This is one of the issues I have with those zero to hero cave courses. People don't learn how to actually cave dive until they're out of class for a while. In my opinion the proper way to do it is take the first part (whatever that's labeled based on your certifying org), then take those skills and go out and enjoy diving without someone up your rear about to give you drills. Learn how to read the cave, learn how to dive in a team, learn how to enjoy it, and just learn the intricacies of what you were taught in class. Then take the next course and keep building. I see so many people that take zero to hero courses that don't have a good grasp on basic skills because all of their experience is in class, and their post class learning curve is really steep. Good on you for having the skills to pass a zero to hero ccr cave course. Alot of people can't pass them. No offense to Joe and Dr. Ebersole, but the fact that instructors are willing to do zero to hero ccr cave courses scares the hell out of me. The practice should be banned by agencies in my opinion. I'm sure my comments are controversial, but I think alot of well respected cave divers will agree.
None of that is meant to detract from your accomplishment in class.
Reading this is looks like hroark is correct. I can't think of anyone that has an intro to cave CCR course.
CCR Cave Diver - NSS-CDS Training Program
The suggestion of taking intro to cave in OC and then doing Full Cave on CCR makes sense on paper and has benefits, but it seems counter-intuitive if all the other diving the person does is closed circuit. As the popularity of CCR continues to increase there will be more and more of these divers who have CCR experience and who wish to start cave diving. The best option is for the agencies to create a CCR diver program that mirrors their OC training progression.
To answer the original question. The optimal swim speed is 30-40ft a min. This is a steady, natural pace that allows most people to breathe normally and take in/admire the cave. 50ft a min swimming is manageable, but faster, and less enjoyable. Anything over 50ft a min is stupid....
You might go 50ft a min if you have a destination in mind and are skipping through the beginning parts of the cave you have seen before. There is a careful balance/trade off between faster penetration speed and a higher SAC rate. There is a level where your penetration distance will shorter than if you had maintained a slower pace.
In a high flow system where pull and glide is utilized, your penetration speed will be somewhere around 30-60ft a min. It depends on the hand holds, the type of relief that can be found in certain sections of cave, the amount of flow, etc. The faster pull and glide paces aren't nearly as taxing as the higher swim rates because you are only using the smaller muscles in our arms.
In Florida, you should be monitoring your penetration (and exit) speed by checking each distance marker and dive time on your computer. It keeps you mentally fit and aware of the dive, also lets you understand the systems and ways to plan more complex dive plans.
Missing the turn was a huge error. 100% agree. Pretty soon after we took the wrong turn we came up in Olson Sink and from there I recognized my way out. I knew we had screwed up but I also knew the right way to fix it was to continue on out the Olson tunnel and talk about it in the sunshine after we surfaced. Honestly I don’t think anyone would criticize that decision in good faith.
I wasn’t down last weekend but I definitely need to get down very soon. I really want to get down at least once a month if I can. I just need more CCR buddies!!
I think what you really want is more OC buddies at the intro/full cave level. You don't need to be doing longer, more complicated cave dives, you need to be doing simpler dives to gain more practical experience.
Regarding your swim from Olson to the exit, part of me things that was the right move--the fastest, most straight forward way to exit and you were on CCR. The other part of me thinks that a dive team of 3 swimming divers missed a clearly marked 'T'--- should visually jumping a blind traverse, no matter how certain, be anywhere in the cards right now?
