First Dive Trip Without Instructor - Need to Rent Gear & Help Planning

[boulderjohn]

Not being cavern certified, I have no knowledge of Jackson Blue, but from what others have posted it sounds like that's a good place for one's first cavern dives.

For those who have not done Jackson Blue when the flow is at normal strength, not only can you not silt the cavern out, in much (not all) of it you can use an exit strategy not taught in cavern classes--close your eyes and hover. You'll be out in no time. You may have bounced off a few rocks on the way, but you will be out. The hard part is staying in for the safety stop. You have to know where to hide.

 

[TMHeimer]

Why does it seem people are saying "you don't need nitrox, it's not that deep" when nitrox isn't for "going deep" but for spending more time underwater? Why would anyone not want to dive nitrox so long as they will not exceed its max depth?

Maybe because it costs more than double the cost of Air?
As for Morrison, remember, someone stole that sign in about 2008, so beware of alligators.

 

[boulderjohn]

Maybe because it costs more than double the cost of Air?

Which is in itself ridiculous.

There is almost no shop in our area that sells nitrox, because we have precious few places where it is useful. As someone who does need to use it, I have to make my own. I have to got to a welding shop, rent tanks of oxygen, and make my fills with my own equipment. A local shop has me fill their nitrox tanks for them when I do. I charge them roughly $3/tank for the O2, and they top it off with their compressor. (I use aviator oxygen, not welding oxygen.)

 

[DogDiver]

what's your objection to NAUI's overhead training that you don't have with GUE? NAUI copied GUE's program almost to the T...

Yup, you got it.

 

[Pullnglide]

I could be wrong but I think I saw something a couple months ago that looked as though PADI is going to start a cave program again. I know there are a couple PADI Cave Instructors still out there, maybe they can chime in. I can’t remember exactly where I saw it and I could be mistaken.

 

[Caveeagle]

I could be wrong but I think I saw something a couple months ago that looked as though PADI is going to start a cave program again. I know there are a couple PADI Cave Instructors still out there, maybe they can chime in. I can’t remember exactly where I saw it and I could be mistaken.

Not a lot of respect for the P*D*I cavern or wreck cert that's been around for a while. That's gong to be a pretty tough sell for one of the few diving certs where the card (and training) does really gain you access to dive spots.

I think You might get more mileage from a YMCA cave card.

 

[boulderjohn]

PADI has had a cave diver program for about 7 years now. It's requirements are about the same as the requirements for NSS-CDS. In fact, the training director for NSS-CDS was one of its creators. All of the people I know who are certified to teach it are also cave instructors--well known cave instructors--for other agencies as well.

 

[tursiops]

PADI has had a cave diver program for about 7 years now. It's requirements are about the same as the requirements for NSS-CDS. In fact, the training director for NSS-CDS was one of its creators. All of the people I know who are certified to teach it are also cave instructors--well known cave instructors--for other agencies as well.

Cave instructor for some other agency is a prereq to get the PADI Cave Specialty instructor card.

 

[CavernFrog]

Back from my trip. Had a great time at both Vortex and Jackson Blue. Awesome experience meeting Edd and Jay down at Cave Adventurers. Can't wait to go back ASAP. Definitely will be pursuing more training at some point. For now I would like to get more diving experience practicing my buoyancy, propulsion, trim, etc...

 

[Colliam7]

Back from my trip. Had a great time at both Vortex and Jackson Blue. Awesome experience meeting Edd and Jay down at Cave Adventurers. Can't wait to go back ASAP. Definitely will be pursuing more training at some point. For now I would like to get more diving experience practicing my buoyancy, propulsion, trim, etc...

Great follow-up! Thanks for posting.