DylanUllyot
New
We just completed our cavern course in Gozo with the long haired legend @Miyaru .
Day 1:
We began the course with a dive at Mgarr-ix-Xini to get used to the new gear (back plates, long hoses and jet fins).
Later that evening, after the sun had set we entered the arena where most of humanity learn skills for the first time. The playground. It was the perfect environment for line drills, plenty of points to tie off and obstructions. @Miyaru’s passion for diving and cave was already shining through at this point. The man really lives it and even through casual conversation he was teaching us so much.
Day 2: Gozo Gang
The following dive was where the Cavern training really began. The ridiculously busy Inland Sea dive site in Western Gozo. We dove this site because the Northern caves were being battered by strong wind driven waves. A lot of the foundations for the next 3 dives were laid during this dive. How to select a primary tie off, the importance of laying your line low and out of the way and the reasons for using a secondary tie off point within a short distance of your primary.
After a delightful afternoon lunch on the promenade with views of the sea and @Miyaru ‘s hair swaying in the wind we were ready to tackle dive number 2. A bursted O-Ring on my SPG had other plans. We made plans to dive 3 times on our final day and headed back to town.
Day 3: The day summer died…
We headed out at 8 am to Northern Gozo. The wind was now out of the east. After a careful inspection of the bay outside the cave we deemed the dive safe and geared up. Dive 1 of the day was full of learning experiences. We practiced buddy breathing on the line as well as silt out situations. We learned the importance of keeping a good pace through the cavern and the effect that task loading can have on a diver.
After a 1 hour surface interval we reentered for dive 2. According to @Miyaru he saw a significant improvement in our communication and pace on this dive. Still so much to learn but we actually made it to the end of the cavern zone on this dive and that was a success.
After completing most of the skills throughout the first 4 dives our 5th dive was primarily a fun dive in the Cavern.
All in all our Cavern course with @Miyaru was an excellent experience. The diving was great but he was also an excellent and natural host. @Miyaru is full of knowledge and he helped us become better divers by answering all of our (many) questions, in a manner which showed his deep understanding of the course content. The Cavern course was conducted with the utmost professionalism. Deep down we feel truly grateful to have learned from one of the greats of the industry.
Thank you @Miyaru from myself and Marc!
Day 1:
We began the course with a dive at Mgarr-ix-Xini to get used to the new gear (back plates, long hoses and jet fins).
Later that evening, after the sun had set we entered the arena where most of humanity learn skills for the first time. The playground. It was the perfect environment for line drills, plenty of points to tie off and obstructions. @Miyaru’s passion for diving and cave was already shining through at this point. The man really lives it and even through casual conversation he was teaching us so much.
Day 2: Gozo Gang
The following dive was where the Cavern training really began. The ridiculously busy Inland Sea dive site in Western Gozo. We dove this site because the Northern caves were being battered by strong wind driven waves. A lot of the foundations for the next 3 dives were laid during this dive. How to select a primary tie off, the importance of laying your line low and out of the way and the reasons for using a secondary tie off point within a short distance of your primary.
After a delightful afternoon lunch on the promenade with views of the sea and @Miyaru ‘s hair swaying in the wind we were ready to tackle dive number 2. A bursted O-Ring on my SPG had other plans. We made plans to dive 3 times on our final day and headed back to town.
Day 3: The day summer died…
We headed out at 8 am to Northern Gozo. The wind was now out of the east. After a careful inspection of the bay outside the cave we deemed the dive safe and geared up. Dive 1 of the day was full of learning experiences. We practiced buddy breathing on the line as well as silt out situations. We learned the importance of keeping a good pace through the cavern and the effect that task loading can have on a diver.
After a 1 hour surface interval we reentered for dive 2. According to @Miyaru he saw a significant improvement in our communication and pace on this dive. Still so much to learn but we actually made it to the end of the cavern zone on this dive and that was a success.
After completing most of the skills throughout the first 4 dives our 5th dive was primarily a fun dive in the Cavern.
All in all our Cavern course with @Miyaru was an excellent experience. The diving was great but he was also an excellent and natural host. @Miyaru is full of knowledge and he helped us become better divers by answering all of our (many) questions, in a manner which showed his deep understanding of the course content. The Cavern course was conducted with the utmost professionalism. Deep down we feel truly grateful to have learned from one of the greats of the industry.
Thank you @Miyaru from myself and Marc!
