Where would you do cavern training?

[rhlee]

Hi ktkt,

I'm sorry that you have not been able to find a scheduled GUEF class to fit your schedule yet. We typically schedule most classes on-demand, so please drop me a note offline (rhl@gue.com) or give me a call (# is on the GUE website) if you have questions about the Fundamentals class and/or would like to work on scheduling one. I am currently working on scheduling classes for this summer and early fall, so would be happy to see if we can make something work out for you.

thanks,
-Rob

Hmm, good things to think about.

I have been hoping to do a GUE-F class here, but so far, planned classes haven't fit into my schedule. Also, since I don't have my own car, getting there takes a bit more coordination. Hopefully, something will work out this summer, when I have more flexibility.

---------- Post added April 27th, 2012 at 02:25 PM ----------

Also, what sorts of depths are we talking here? A couple people have mentioned the difference in depth for Florida vs Mexico. Are there websites you would recommend for getting more details on particular cave systems?

 

[Qnape]

Late to the thread, but the original question was so close to home for me I wanted to share our experience. I trained in Mexico, in the cenotes, because I wanted to dive the cenotes and did not want to do trust-me dives either. That last concern was perhaps more deeply impressed upon me because my dive buddy is my daughter, now 18, who was 16 when we took cavern in Mexico together. We tavel to Mexico frequently, and both wanted to dive in the cenotes, and neither of us had intentions to train beyond cavern. We sought out the best instructor we could find and took a strict three day course. Our previous training was similar to yours, both having taken AOW and Rescue over the prior year or so. We each had about 100 dives when we took cavern. While this was the first technical course we had taken, GUE-F will certainly enhance the experience.

I've since been back to the area twice and spent a week diving the cenotes last summer (and loved it). I'll be back in the area from time to time; there are still plenty of caverns left to see, and some I will want to revisit. Neither I nor my daughter have changed our intentions for additional training; she is off to college in the fall and I just don't have sufficient time off to travel for that purpose. My wife, so far a non-diver (but on the fence) loves the mexican resorts, and they sure beat Wildwood NJ for diving opportunities for me.

I'll stick to the caverns for now, and can enjoy them while keeping the training in practice. I trained to make the dives I wanted to do and understand that despite any c-card diving in different conditions will require special considerations or training. If I decide to try Florida, I'll have to acclimate / train for the flow. In the meantime I would not change the location of my original training as it was perfect for the dives I am doing and plan to do for the foreseeable future.

YMMV, but to us a good strict course training in the same locations and conditions for the dives we intended to make was ideal.

 

[AAdiver69]

I trained for Cavern in Florida, then a year later, Intro to Cave in Florida. Another year later, Full Cave...in Mexico. Both places have their challenges. Some of the caves in Florida are higher flow, and some are deeper. These both add additional "considerations" for the dive. Mexico, I found, had a lot more low flow and shallow caves and this added a greater chance to "experience" silt! It made you truly appreciate buoyancy techniques.

I think the training is great at either, but the idea of the beach and Margaritas may tilt my vote towards Mexico. If you do go down there, stay South of Cancun and maybe even South of Playa del Carmen. Great resorts on the beaches and minutes away from the Cenotes. By the way, I had a great instructor there...an Italian Cave Explorer that has mapped many of the cave systems there. His name was Alessandro Reato. Google him if you go there.