Standards in rules would be nice...
Madison Blue closed to cavern divers
- Thread starter ktomlinson
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The problem with this is cavern is the foundational class for the cave curriculum and there are lots of divers who come into it without the necessarily skills to continue into the cave zone. Having it as a separate class gives those a chance to go off and practice the skills before they continue beyond the cavern zone. A possible solution would be to require a fundies or intro to tech type class as a prereq for cavern, but that will never happen. All the agencies would have to agree to do it at the same time otherwise there would be concern about losing students to the agencies that don't require it. I'm okay with taking a student with previous tech training into a cavern/intro class, but if a student has no previous tech training I'm hesitant to let them do the combo.
SuPrBuGmAn
Contributor
There are people who are perfectly content in the daylight zone and don't ever want to see cave... Cavern is an appropriate course for them.
Is there any research to suggest that Cavern divers are any more at risk coming in without tech training versus those that do (or visa-versa)?
I took Cavern because I never intended to want to go further in but desired a betterment of my skills. Then I took Cavern and I am looking forward to having the means to continue my training. I had taken Adv Nitrox/ Deco Procedures prior to Cavern which had many of the same requirements on trim, buoyancy, and propulsion techniques. Cavern, for me, ended up being an eye opening experience to what I could do if I kept up my training.
I think that separating the skills that are useful in OW and tech would lend to more time on safety drills and line laying technique in Cavern or make a Cavern/Intro (Cave1 or whatever) more worthwhile. That would also keep those who where not really interested restricted to either OW or a more stringent Cavern penetration depth.
Of course there would be negative repercussions too: drop in number of students, students having to take more than one class to get where they want to be, inter-agency competition could even be a problem.
I took Cavern because I never intended to want to go further in but desired a betterment of my skills. Then I took Cavern and I am looking forward to having the means to continue my training. I had taken Adv Nitrox/ Deco Procedures prior to Cavern which had many of the same requirements on trim, buoyancy, and propulsion techniques. Cavern, for me, ended up being an eye opening experience to what I could do if I kept up my training.
I think that separating the skills that are useful in OW and tech would lend to more time on safety drills and line laying technique in Cavern or make a Cavern/Intro (Cave1 or whatever) more worthwhile. That would also keep those who where not really interested restricted to either OW or a more stringent Cavern penetration depth.
Of course there would be negative repercussions too: drop in number of students, students having to take more than one class to get where they want to be, inter-agency competition could even be a problem.
OP
I'm still pretty content with a cavern certification...I may end up getting intro now though so that I can dive Madison Blue. It's 30 minutes from my house and everything else to dive is at least double that... Truth be told I would have made it to at least intro eventually, but this may give me a little more incentive.
Are there any other springs looking to follow MBs example?
Aren't cavern divers trained to know when it's no longer a cavern and stop?
I mean come on...
Madison has a cavern. Cavern divers should be able to dive it. Just like the other caverns open to diving in the state parks.
I mean come on...
Madison has a cavern. Cavern divers should be able to dive it. Just like the other caverns open to diving in the state parks.
metaldector
Contributor
You should direct your inquiry to the North Florida Spring Alliance North Florida Springs Alliance . They work closely with all of those State Parks and most likely had some input into the Cave/Cavern issue at Madison.
OP
There is a discussion on this topic going on, on cave diver forum and Kelly Jessop, who I understand is the president of NFSA is part of that thread.
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I couldn't agree more! Do you realize what a resource caverns are? Just how many exist??? Up the standards, but don't deny cavern divers their limited realm. How about an apprenticeship, clean up the place (fom the weekend party crowd) for the right to dive. Not that many weeks ago I was dodging broken glasss bottles all over the road from Luraville store to Peacock. Give the guy a broom and a park pass...
I'm a NE Atlantic diver with a full tech cave cert. Don't get me wrong, love my ocean, but how many karst systems are out there? You guys got the goods too...
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