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

[TSandM]

How is the ride back out?

Jim Wyatt gave me a great piece of advice before I dove Ginnie the first time. He said, "Make sure all the gas is out of your wing and suit, or the Devil will spit you in the river!" Jim was right!

To the OP-- if you want to stay in a single tank, I'd recommend just doing a cavern class. If you really get bit by the cave bug, go home and get into a set of doubles, and do an Intro to Tech, and come back and do Intro. It's really better to have redundancy in an overhead, plus, if you want to go on to Full Cave, you're going to have to have the doubles anyway.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

I don't believe any overhead diving should be done in a single tank, and I don't believe you need an intro to tech class to learn how to dive doubles. But that's just me, if you have the time and money then sure take intro to tech, and don't stop there. Plenty of excellent stuff to learn.

But as I said, I wouldn't even take cavern in a single tank. I just don't see the point, it's like riding a bicycle without a helmet, or driving without your seatbelt on. Why do it?

 

[KY_BOB]

Jim Wyatt gave me a great piece of advice before I dove Ginnie the first time. He said, "Make sure all the gas is out of your wing and suit, or the Devil will spit you in the river!" Jim was right!

That is a fact!

 

[fsa]

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.

I second this heartily. Best is to read about programs and talk to instructors and students until you find folks you feel best about, then work on understanding their process and agency guidelines/rules. Also the websites for NSS-CDS and NACD would probably be interesting reading if you have not already been there.

 

[Jbell8289]

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?

I know the feeling, i had heard abt cave diving when i was doing OW training but was like "ill never do that those guys are nuts" then my first trip inside the ginnie cavern had me hooked. Im trying to log a few more dives and finish getting all my own equipment then i plan on taking the cavern course as well. I hear Johnny Richards does a good class down there might be worth looking into.

 

[Jbell8289]

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cave-diving/332457-cavern-course-johnny-richards.html

you might find this an interesting read

 

[jesses]

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cave-diving/332457-cavern-course-johnny-richards.html

you might find this an interesting read

Me, as well as my buddy have done all our training through Johnny. DO IT

 

[KY_BOB]

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cave-diving/332457-cavern-course-johnny-richards.html

you might find this an interesting read

I read that thread completely before taking Johnny's class. My experience was 99% of what I had read. Good teacher, good class.

Read that thread and decide if you want to do the class. It's pretty much a blow by blow description of the class.

 

[Max Speed]

Thanks for all the good info. Found out that I can rent most of the gear required so classes are in my near future. Equipment (doubles) is in my future as well but will have to wait for the construction economy to pick up a bit!

The single tank with two regs for the Intro to Cave level is affordable but makes me a bit nervous unless a large pony is part of the package!

 

[BabyDuck]

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

sure you can. just go in there and put in your own!

and it's possible to really get hurt riding the flow out of the ear. wish it wasn't, because that would be really fun, but it is so don't do it.