PfcAJ
Contributor
I recommend signing up for a GUE fundamentals class. Regardless if you choose to continue with GUE cave training (which is superb), the fundamentals class will teach you skills you need for cave diving. It's a top notch program.
What do I need to know about cave diving?
- Thread starter barefootek
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
kwinter
Contributor
If you are fairly confident that you will go all the way to full cave eventually, I recommend taking a combination Cavern/Intro Cave course. If that is still the progression -- it's been a long time. It will give you the cavern course and a small taste of what it's like when you get beyond the cavern zone. You will learn a lot more and the cavern portion won't be as much of a tease.
It's my conviction that you shouldn't learn in a cave anything you can learn elsewhere . . . which is where the recommendation for GUE Fundamentals, or an Intro to Tech class comes in. Pinpoint buoyancy, trim, non-silting propulsion, situational awareness, light signals, and even line work are things you can learn, or at least begin to learn, in open water. For those of us who have to travel to dive in caves, it only makes sense to use "cave time" for things you have to have a cave to do!
As Rob (Diveaholic) says, what you buy for gear depends on what direction you are going. I'm a fan of starting in backmount, because it's more applicable to all the non-cave diving you do. If you later decide to get into sidemount, you can do that and sell your backmount stuff -- it holds its value very well, unlike recreational dive gear.
As Rob (Diveaholic) says, what you buy for gear depends on what direction you are going. I'm a fan of starting in backmount, because it's more applicable to all the non-cave diving you do. If you later decide to get into sidemount, you can do that and sell your backmount stuff -- it holds its value very well, unlike recreational dive gear.
So you know, Jim Wyatt is humble and he's one of the owners of Cave Country Dive Shop. Dive-aholic is also humble and is the owner of Chipola Divers. Jim and Rob are my favorite instructors and they give back to the sport in many ways, including selflessly helping others here on ScubaBoard. Peter McCumber (Superlyte27) is also an avid instructor who has recommended someone else. While I've not taken a class from Peter, it's that kind of selfless devotion to the sport and specifically to you the user that makes him and the others stand out. I tend to support those who support the community by giving of their time and knowledge. It's only right.
Remember, you don't have to change your gear configuration much to take a cavern course. There is also the option of renting a BP&Wing/doubles for the class to keep the initial costs down. I'm not a big fan of renting though.
I agree with TS&M that while you think your buoyancy and trim are fine, it's best to take a propulsion/trim and buoyancy class before you get near a cavern or cave. This is not your average Peak Performance Buoyancy class, so make sure you take it from a respected techie.
I am not sure what a guided cave dive in the Dominican Republic is without more description,but you may find your previous experience,and a course will be apples and oranges in comparison. Do the cavern course,and see if this something you really want to do before doing a serious outlay of money. As mentioned the cavern course can be done in your basic gear,then after some experience dives,consider moving on.
Randy g
Contributor
I just finished my first step towards cave certification with Mr Wyatt. I HIGHLY recommend him for any cavern/cave training. I will be heading back to cave country in the next couple of months to complete my full cave and I am really looking forward to spending some time as a wet troglodyte again.
[hijack]Unfortunately, this is an issue we've been dealing with at the NACD for a few years. There are shops in the DR that are taking OW divers in single cylinders 1000' into their caves. The NACD has donated signs and sent letters. I even brought Phillip Lehman on as an NACD Regional Safety Officer recently. Hopefully this practice can be stopped before someone gets hurt or killed.[/hijack]
kwinter
Contributor
Most likely a guided dive through Cueva Taina. Plenty of videos about this on Youtube. It was my first "cavern" dive ever (definitely beyond cavern), but relatively shallow at about 10 meters max. I had no idea how stupid we were being when we went there. But I was so enchanted by the experience that I came home and immediately signed up for cavern/intro training. The caves in the DR are beautifully decorated and would be the only reason I would ever go back after 3 prior trips. The open water diving has really been decimated.
- Messages
- 5,884
- Reaction score
- 2,999
- Location
- Lake Worth, Florida, United States
- # of dives
- I'm a Fish!
And as to the OP diving in Crystal River.....while the cavern course will make this more of a fun dive--being able to see the use of the intro cave/cavern skills....Crystal River is pretty much of a small hole in the ground as far as caverns go....
