Cavern Diving (Perth)

[creamofwheat]

Hi All,

I have heard that there is some good cavern diving around Rottnest Island, and I know when I head down to Australia, it might be fun to check out. One problem...I am not trained in cavern diving. I checked out the website of Perth Diving Academy, and they don't seem to offer the cavern course...unless they just don't advertise it? Basically, I am just wondering where I could possibly take a cavern course in the Perth Area (Or Mandurah, as I will be staying there).

 

[alcina]

Maybe try Bell Scuba in Rockingham - Neil might be able to help or at least point you in the right direction.

dive@bellscuba.com.au

 

[MarkH]

I was there and I'm not "cavern" certified either. So far the PADI stormtroopers haven't kicked down my door and dragged me away. Most of the caverns are pretty small. You can swim through them with a few fin-strokes. Some are more like arches. The ones I saw had more than one exit nearby. There may be some huge, endless ones at some sites that I didn't go to. No one over there suggested that I should be cavern certified.http://www.victoriadiving.50megs.com/cgi-bin/framed/3354/rottnest.html

 

[creamofwheat]

Alcina, thanks, I'll check them out and see what they have to say as well.

Swankenstein, that is definitely something to consider then. If I can dive caverns without a c-card and without shelling out extra money, I may do that. I'd have to make sure I had a buddy experienced in cavern diving though, just to put my mind at ease somewhat.

 

[Doc Intrepid]

...If I can dive caverns without a c-card and without shelling out extra money, I may do that....

cow,

At the risk of sounding grouchy, entering overhead environments without (1) proper training, (2) proper equipment (lights, reel, etc.), and (3) proper planning (e.g. thirds, etc.) is a really bad idea. CAN you do it? Sure. SHOULD you do it? Well...how lucky do you feel??

I'm not referring to short little swim-throughs. I'm not referring to coral or rock 'arches'.

I'm referring to real caverns. True overhead. Even with (ostensibly) the mouth of the cavern still in sight, visibility can mysteriously become obscured, your light can be damaged on a rock and go out, or other things can occur that prevent your immediate return to your point of entry.

Don't worry about PADI stormtroopers. Worry about what you'd miss in your life if you didn't make it back up, or your folks having to make final arrangements for you.

Of all underwater environments, caves and caverns can be the least forgiving. These are not places to be saving money on training or certification. Even with a trained buddy...who, if they were really trained, should be reluctant to be in an overhead environment with an untrained buddy. (Why do you think all the DIR philosophy began within the cave community?)

If you want to dive caverns, please consider taking the training and planning those dives carefully. Hope you have a wonderful trip.

Doc

 

[do it easy]

I second Doc words of caution. Thanks for saving me from all that typing!

 

[DiveTub]

Ask your question on DiveOz, most of the cave divers in Australia drop in there from time to time
http://www.diveoz.com.au

Cheers
Chris

 

[creamofwheat]

Thanks Doc and do it easy. Of course if I can find some good training, I will for sure get trained up properly. I kinda want to live until at least age 60. I have no desire to die just quite yet.

I also have no desire to get into the really technical cave diving (at the moment, at any rate). Cavern diving will do me just fine, and I know that I, personally, always want to be able to see the exit, and it's not something I'd try at night either. Daylight=my friend.

Thank you for the response...I will definitely take it to heart.

Chris...thanks for the link, I will check it out.