A little background will help.
Most people look at me and figure I can’t swim fast or keep up with the group. I’m working on losing some of the gut, but most peoples first impression is that they’ll be waiting for me. my CCR Cave instructor thought that when we first met.
Day 2 of the course and I got yelled at for swimming too fast. Oops. I thought I was just going at a normal pace, but everyone else was having a hard time keeping up. 2 others in the group told me they could not catch me if they tried. It was explained to me why it was bad to out swim everyone else...I totally get that theory! The next dive I led I did slow down but then the next day in Little River I pretty much left them in the dust (inadvertently!!). Another stern talking to and the threat of multiple out of air/lost line/lost diver drills if I didn’t slow the hell down. On the last dive in Little River I was much slower, everyone was happy and smiled, no more threats of nasty drills!! To be honest it was a much more fun dive that way.
My instructor commented that he thought I was going to be the weak link on swimming and was shocked that I was as strong a swimmer. I guess my joke about having a swimmers body (Orcas are fat!!) was accurate. One thing he kept telling me that I really did not understand was “slow down and enjoy the cave!!” Wait...enjoy the cave?? I’m one step short of terrified and you want me to enjoy the cave???
On my first dives after class I was with 2 OC divers at Peacock. The lead guy told me his instructor said he dives at a snails pace, so I was ok taking up the #3 spot in the team. We did Peanut Tunnel > Peanut Restriction > Olson Sink > Olson Line on the dive. We had intended to go to Orange Grove but we took a wrong turn. I had thought things were starting to look really familiar since I had done the Olson side a number of times in my class, and after the sink I knew exactly where I was.
Those guys were FLYING through the cave. I almost had a hard time keeping up. Then I got it. I didn’t enjoy that cave at all! He told me his instructor kept telling him he was too slow and he needed to speed up. I was definitely confused!
So what’s the right answer? Slow down and enjoy the cave? Or speed up and get farther? I’ve watched hundreds of videos on YouTube (I know, not always the best source) and I’ve never seen anyone flying through like that. I understand if you NEED to get out, and you pick up the pace to deal with an OOA diver or dead rebreather. But just speeding through to say you made it the whole way just seemed silly.
Most people look at me and figure I can’t swim fast or keep up with the group. I’m working on losing some of the gut, but most peoples first impression is that they’ll be waiting for me. my CCR Cave instructor thought that when we first met.
Day 2 of the course and I got yelled at for swimming too fast. Oops. I thought I was just going at a normal pace, but everyone else was having a hard time keeping up. 2 others in the group told me they could not catch me if they tried. It was explained to me why it was bad to out swim everyone else...I totally get that theory! The next dive I led I did slow down but then the next day in Little River I pretty much left them in the dust (inadvertently!!). Another stern talking to and the threat of multiple out of air/lost line/lost diver drills if I didn’t slow the hell down. On the last dive in Little River I was much slower, everyone was happy and smiled, no more threats of nasty drills!! To be honest it was a much more fun dive that way.
My instructor commented that he thought I was going to be the weak link on swimming and was shocked that I was as strong a swimmer. I guess my joke about having a swimmers body (Orcas are fat!!) was accurate. One thing he kept telling me that I really did not understand was “slow down and enjoy the cave!!” Wait...enjoy the cave?? I’m one step short of terrified and you want me to enjoy the cave???
On my first dives after class I was with 2 OC divers at Peacock. The lead guy told me his instructor said he dives at a snails pace, so I was ok taking up the #3 spot in the team. We did Peanut Tunnel > Peanut Restriction > Olson Sink > Olson Line on the dive. We had intended to go to Orange Grove but we took a wrong turn. I had thought things were starting to look really familiar since I had done the Olson side a number of times in my class, and after the sink I knew exactly where I was.
Those guys were FLYING through the cave. I almost had a hard time keeping up. Then I got it. I didn’t enjoy that cave at all! He told me his instructor kept telling him he was too slow and he needed to speed up. I was definitely confused!
So what’s the right answer? Slow down and enjoy the cave? Or speed up and get farther? I’ve watched hundreds of videos on YouTube (I know, not always the best source) and I’ve never seen anyone flying through like that. I understand if you NEED to get out, and you pick up the pace to deal with an OOA diver or dead rebreather. But just speeding through to say you made it the whole way just seemed silly.