Starting Full Cave next week!!

[orm]

I'm starting my Full Cave course on the 23rd June here in Playa with Patrick from Protec.

I am massively stoked about it, but have a bit of fear. I'm looking forward to testing myself properly for the first time in a while. Looking forward to the new experience, seeing sights I've only seen in photographs. Looking forward to the challenge.

Not looking forward to getting into 10mm of neoprene in the middle of the Mexican jungle.

I've been running and weight-training every day to get in shape and feel good.

Hoping I can keep focused and deal with everything that'll be thrown at me!

Just generally very excited.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Best of luck ... I just finished my Full Cave course in Florida about 10 days ago.

If I can offer any advice, it would be to take it slow, think through whatever problems your instructor tosses at you, and then act once you've determined the source of the problem. My biggest difficulties in the class were the result of trying to rush through the solution, which sometimes led to less than adequate decisions. In a cave, the mental aspect is at least as important as the physical skills ... and once I took his "slow it down" advice to heart, everything got easier.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[orm]

Best of luck ... I just finished my Full Cave course in Florida about 10 days ago.

If I can offer any advice, it would be to take it slow, think through whatever problems your instructor tosses at you, and then act once you've determined the source of the problem. My biggest difficulties in the class were the result of trying to rush through the solution, which sometimes led to less than adequate decisions. In a cave, the mental aspect is at least as important as the physical skills ... and once I took his "slow it down" advice to heart, everything got easier.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Thanks Bob. I'll take that on board.

Yes, I was following your progress, it was a great read.

Congratulations on passing.

 

[TSandM]

For me, the biggest lesson in going from Intro/Cave 1 to Full was that there is very little new in the way of technique or skills, but a huge increase in awareness that's needed to operate within the expanded limits. Relax, and pay LOTS of attention would be my advice. You already know how to run line and how to negotiate a cave, and how to do lost line and lost buddy drills. Now you just really need to add a lot of information about where you have been and how to get back there to your mental database.

Have fun -- I wouldn't have survived Full Cave in a wetsuit, myself!

 

[rongoodman]

Good luck. I did Cavern/Intro there with Santiago in May and am very much looking forward to coming back next spring for Full Cave. I used a 5mm wet suit and never got cold, but I expect the dives will be longer next time around, so more protection will be in order. (I had a productive day with Trace last week dealing with some dry suit issues, so maybe by the time I go back I'll be comfortable doing it dry. It would certainly be easier getting into the suit!)

 

[orm]

For me, the biggest lesson in going from Intro/Cave 1 to Full was that there is very little new in the way of technique or skills, but a huge increase in awareness that's needed to operate within the expanded limits. Relax, and pay LOTS of attention would be my advice. You already know how to run line and how to negotiate a cave, and how to do lost line and lost buddy drills. Now you just really need to add a lot of information about where you have been and how to get back there to your mental database.

Have fun -- I wouldn't have survived Full Cave in a wetsuit, myself!

I'm doing the Cavern/Intro to Full cave in one sitting.

People dive here in 5 and 7mm at the min in the caves. Maybe when it gets cooler I'll get a drysuit, but for now, my thoughts were that I don't need to add another task.

 

[orm]

Good luck. I did Cavern/Intro there with Santiago in May and am very much looking forward to coming back next spring for Full Cave. I used a 5mm wet suit and never got cold, but I expect the dives will be longer next time around, so more protection will be in order. (I had a productive day with Trace last week dealing with some dry suit issues, so maybe by the time I go back I'll be comfortable doing it dry. It would certainly be easier getting into the suit!)

Yeah! Although my previous drysuit was a neoprene number that was just as hard to get into as a semi-dry. Spent many a happy moment bobbing up and down in our local quarry, upside down :blinking:

 

[rongoodman]

Even had Santiago been willing, trying to go all the way to Full Cave without a break would have caused my head to explode. I stopped at Intro, spent a day relaxing, and then did three days of guided dives. I'll probably do something similar next spring.

 

[orm]

Even had Santiago been willing, trying to go all the way to Full Cave without a break would have caused my head to explode. I stopped at Intro, spent a day relaxing, and then did three days of guided dives. I'll probably do something similar next spring.

I'm expecting a tough course. Two of my friends have just recently finished the same thing, so am aware of how difficult it is.

 

[TSandM]

orm, if you are local, I would highly recommend talking to Patrick and seeing if you can break the class up into two segments, and dive at the Intro level for a while. There is a TON of gorgeous cave to see at the Intro level in Mexico, and you learn SO much by doing a bunch of diving. The cave is an incredible good teacher.

Then, when you want to expand your reach, doing the work for Full won't be difficult.

I can't imagine trying to learn perfect trim, all the kicks, line running, light discipline, communication, emergency drills AND complex navigation in a week. I couldn't have done it. A couple of people I know have tried the zero to hero classes, but nobody has passed all the way to Full in the first go round yet.