If you want to get much more of the feel for what cave diving is like, Crystal really won't do the trick...Ginnie Springs would be a much better choice...and if you have non cavern certed divers with you, or even just snorkelers, Ginnie has plenty to interest them.
If you want to get much more of the feel for what cave diving is like, Crystal really won't do the trick...Ginnie Springs would be a much better choice...and if you have non cavern certed divers with you, or even just snorkelers, Ginnie has plenty to interest them.
OP
Thanks again to everybody. As NetDoc mentioned there are so many people in the diving community that put the sport above themselves and their businesses. That is one of the reasons that I pushed my son into diving rather than into competitive sports. To the couple of people that addressed the difference in the caves in DR versus true cave diving. I think I understand that it is somewhat apples and oranges, and I say that because I know that there are continuously things that I think I understand that I find out that I am wrong about. I would not even expect Cueva Taina, which it was, to be typical for there. It was pretty wide open and I expect that is the exception anywhere.
As for the safety of it, I would feel a lot more comfortable with the outfit I dove with in DR compared to the one that I worked with near Playa del Carmen. The one I went with in DR would not take my son or father in law, due to not being comfortable with their skills and we were sandwiched between 2 divemasters. They were single cylinders but I don't think that there would have been any major problems sharing air if an issue arose. I am not saying that things should not change but the safety, at least for the ones I went with in DR, is night and day compared to Mexico. The divers were screened, but they were continually taken into caves with equipment that had proven to be suspect during open water dives with just one person to lead the dives. A second person would go if they were available, but if not on they went. On OW dives, they had a low pressure hose go out while I was down there and I understood that was not the first time or even the second. This was the same rental equipment that went on the cave dives. Like I said, I am not trying to defend DR, but Mexico should be MUCH MORE of a concern.
Getting back to myself. I would agree with NetDoc that I need to learn several things from a respected techie. It is one thing to have good buoyancy in the open and another when you are going to create a fog of silt if you mess up. The instructors that I had in Panama could probably compete with anyone when It comes to teaching OW. ABSOLUTELY NO COMPARISON TO MEXICO, and better as a whole to anywhere else I have been. Still they rarely had the physical obstacles and limited field of motion that I would need to learn to deal with while maintaining buoyancy.
I guess that I will investigate the wings and backplate. I have been around sidemount divers quite a bit and will have the opportunity to get certified in open water for it when I visit a friend in a couple of months. I think that it will be beneficial but I will have it readily available later. I am a firm believer that becoming comfortable with your own equipment improves your skills, reaction and safety. I need a new BC anyhow. I have lost 70lbs since I bought mine, and so it is a little on the big side. Thanks again to everyone.
As for the safety of it, I would feel a lot more comfortable with the outfit I dove with in DR compared to the one that I worked with near Playa del Carmen. The one I went with in DR would not take my son or father in law, due to not being comfortable with their skills and we were sandwiched between 2 divemasters. They were single cylinders but I don't think that there would have been any major problems sharing air if an issue arose. I am not saying that things should not change but the safety, at least for the ones I went with in DR, is night and day compared to Mexico. The divers were screened, but they were continually taken into caves with equipment that had proven to be suspect during open water dives with just one person to lead the dives. A second person would go if they were available, but if not on they went. On OW dives, they had a low pressure hose go out while I was down there and I understood that was not the first time or even the second. This was the same rental equipment that went on the cave dives. Like I said, I am not trying to defend DR, but Mexico should be MUCH MORE of a concern.
Getting back to myself. I would agree with NetDoc that I need to learn several things from a respected techie. It is one thing to have good buoyancy in the open and another when you are going to create a fog of silt if you mess up. The instructors that I had in Panama could probably compete with anyone when It comes to teaching OW. ABSOLUTELY NO COMPARISON TO MEXICO, and better as a whole to anywhere else I have been. Still they rarely had the physical obstacles and limited field of motion that I would need to learn to deal with while maintaining buoyancy.
I guess that I will investigate the wings and backplate. I have been around sidemount divers quite a bit and will have the opportunity to get certified in open water for it when I visit a friend in a couple of months. I think that it will be beneficial but I will have it readily available later. I am a firm believer that becoming comfortable with your own equipment improves your skills, reaction and safety. I need a new BC anyhow. I have lost 70lbs since I bought mine, and so it is a little on the big side. Thanks again to everyone.
Similar threads
