New to Cave/Cavern

[youngblood]

I'd like to do an intro to cave course in August near or in Cozumel...


...any recommendations, what is the price range that I can expect?

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

CDS Active Instructor List

There is a link for all NSS-CDS instructors - the ones in Mexico are listed too.

 

[youngblood]

Thanks Jim,

We've spoken on a different thread on another forum about sidemounting...if I do recall

 

[350xfire]

I just did my Cavern/Intro in Fl and was there 6 days. Total of about $1200. I think Mexico is usually $500 or so more.

 

[TSandM]

My husband and I did cavern and Intro with German Yanez in October of last year. Cavern was $400, and Intro was $700 (less than usual, because we did the two together). German is a lovely man and I liked him a lot. He's very encouraging. I did not like the class, because I didn't think it was rigorous enough. I just completed GUE Cave 1, which I thought was much more comprehensive and thorough. It is also much more expensive, at $1900 now, I think, and you can't take it until you have passed Fundies.

Dennis Weeks, who also comes highly recommended, teaches cavern and Intro. His cavern class is $390, so I would imagine that the total cost would be in the same range as German's.

 

[Peter Guy]

I did not like the class, because I didn't think it was rigorous enough.

That is a statement that REALLY needs to be read in context (the context of TSandM's mindset!). She loved the GUE class so much she went on a crying jag at the end of it when she was told she had passed but found out she wasn't perfect.

To each her own.

Me, I thought I learned what I needed to be a cautious, and safe, Intro Cave Diver.

 

[GDI]

I did not like the class, because I didn't think it was rigorous enough.

So Lynn How about that trip into Ginnie earlier this year? Funny what Flow can do to task loading and ones fingers.

So, When are you looking at coming back?

 

[TSandM]

Yeah, well, no class in Mexico could have prepared me for Florida cave diving!

I'm trying to figure out cave diving trips right now . . . I want to go back and meet friends in Mexico at Thanksgiving, and I'd like to get back to Florida, but I'm worried about our last experience there and wondering if one can ever more or less guarantee the caves won't be flooded out.

This is a hijack, but points out that the OP's decision to do his training in Mexico will at least ensure he'll encounter diveable conditions when he gets there (short of hurricanes, anyway). And that getting trained in Mexico trains you to dive Mexican caves

 

[Papa_Bear]

Learn as much as you can and never trust anyone but yourself! Here is a Cave video we just put up: Two Tanked Productions HD & SD Underwater Productions and video services

 

[Dive-aholic]

Yeah, well, no class in Mexico could have prepared me for Florida cave diving!

I'm trying to figure out cave diving trips right now . . . I want to go back and meet friends in Mexico at Thanksgiving, and I'd like to get back to Florida, but I'm worried about our last experience there and wondering if one can ever more or less guarantee the caves won't be flooded out.

This is a hijack, but points out that the OP's decision to do his training in Mexico will at least ensure he'll encounter diveable conditions when he gets there (short of hurricanes, anyway). And that getting trained in Mexico trains you to dive Mexican caves

Very true. But historically, blowouts in Florida occur around the same time of year. It's not likely we'll see another blow out until early spring next year. All the caves are open now except Peacock, and that's only because of road work they're doing there.

Of course, if you schedule a trip before that and they blow out then, we'll know who to blame.....