TracyN
Contributor
Wow! OW divers stay out of caves. Even if you think you can go in them, stay out. Read this OW divers, stay out of the caves until you're trained! There is nothing in them that you need to see until you receive training
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As long as Training Agencies allow Open Water training in confined water this will continue. And I do understand the problem with land locked shops with only the local quarry available.
Highwing,
I agree with your statement with the exception of I don't believe Eagles Nest is one of the sites OW instructors use. Back in the 80's Peacock and Orange Groove were used almost every weekend by local and out of state dive shops. I remember one tragedy where a group, five I believe, had graduated OW and were doing an advanced course. They had come down Friday for a Saturday class, gotten a hold of a local dive map and decided Royal Springs would be fun. They all died. As long as Training Agencies allow Open Water training in confined water this will continue. And I do understand the problem with land locked shops with only the local quarry available.
Not sure what you mean. "Confined water" in OW class refers to something pool-like (with sides and a bottom) not an overhead.
OW training is prohibited anywhere that a direct ascent to the surface isn't possible.
but then there is a little anger in me too for the irresponsibility and unnecessary tragedy that occurred when a diver and non-diver exceeded by a big range, their safe limits.
Agreed, but OW training is absolutely possible. There is a basin atop the cave entrance. Imagine the site is shaped quite like an hour glass where the top half of the hour glass is the basin, there is a restriction almost straight down leading to the bottom of the hour glass (huge cave and deep water). So as long as you keep your students in the basin, above 60 feet, and not allow them to pass through the restriction, you'll be able to meet the requirements as you've pointed out.
For those of us not familiar with this site at all, if an ow student fails to keep buoyancy, how easy is it for him/her to unwillingly fall through the restriction? Over here, in this part of the world, we have shore dive sites where you get into a 300ft + walls after taking just a couple of steps into the water. You don't take divers with minimal or no experience to these sites and hope they will be able to stop descent at 60 ft....Agreed, but OW training is absolutely possible. There is a basin atop the cave entrance. Imagine the site is shaped quite like an hour glass where the top half of the hour glass is the basin, there is a restriction almost straight down leading to the bottom of the hour glass (huge cave and deep water). So as long as you keep your students in the basin, above 60 feet, and not allow them to pass through the restriction, you'll be able to meet the requirements as you've pointed out.
Unbelievable!So we are even more clear... according to news sources, father was OW certified, son was not certified. They were testing gear received for Christmas.
http://www.baynews9.com/content/new...icles/bn9/2013/12/25/missing_divers_found.htm
Officials: Divers trying equipment before accident l Hernando County
---------- Post added December 26th, 2013 at 11:53 AM ----------
The sign ON LAND at the parking area (which is impossible to miss) states, in all caps, "Cave diving in this area is extremely dangerous - even life threatening! Do not dive unless you are a certified cave diver!!"
(PS what is the deal with the addition of "WebRep, currentVote, noRating, noWeight," etc. at the end of every post after I save it? ARGH)