First dive at Ginnie Springs has me hooked...a few questions.

[Max Speed]

I am an open water diver.

I did a few dives last weekend at Ginnie and enjoyed myself enough to want to go back for cavern and cave diving training.

One question- If I take cavern and Intro Cave diving in one stint does that give me a certification to go beyond the light with a single tank/dual reg setup along main guidelines? In other words- with that certification level can I return to Ginnie and go beyond the scary Reaper signs within those limitations? Does that certification level have an expiration date?

I also noticed that when struggling against the flow to enter the Devil's Ear that my regulator apparently got fooled by the flow pressure into delivering more pressure than normal. Not quite a freeflow but close. Kind of a "puffy cheeks" feel. Is this normal or is this a flaw with my reg?

 

[ucfdiver]

One question- If I take cavern and Intro Cave diving in one stint does that give me a certification to go beyond the light with a single tank/dual reg setup along main guidelines? In other words- with that certification level can I return to Ginnie and go beyond the scary Reaper signs within those limitations? Does that certification level have an expiration date?

With cavern, you can go as far as you can see daylight, or something like 130ft (adding depth+penetration). With Intro, you can go 1/3 of a single (kinda silly to do caves in a single IMO) or 1/6ths of doubles, progressing as far as you can with those gas limits above 100ft depth and not straying from mainline.

I also noticed that when struggling against the flow to enter the Devil's Ear that my regulator apparently got fooled by the flow pressure into delivering more pressure than normal. Not quite a freeflow but close. Kind of a "puffy cheeks" feel. Is this normal or is this a flaw with my reg?

This is somewhat normal.

 

[PfcAJ]

Passing an Intro class certifies you to dive along the mainline and require you to turn around after breathing 1/6 of doubles or 1/3 of a single tank (with an H or Y valve, a practice which I don't support). Some intro cards do have an expiration date, its agency dependent.

Its normal for your reg to do that when entering at the Ear. The flow is pretty ridiculous there.

 

[Scott L]

Its normal for your reg to do that when entering at the Ear. The flow is pretty ridiculous there.

How is the ride back out?

 

[jesses]

How is the ride back out?

Most people exit through the EYE. Just gotta watch your head.

 

[PfcAJ]

How is the ride back out?

It gets sporty sometimes

 

[ucfdiver]

Most people exit through the EYE. Just gotta watch your head.

Can't do that in training tho (there's no line there)! :shocked2:

 

[PfcAJ]

Can't do that in training tho (there's no line there)! :shocked2:

Which is dumb, imo.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

You should research certification limits through the agency you'd like to be trained through, and there are plenty. NACD, NSS-CDS, GUE, NAUI, TDI, IANTD...any I forgot? I'm sure there are. The limits are often similar but sometimes different.

What I did when I was in your shoes, was to go to a local cave diving store and talk with the employees there to learn about the equipment and the good instructors. Helped me out a lot.

 

[ucfdiver]

Which is dumb, imo.

I just run one every time, no biggie, ya know?