other agencies) and that requires twin cylinders. Cavern is a recreational safety course that is geared towards OW divers.
Think Cave 1 / Cave 2. It's very similar in progression.
Fear of getting caught might not be the same as knowing better.
I think of it as not dressing people up in cool tactical gear and then telling them:
"Remember, you may be dressed like SEALS, but you're accountants playing paint ball at the mall. Don't go into any actual battles. But don't you look cool. Off you go with your new toys."
<next scene>
Billy Bob and Jane driving past the cave.
"Hey we have all the gear and they showed us how to use it.... It's not that complicated. They showed us. And we did good."
Not that a good cavern class is like playing dress up paint ball at the mall.
But I'm happy to hear if I'm off base on the reasons.
Great metaphor and you hit the nail on the head.
Given the fatality yesterday, the timing on the sarcasm may have missed the mark.
I was involved with those particular standards changes that got rid of doubles cavern and made the first step of cave training a four day program. For me, a big motivator was about increasing the contact time/hours with an instructor before giving someone a card that says they have completed the first step of cave training and could go into an overhead environment in twin cylinders.
I was involved with those particular standards changes that got rid of doubles cavern and made the first step of cave training a four day program. For me, a big motivator was about increasing the contact time/hours with an instructor before giving someone a card that says they have completed the first step of cave training and could go into an overhead environment in twin cylinders.
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