Doing cave training in flordia and Mexico?

[Scuba Client]

I think doing the first half of cave training in Florida and the second half in Mexico has some advantages.

The first half of cave training is about learning how to handle a reel, tie into the line, perfecting techniques (buoyancy, kicks) and get in and out of the cave safely. You don't need to log 80 minute dives at this level, ~30-40 minute dives are more than ample to develop the skills necessary to progress, and you can easily do that while staying within NDL's even in our deeper systems. Florida will challenge your reel/line work due to the flow in ways you'll never get in Mexico, if you can learn to run a reel in Florida, you'll be good in most other places.

The second half of cave training is about perfecting your skills while adding navigation, complex gas planning, circuits and traverses. Longer bottom times at this level are really really important, so are opportunities to experience navigation. Mexico is the place for this.

Most cave instructors expect you to have perfected trim/buoyancy and fin technique before attempting the course. Novice divers can be discouraged if thrown in the deep end.

 

[Caveeagle]

Plenty of low/no flow caves in FL too, not everything's like Ginnie

haha.. what caves are you talking about ? Besides peacock, there are not very many that I would recommend to an intro level diver.

Re: training in FL...
I don’t hear anyone talking about being able to dive and find buddies and mentors outside of training. Spending 2-4 solid days of training with your instructor is great, but there is another dimension of the learning curve, where you actually go and execute your skills outside off the training environment.

I have dove with a few folks visiting FL, that had a few days to dive either before, after, or between training days. I find it a bit funny, when a recently minted full cave diver asked me to run the primary at Little River. .. I did it without complaint, just because I knew he would probably blow >300psi before tying into the gold line. Lol..

I guess, my point is... if you get all your training down in Mexico, you better zip up your man suit when you get to FL.. and if you are intimidated by running the primary at LR or Devils, then be prepared to buy the drinks afterwards.

 

[Manatee Diver]

Pretty much every dive was at about th4e 100 foot level. People have mentioned that because of the impact on dive time, but there is another impact. On dive after dive, while doing skills, I felt I was often embarrassingly stupid, even more so than normal.

Outside of running jump lines, and dumping stage bottles all the skills for my cave courses were done shallower. Which I am grateful for after reading your post.

 

[UCFKnightDiver]

haha.. what caves are you talking about ? Besides peacock, there are not very many that I would recommend to an intro level diver.

Peacock, Orange Grove, Hole in the Wall, Twin Caves, Buford, and Emerald to name a few. There's a ton more if an Intro to Cave Diver wants to be adventurous.