Cave diving course in California?

[Wilderness Medic]

I didn't come down on you for either.... did suggest a solo class... but was only a suggestion. Others suggested cave/cavern classes but again were only suggestions... you can get the books... you'll just never be allowed to dive "true" caves without the certifications... (well you could always find your own) but Florida is pretty regulated (and I think Mexico is too, never been there). It is just like getting your open water cert... you can't get air fills without one (unless you buy your own compressor) but you don't HAVE to be open water certified to dive.

Maybe I'm mixing up users but I'm pretty sure you or someone just brought up my lack of redundant equipment and lack of diving skill, as well as came down on me for diving solo. I appreciated the advice and would love to take a GOOD cave class. Sounds like I can't do that here. Regardless I'm not looking to argue. Thanks for the advice I got

 

[PfcAJ]

Lmao wrong about what????? Did I say I'm immune to drowning?? No. I said I can do it. I can also drown freediving it. No fooling? The point was the air is a bit of redundant safety after having dove it without. Not looking for high fives or praise. Jesus Christ.

Good luck with your endeavors.

 

[Imbodie]

Again, your assumptions. What I'm not looking for is paying hundreds of dollars for a bs class to get a piece of paper with my name on it. Which has been my experience with PADI. I love classes. Beneficial good classes. Not classes looking for make a ton of money off of people on vacation "certifying" them leaving them with no idea of what they should have actually learned. Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me PADI dive resorts don't do that kind of thing. Or "dive schools" pumping out commercial divers Half assed. That's what I meant. Not that I don't need to learn anything.

Resorts are for people with $$ to blow... it isn't just PADI.... The instructor makes the class (what ever class) find one you like and take the classes that interest you.... your talking about your DM so you should be at the level of rescue... did you not learn anything from the class? more importantly did you not enjoy the class?? Back to the resort classes... the majority of people that get certified on a vacation will only ever dive on vacation, then they have to take refresher courses at the resorts..
So I'm back to find a good instructor that you like before you take ANY other course....

 

[Imbodie]

Maybe I'm mixing up users but I'm pretty sure you or someone just brought up my lack of redundant equipment and lack of diving skill, as well as came down on me for diving solo. I appreciated the advice and would love to take a GOOD cave class. Sounds like I can't do that here. Regardless I'm not looking to argue. Thanks for the advice I got

I said something about no redundant equipment... but only suggested a solo class if you were going to dive solo(I did it way to much to harp on someone else who is doing it), I also mentioned your "newb" skill level based on your profile... Honestly if you are going to be diving the coastal "caves" you could probably get away with a cavern course and bet you could find someone in California that teaches cavern... but it wont be the same quality of class as you would get in North Florida or Mexico... My buoyancy proficiency skyrocketed after cavern class (but it REALLY matters in a cave that has silt)... You will get your $$ worth no matter which you choose... The caves of N Florida ROCK!!! (pun intended) and have only seen photos but MX caves are very pretty too...

 

[KevinNM]

A couple of days ago 3 "highly experienced" divers went into a sea cave in Italy. Apparently they did it all the time. This time it took a few days to recover their bodies.

At least it was less than the 4 that drowned in a sea cave in Italy in 2012. The dive shop that led that dive also "did it all the time", but that day they made a wrong turn.

But do what you want, it's your life. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[Vegan Shark]

As others have said, Florida and Mexico are the closest options for cave training

There are legit caves in California, but they're not easily accessible, are dependent on sea conditions, and there really isn't enough of a market of people wanting to cave dive in California to make it a viable business model for any instructors.

By the way, nice video. Just some food for thought, but octopuses are incredibly intelligent, awesome creatures. They experience stress and fear, and being grabbed by people is a really unpleasant experience for them. When enjoying the ocean, it can be easy to get caught up in the moment and forget about our impact on the environment, but sometimes it's good to remember to try to put ourselves in ocean animals' shoes (tentacles?) I'm guilty of this myself with underwater photography, so not judging by any means. Just my two yen.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Wow. With the trail of attitude left here for posterity, I wonder if the OP has harmed his chances of any of the cave instructors who read SB taking him on as a student? The first thing I learned about cave diving is check the ego at the door. "I know nothing" is not a bad place to start, no matter how many OW dives one has done. OW instructors have died in caves.

