Looking for a Cave Instructor

[DiveMonkeys]

If Johnny isn't available for you, be sure to check with Rick Murcar of Genesis Diving Institute. You can Google Genesis Diving or check out the NACD website.

Rick will help you out with gear and helping to decide what you need to buy at the different levels of training. Four of us went to Florida from California and trained with him. Great experience, highly recommend it. We completed up to Intro renting gear from him. Then the four of us went home, bought all our gear, and practiced our skills. We completed the course a few months later. Since there were four of us it took two weeks in Florida. So we split it up Spring and Fall.

Rick showed us the ropes for Florida diving--getting airfills, multiple dive locations, and basically changed our lives. My wife and I are in Florida right now--been here for the past month--checking out caves and sharpening our skills.

Whatever you do be sure to have a blast...and expect to want to go to Florida a lot.

 

[H2Andy]

be sure to check with Rick Murcar of Genesis Diving Institute.

i second that. Rick's a great guy and a great instructor, and you'll learn a lot.

i've taken various classes with him, but never cavern or cave. nevertheless, he's
awesome. you can't go wrong with Rick.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

NACD Instructor List is here

 

[mart1]

I would recommend Mexico.
1) You will get much more bottom time, owing to the shallow caves
2) You will get much better in bouyancy, high flow is not good trining for this
3) It is possible to do cavern-full cave there, most instructors have no problem with this. Because you can start cavern training in doubles, you have much more time to get used (by the way how did you manage to get trimix trained without using doubles?)
4) systems are much more complicated in Mexico, good for your training
5) most instructors in Mexico will include all equipment you don't own in the course price

Instructors I would recommend:
- Kate Lewis
- Robbie Schnittner (if you can get him away from exploring!)
- Bill Philips (same story as Robbie)
- Danny Riordan (if you want GUE training)
But I am sure Protec is fine too, as are many others. These are just my personal favorites.

mart

 

[BabyDuck]

well, i'll put in a plug for mike o'leary - http://cavediving.org

super-nice guy and good instructor. peacock is low-flow (which i actually like - more penetration), but little river, manatee, and ginnie are nearby if you want a little more excitement in your life.

 

[furore]

Instructors I would recommend:
- Kate Lewis
- Robbie Schnittner (if you can get him away from exploring!)
- Bill Philips (same story as Robbie)
- Danny Riordan (if you want GUE training)
But I am sure Protec is fine too, as are many others. These are just my personal favorites.

mart

Any idea how I get in touch with them?

 

[MikeFerrara]

I don't have any experience in Mexico but...

I would recommend Mexico.
1) You will get much more bottom time, owing to the shallow caves

There are plenty of dives in florida shallow enough to get in some pretty long dives. In addition depending on the instructor and dives chosen, the student may get some experience planning and doing a bit of decompression in a cave as well...which is, in general, a part of cave diving

2) You will get much better in bouyancy, high flow is not good trining for this

While cave training may challenge the buiyancy control and trim of any student, in a cave isn't the place to learn buoyancy control. Still, there are plenty of dives in florida that will put the student through some low areas (not restrictions) with silty bottoms with the floor doing some tricky ups and downs. The students buoyancy control and trim will get plenty of excersize.

While some high flow caves may require pull yourself along and not be much proof of buoyancy control and trim, flow is a part of cave diving that a student should probably experience. Learning to reading the cave and the flow, choosing your path and the propulsion techniques used are all part of being a cave diver. Caves like JB or little River when they're blowing is indeed something to experience.

3) It is possible to do cavern-full cave there, most instructors have no problem with this. Because you can start cavern training in doubles, you have much more time to get used (by the way how did you manage to get trimix trained without using doubles?)

There are plenty of instructors in Florida who will do cavern through full in a single shot starting the student out in doubles. Whether or not one thinks it's a good idea is another matter.

4) systems are much more complicated in Mexico, good for your training

Cave training requires the student to learn jumps, circuits and traverses. I don't know how complicated you want a cave to be for a diver first learning but there are, without a doubt, florida caves of sufficient complexity to give a students navigation abilities a work out.

mart

I don't know that I have anything against training in Mexico but I think a student may, from what I've heard, get a more rounded experience in Florida. Additionally, many US divers are likely to do most of their cave diving in Florida...or even Missouri.

 

[TSandM]

Since I've been going through the same analysis, I'll offer what I came up with for comment . . . I decided that going to Mexico for my initial training made sense to me precisely BECAUSE I wouldn't have to deal with decompression or high flow. I could get used to the overhead environment and the techniques specific to it in a somewhat less challenging milieu. This would give me a chance to decide if I like this as much as I think I'm going to, and my instructor a chance to find out if I'm actually one of that small percentage of people who make good cave divers. (Besides, the Mexican caves are so beautiful -- this was what hooked me on the idea to begin with.)

If the first course goes well, and I can get some trips in to practice (Mexico is no further than Florida for me!) then I would think it would be wise to do the next level of class in Florida, for the additional experience with flow, and decompression. And I might well take local classes to introduce the decompression ideas and procedures outside of the overhead. Those classes are readily available.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Since I've been going through the same analysis, I'll offer what I came up with for comment . . . I decided that going to Mexico for my initial training made sense to me precisely BECAUSE I wouldn't have to deal with decompression or high flow. I could get used to the overhead environment and the techniques specific to it in a somewhat less challenging milieu. This would give me a chance to decide if I like this as much as I think I'm going to, and my instructor a chance to find out if I'm actually one of that small percentage of people who make good cave divers. (Besides, the Mexican caves are so beautiful -- this was what hooked me on the idea to begin with.)

If the first course goes well, and I can get some trips in to practice (Mexico is no further than Florida for me!) then I would think it would be wise to do the next level of class in Florida, for the additional experience with flow, and decompression. And I might well take local classes to introduce the decompression ideas and procedures outside of the overhead. Those classes are readily available.

I don't want to make this an arguement against going to Mexico and the caves there are beautiful. However, I doubt you'd be doing any high flow stuff in the early part of your training (cavern) in Florida either. You certainly won't be doing any mandatory decompression early in training. I'm not a cave instructor but I don't think it's allowed until near the end. Depending on the instructor and the student, you may not do any at all though your contingincy planning may account for the possibility.

I also have to tell you that even though the Florida cave were formed under water and there are no stalagtites or stalagmites that some of the caverns you'll dive in Florida are, IMO, some of the most beautiful places on the face of the plannet. There's just no way I can really describe it but the view out the entrance of downstream Cow or the cavern (especially when when the vis is good and the light is just right), breakdown room, solution tube ect of P1 is just unbelievable.

There's a spot between P1 and Olsen that some call Olsen's window that's one of my favorite places on the planet...neat formations, huge cathedral cielings...I could just hover there looking at it until it's time to go. I could go on and on. I'm sure Mexico is great but do not underestimate Florida caves when it comes to fantastic sceenery. We don't need no stinking stalagtites!

Now you did it, I want to go cave diving!

 

[MikeFerrara]

oops, I forgot to mention upstream Cow. I don't know if you'd get in there during training or if it's even allowed but it's cool with a capitol 'C' and my wife might just find me gone when she gets home.

how does this sound?

Dear Wife,

Sorry sweetie, had to go to Cow. Probably see you next month some time. I'll try to bring back some pictures.
Love ya...gotta go bye.

PS: Please keep enough money in the checking account because Bill R's nitrox and O2 isn't as cheap as it used to be. Thanks.

What do ya think, could I pull it off?