General Vortex Incident Discussion

[kathydee]

So here is a question for the masses...

This incident has opened the eyes of a lot of readers to the dangers and unforgiving nature of cave diving without proper training. Many of you are seeing for the first time some example of how badly things can quickly go wrong.

If this turns out to be a hoax, misunderstanding, whatever and it turns out for a fact that he is not in the cave after all, will that soften your perception?

Not sure if I'm the "masses" as I have had a little bit of experience in the cavern zone with proper training and our basic scuba training comes from caves. But I’m clear there is still plenty to be learned.

Even if the Ben Vortex “accident” is a Hoax and he's laughing at this thread from a Mx beach, I think the lessons and respect for caves learned in these Vortex threads are very valuable to me in a number of ways:

It’s quite clear in both attitude and action to see the difference in personal risk taking between these frighteningly untrained, undisciplined dare-devil recreational divers down for a cheap thrill (who somehow gain a sense of empowerment by feeling they know more than experienced cave divers and can cheat death), versus those of you who are trained to respect and thrive in the same environment. Thus, this thread discourages any slight urge to do anything in the caves without proper training, and builds even greater respect for potential hazards found in that enviroment.

The posts have helped build respect and confidence for my current skills and thus I think I'll feel more comfortable kicking past those signs into the cave zone with my instructor.

And has given me greater confidence and appreciation for my future cave instructor and choosen training path - by showing that the cave environment can be navigated much safer with proper training, and attitude.

Finally I have learned that Vortex is a really ugly cave (with all those lights, pipes and gate) that I never want to dive.

Thanks!

. the End

That’s sad. I really hope we don’t have to read an accident thread about Deepswim some day because he just didn’t get it...

 

[UCFKnightDiver]

To steer the conversation somewhat back on track, did we ever find out who his open water sidemount instructor was?

 

[rjack321]

A couple of posts in this thread allude to the heap of trouble the missing diver will be in , if he is found alive (including one of mine). Really, if he just took off, he really did not commit any crimes.

Some of his behavior suggests to me he might have been (or still be if he's alive) bipolar. He was a lousy cave diver, but he's still a human being and I do hope he comes back to his family. Just stay away from caves forevermore.

 

[Tortuga68]

It wasn't because you compared Sheck with the thread topic on hand?

You mean this?

It's still an interesting point... Anyone who has read Sheck Exley's Caverns Measureless To Man, would know that he was very lucky not to have died several times during his early diving career; if he had died earlier than he did, he would most likely have been written off on SB as a reckless idiot rather than a cave diving legend

/shrug

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

To steer the conversation somewhat back on track, did we ever find out who his open water sidemount instructor was?

Why does it matter?

You mean this?

Yep

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

To steer the conversation somewhat back on track, did we ever find out who his open water sidemount instructor was?

I never took a class on SM. What difference does it make?

 

[ucfdiver]

I never took a class on SM. What difference does it make?

My fear is that PADI is letting OW divers teach SM. Looking at this guy in the water, he has some issues, so it makes me wonder if perhaps the OW instructor wasn't experienced enough to be teaching SM (perhaps not a cave diver even?). Also with OW instructors having a history of diving in caves with over confidence, maybe this was pot teaching the kettle?

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I think this is a clear act of diving far outside of your training. PADI or not, non cave diving instructor or not.

The OW SM class doesn't teach any overhead training, nor does it certify the diver for overhead dives. This diver brought it upon himself to go in the cave, that doesn't fall on anyone else.

 

[Kevin Carlisle]

My fear is that PADI is letting OW divers teach SM. Looking at this guy in the water, he has some issues, so it makes me wonder if perhaps the OW instructor wasn't experienced enough to be teaching SM (perhaps not a cave diver even?). Also with OW instructors having a history of diving in caves with over confidence, maybe this was pot teaching the kettle?

Instructor or not, I don't see as a problem. Doesn't matter who your instructor is, you have to have good mentors after, which we know didn't happen here.

 

[ucfdiver]

I think this is a clear act of diving far outside of your training. PADI or not, non cave diving instructor or not.

The OW SM class doesn't teach any overhead training, nor does it certify the diver for overhead dives. This diver brought it upon himself to go in the cave, that doesn't fall on anyone else.

I'll agree with that, I've just seen a few sites use cave diving pictures to market the class (the one dude you jumped all over for having no experience and teaching it). So I can see where that would mislead a student, or give them too much confidence to push things. That one made me think of Alcohol companies showing teens drinking in ads with a warning sign saying it's illegal.