If you have 10+ years of dive experience, why not fill out your profile to more accurately reflect that? Taking "logged dives" so literally that you only list those you have written down in a logbook doesn't serve the purpose of a SB profile, which is to give others a rough idea of your experience level. Filling out your profile of (at least approximately) how many dives you've done and what what courses you've taken might be useful to people who are trying to advise you.

 

[Wilderness Medic]

Imbodie- I did my rescue class on vacation and was semi "pushed through." Although I did take away a couple good things from it, and the divers were fun, I can't say the hundreds of dollars I spent on it were worth that. Just another piece of paper. Mind you I was already a paramedic when I did it, and half of it seems to be focused on CPR and aid for a completely untrained person.

Sorry if I mistook what you said as harsher than you meant it. I appreciate the concern but try to understand my frustration with a couple scuba classes that certainly feel/have felt like paying hundreds of dollars just to get a paper with my name on it without having learned much. The idea of a "solo class" to someone who's spent a large amount of time freediving spearfishing alone (probably far more dangerous with SWB) is kind of off putting. I'm sure I sound cheap but when there are semester long classes I can get for the same cost and learn far more...anyway you get the idea I hope. It's not just 50 bucks for this or that.

Kevin- Yes it is my life. Plenty can go wrong. If someone were to say to me that I need to understand the risks of diving alone and make a conscious decision to accept the possible outcome- that would be great. Inform. If someone however comes at me telling me what I shouldn't do or calls me stupid for it, that's a different story. Scuba diving alone out there is probably one of the safer things I do.

Vegan Shark- Understand your feelings but disagree. Feel free to discuss it there.

Lorenzoid- I couldn't care less if that were the case. If someone's going to be offended over this thread, I wouldn't want to take a class from them anyway. If someone's that sensitive I'd be worried how they would react in a true emergency situation. No ego here, just expect me to tell you what my skill level/experience is if you question it. I know nothing about caves/caverns. At all. And I won't pretend to. Why haven't I filled out my profile more? Kind of like my log book.... This is an online site where anyone could make whatever up, not a resume. I wasn't aware so much was held to what a users profile stated. In fact I just looked. It says experienced diver with more than 10 years. What more am I supposed to put?


Thanks for the information, I will look into Florida after I get back from New Zealand. I've been dying to go there for a while. Bummed the commercial diving academy plans turned out to not be what I wanted.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Why haven't I filled out my profile more? Kind of like my log book.... This is an online site where anyone could make whatever up, not a resume. I wasn't aware so much was held to what a users profile stated. In fact I just looked. It says experienced diver with more than 10 years. What more am I supposed to put?

The profile is there to give others who are trying to give you advice an idea of where you are in your diving. Your profile is there to help you in this way, not to impress anyone. Sure, anyone can make up a fake profile, but it doesn't help them get their questions answered more accurately.

I know it does say experienced diver with more than 10 years, but some people really have done only 50 dives in 10 years--you never know. You could put down in your profile a number of dives that you estimate you have done. You could put down what courses you have taken and what year. You could put down that you're a cold-water solo diver and the places where you have dived. There are spaces for all of that, I believe. It will help people focus their replies better.

 

[Wilderness Medic]

The profile is there to give others who are trying to give you advice an idea of where you are in your diving. Your profile is there to help you in this way, not to impress anyone. Sure, anyone can make up a fake profile, but it doesn't help them get their questions answered more accurately.

I know it does say experienced diver with more than 10 years, but some people really have done only 50 dives in 10 years--you never know. You could put down in your profile a number of dives that you estimate you have done. You could put down what courses you have taken and what year. You could put down that you're a cold-water solo diver and the places where you have dived. There are spaces for all of that, I believe. It will help people focus their replies better.

Will do, thanks.