OP
why not a poodle jacket
- Thread starter Crush
- Start date
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ucfdiver
Contributor
I'm ucfdiver over here...wish I could change that, I don't want to have my name indexed by search engines, but I hate being anonymous, so using the same forum as I do on TDS/CDF where my full name is in my sig would be a nice change :depressed:
OP
Crush
Contributor
JahJahwarrior,
Thanks for the clarification - it is helpful.
FWIW, I take courses such as cavern to learn something new and to be exposed to different instructors to see different opinions/philosophies. I will not be a proficient cavern diver if I can't maintain the practice, and I clearly can't do that where I live. So don't worry - you won't find me on your cavern/cave team. However, I am happy to have learned what I have learned - it has made me a better diver.
It seems that I am prone to question and probe - thanks to those who have addressed the OP, and a suggestion for remedial reading courses to those who were unable to do so.
Which begs the question.... how often are you going to use the skills you learn?
You have to be diving caves all the time to keep those skills sharp, so if it were me I'd look at what options you've got for learning something that's relevant to where you dive normally - unless you'll be making that 2000 mile pilgrimage every weekend?
Sas
Contributor
OP
Crush
Contributor
After this I will be asking them to change my name.
I feel unwelcome here and am out of this forum. Happy diving, all. If you wish to continue this you will have to PM me.
Sas
Contributor
Internet forums are what you make them. I am an opinionated person and have put some people off here myself from time to time (not intentionally but I can be abrasive I know), and have had at times, personal attacks and so on. If I let that put me off I would be missing out on a great resource and all the cool people I have met. You can't let that kind of stuff get to you, just let it go, no big deal. The unwelcomeness you are feeling is partly your own fault because you keep complaining about things that haven't occured (like I've seen you extrapolate from one nasty post to label everyone who has a BP/W with the same brush and so on) or being opinionated about stuff you have not tried (like cave diving, when you do the class you might see why poodle jackets are crap for caves).
Just, keep and open mind and pay attention to the posters around here who are experienced in the areas you are interested in (like cave diving), even when you may not like their tone.
Fish-R-Man
Contributor
Its interesting that you bring this point up. I live in the middle of Washington state. For me to cave dive I have to travel a fair distance to Playa del Carmen. It is not always easy to jump on a plane and cave dive. From looking at the location of a number of people that are leaving posts in this forum, they will also have a long expensive trip to actually enter a cave. Not far from where I live is a large clear water lake that will be perfect to keep my skills tuned up. I can dive there a night, practice line skills on all of the rock formations it has, do all my drills etc. I may never have the skills that someone that lives in cave country has with their ability to dive in a cave every weekend, ale in any situation that may come up if I stay within my personal limits. The skills that are taught in cave classes transcend all aspects of diving. It just makes you a beter diver all the way around.
ucfdiver
Contributor
I don't really see what cave skills can't be worked on in other locations than a cave to be honest, except for navigating tight & low sections.
There are actually several practical issues with BCs, in addition to streamlining and preparing people for doubles.
One is that it can be quite difficult to mount a good canister light on a standard BC, in a position where the canister is accessible to turn the switch on and off. Many BCs have waistbands that don't permit sliding a canister on, so you'd have to come up with some other mounting method. Mounting a canister against the tank is not something I think a cave instructor would approve of -- it shortens the cord, and doesn't allow you to access the switch.
Going right along with that issue is the difficulty of controlling a 7' hose in a standard BC. Since you can't route it the way we normally do, under the body of the canister, you're stuck with putting the excess through the waistband, which is not very secure AND leaves a loop of hose sticking down to get caught in stalagmites you swim over.
The standard for streamlining goes rapidly up, as you begin to get into true cave.
I do believe some of the preference for a backplate system is that, if you are going to go beyond cavern (where you learn the buoyancy, the trim, the alternative propulsion and the basic team skills) they expect you want to cave dive, which is going to require doubles eventually (and ought to beyond cavern, IMHO).
One is that it can be quite difficult to mount a good canister light on a standard BC, in a position where the canister is accessible to turn the switch on and off. Many BCs have waistbands that don't permit sliding a canister on, so you'd have to come up with some other mounting method. Mounting a canister against the tank is not something I think a cave instructor would approve of -- it shortens the cord, and doesn't allow you to access the switch.
Going right along with that issue is the difficulty of controlling a 7' hose in a standard BC. Since you can't route it the way we normally do, under the body of the canister, you're stuck with putting the excess through the waistband, which is not very secure AND leaves a loop of hose sticking down to get caught in stalagmites you swim over.
The standard for streamlining goes rapidly up, as you begin to get into true cave.
I do believe some of the preference for a backplate system is that, if you are going to go beyond cavern (where you learn the buoyancy, the trim, the alternative propulsion and the basic team skills) they expect you want to cave dive, which is going to require doubles eventually (and ought to beyond cavern, IMHO).
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