If you could get certified anywhere....

[LoneWolf]

Hello everyone. I am AOW certified and I hope to have enough diving experience by this time next year to take up cave diving. When I do get certified I want to take the full course all the way through to get my full cave diving certification. I will take enough leave to have time to do this (I'm in the military). My question is, if you could go anywhere for your certification, where would you go? I am hoping to get some ideas for some cave diving schools to look into. If it is in the United States, even better. Thank you.

 

[H2Andy]

i would recommend ginnie springs, florida:

http://www.ginniespringsoutdoors.com/

also, you may want to consider doing cavern/intro to cave together, then dive for a while, then go on to full cave after you've had a chance to hone your skills.

however, i'll defer to the experienced cave divers on that.

 

[jonnythan]

I'd get certified in Lake George, NY. It would make me appreciate every other dive site in existence.

Oh wait, I did.

 

[LUBOLD8431]

Well, if you are asking where to go to get cave certified, I would say Mexico. Its warmer, more decoration, and less weather issues. BTW, I am not speaking from experience in this, but did the same research for my own yet to be completed cave class, and thats what I was told.

 

[H2Andy]

I'd get certified in Lake George, NY.

ah... might be my silly prejudice, but don't you need a cave to
get cave certified?

 

[jonnythan]

ah... might be my silly prejudice, but don't you need a cave to
get cave certified?

What, do you expect me to read the post or something? Isn't that why there are subjects?

 

[loosebits]

I just finished my intro in FL. Higher flow caves, not much silt. I'll probably do my full cave in Mexico where the conditions are reversed, little to no flow and quite a bit of silt.

I'll probably want about 20 more dives at the intro level before advancing any further. I'm sure I have more lessons to learn on my own before I'm ready for any more instruction.

 

[ElectricZombie]

I plan on doing mine in Florida with GUE because it's somewhat close and the training is top notch.

 

[LoneWolf]

Right now I actually live in Mexico City. I am a military diplomat at the US Embassy. While I am already in Mexico, Mexico City is still a decent trip to any good diving. I do speak Spanish, however with something as POTENTIALLY hazardous as cave diving I would like to have an English speaking instructor. To those of you recommending Mexico, any English speaking schools?

 

[H2Andy]

"Always dive with a buddy - it reduces your chance of being attacked by a shark by 50%"

you can easily bring this to 100% by taking matters into your own hands (or dive knife)