Full cave and Nitrox?

[JT2]

MechDiver once bubbled
I suppose cutting the other 3 lines to get them out of your way is not an option huh

Yeah, and you are probably not allowed to fight back when the instructor attacks you either, what a bummer!

 

[The Pirate]

From a non-cave diver. In reading another thread, a full cave certified diver was talking about taking an advanced nitrox class. As I would equate cave, and more so, full cave divers to be doing fairly deep, long exposure dives, I was surprised that adv nitrox style deco (50%) would not be required before the full cave. Seems like the cart before the horse thing?
Just curious how this is setup I guess. Phil

Most cave training dives in Florida are done at depths less than 100' and the exposures will most likely not exceed 45 - 60 minutes each. By the time you get back to the cavern zone you most likely won't have any deco obligation. Nitrox , much less advanced nitrox, is not required for cave training as the dives are usually designed to be no deco dives.

The Pirate

 

[roakey]

In my full cave class we always used Nitrox, typically 32-34% for the first dive and then, if we were at Ginnie, got air blown on top for the second dive (in Lauraville we’d fill with Rennaker’s banked Nitrox, 34% I think). Because I already had an advanced Nitrox certification, we used O2 for deco, but followed the deco on our computers (gasp! Sorry UP ) as if we were decoing on our back gas for an added margin of safety.

We’d go by whoever’s computer was more conservative, which was my instructors for the deep stops (my computer hasn’t the foggiest idea about deep stops) and then mine for the shallow stops.

At Ginnie the deep stops always were at the Lips and at the bottom of the Ear. Then we’d hang out on the log with O2 and let mine clear. Froze once when there was a lot of river intrusion. It was pointed out to me that this is why the divers racking up a lot of deco use the Eye rather than the Ear, it can be significantly warmer.

Roak

 

[chickdiver]

Nah- We deco out the Eye becuase you don't have to dela with all that flow blowing you around, and you can wedge up in the ceiling and inslate the crap outta your drysuit and get all comfy.

 

[MechDiver]

chickdiver once bubbled...
Nah- We deco out the Eye becuase you don't have to dela with all that flow blowing you around, and you can wedge up in the ceiling and inslate the crap outta your drysuit and get all comfy.

Wow. Look at that buoyancy control

ROFL. I'm sorry, that picture is just too good =-)

Phil

 

[chickdiver]

I know it sounds funny, but 99% of the time we are decoing in the cavern, so.... Rather than floating around neutrally bouyant, most cave divers do inflate the drysuits to stay warm and wedge up on the ceiling. I have a friend who is an accomplished wreck diver who took Cave 1 a while back, her instructor fussed at her for doing deco neutrally bouyant, go figure....

 

[Rush]

When I took IANTD Technical Cave Diver, it was my understanding that you could get certified as an Air Cave Diver. For the specifics, check this link: www.iantd.com/standards/2001/TechDiver.htm

 

[MechDiver]

It sounds very reasonable in those circumstances. Just with all the talk about buoyancy control, trim, horizontal deco, it just struck me as exceedingly funny to picture these overinflated blobs pushed up against the ceiling blowing bubbles.

Not that you're a blob, mind you. (I haven't forgotten the lighter fluid/match thing)

Phil

 

[chickdiver]

well, at least we are horizontal blobs on the ceiling! ut:

 

[The Pirate]

It sounds very reasonable in those circumstances. Just with all the talk about buoyancy control, trim, horizontal deco, it just struck me as exceedingly funny to picture these overinflated blobs pushed up against the ceiling blowing bubbles.

Like a bunch of puffer fish. Actually if its been a long dive with a significant deco obligation, a good place to puff up on the ceiling is a must to stay warm, since for the most part there is very little movement to help keep warm.

The Pirate