Cavern Intro Cave (TJ with DAYO SCUBA)

[SparticleBrane]

Gee, double al80s is exactly what you'll get in Akumal........

And, sorry but I dive double 95s in FL. No way am I diving 120s! I want my knees to last a little bit longer, thank you very much.

Depending on the manufacturer, a set of 3442psi 120s weighs less than a set of LP95s.

To the OP, you seem to be a bit confused about DIR. No matter, I hope you enjoyed your cave class.

 

[350xfire]

Correct about the 120's. Heavy, but not horrible. I have some LP 120's and those are heavy, but HP 120, not so bad.

Confused? Explain. I thought DIR guys were anti quick releases and chest straps, etc. This is what I meant. I'd rather be comfortable than lose those. I guess here goes another my way is better than yours discussion...

 

[Scubastud16]

350x....glad you had fun in your class. I'm signed up for cavern at the end of May.

Also, DIR is a lot more then just chest straps and quick releases. Do some reading, a lot of it makes a lot of sense. Is it the only way? No.

Danny

 

[ucfdiver]

After about 2.5 hours of driving, we made it to nowhere (don't know where), where we dropped off TJ's and Denise's dry suits for repairs. A guy named Steve runs the place and is apparently one of the few people who does this kind of work.

That's Steve Gamble, easily the best drysuit repair guy in the country. His service is amazing, as is is work.

Fighting flow while tying a reel and trying to maintain buoyancy is pretty tough.

It's a lot easier if you face the flow so you can lightly kick against it. A common thing is getting sideways and losing control. That's what works for me at least, I can't remember what we were told to do in our class.

3. Gear configration- DIR is NOT the only way to tech dive. Don't let anyone tell you that!!!

Just make sure that if you claim this, you back it up. I'm trying to get my gear as DIR as possible to prepare myself for taking GUE-f. I want to see what all the talk is about before making comments on the program.

4. Florida divers think people who dive aluminum 80 doubles are gay
pu--ies and an accident waiting to happen... HP Steel 120's rule!!! Hey, I'm just telling you what they told me. Suck it up and take it like a man... pu--y..

Some people would say the same about anyone not using LP104's. I'm looking for some AL80's doubled up so I can dive wet, as I don't have the balls required to dive my lp112's with just a wing to support them (IE without a drysuit). Also, dive Buford springs and you'll miss your AL80's.

 

[scblade27]

Glad you had an enjoyable time with TJ and Denise. My fiance and I just did our cavern course with him the first weekend of April. We had a blast with him and Denise and really look forward to diving with him in the future. We just ordered some drysuits from him for a pretty decent price. After we get all our gear together and get some more practice with reels, new gear, etc. we will be back.

 

[Dive-aholic]

My issues with sidemount for newer cavers, besides the sidemount passages further from the mainline, is the gas management. To a degree, I feel that diving mixed teams of sidemount and backmount tends to complicate things. Certainly not a showstopper for experienced divers, but when you're just getting your SAC rate down, learning systems, working out dissimilar thirds, etc. It's just one more wrench to throw in the works.

What's wrong with waiting a little while? Why not do 50-100 cave dives and building up a bit of comfort before exploring out a bit. I say the same about CCR, scooters, and other things too. So this is not a bias against sidemount.

I think my previous post was a little confusing. I agree that someone shouldn't be learning sidemount and how to cave dive at the same time. But if it's a diver that already dives sidemount, I don't see a problem in diving caves for the first time in sidemount.

I agree with you about scooters. I just got my first scooter about a month ago, well past 100 cave dives. And would have waited longer if it weren't for the flow in JB being back up!

I don't dive RBs, but based on what I know, as long as you are experienced and aren't diving beyond the limits of your bailout bottle, I don't see a problem with learning how to cave dive in them.

I do see a problem with carrying a bailout bottle for someone else while you're trying to learn how to cave dive, though.

 

[stairman]

Great report,I appreciate your honesty on the lost line drill.Im sure some instructors would have failed you by turning on your light before finding the goldline.My instructor told me she had one student take 40 minutes to find the line.Glad you got the chance to redeem yourself.That is the one skill thats the hardest to practice...Randy.

 

[350xfire]

Thanks. That was definitely an interesting experience. Oh, and don't worry, TJ gave me a really hard time about it, pretty much telling me that I was dead!!! Point well taken.

 

[contender]

Just make sure that if you claim this, you back it up. I'm trying to get my gear as DIR as possible to prepare myself for taking GUE-f. I want to see what all the talk is about before making comments on the program.

Why don't you back it up and tell us why DIR is the only way.

 

[TSandM]

DIR isn't the only way . . . It's a good one, though. But we all make choices.

OP, thanks for posting your report. Cave training is intense, but fun, isn't it? And the caves are so totally worth it.

The one thing a cave class should do is leave you humble, aware of how easy it is to make a mistake and get yourself into trouble. Sounds like yours did, as mine did, and that's what's important.