DIR- GUE Progression of classes - Tech / Cave

[steinbil]

I'm planning to do GUE Tech 1 and Cave 1 classes within the next 2 years. Originally I was planning to do Tech 1 first, here in Norway, and do Cave 1 in Mexico the following year, but now because of life circumstances I might have the option to do Cave 1 before Tech 1.

Does anyone have opinions on what progression is better? Tech 1 before Cave 1 or Cave 1 before Tech 1?

 

[mer]

I usually tell people to do whichever (Cave 1 vs Tech 1) first that they will get the most use out of. If you think you'll get about equal use out of them, doing Cave 1 first gives you the opportunity to learn failures and problem management with less time pressure (so more time to use your brain and think it through), as Cave 1 gas rule puts little pressure on time, Tech 1 minimum gas requires a bit more efficiency with problem resolution.

 

[rddvet]

doing Cave 1 first gives you the opportunity to learn failures and problem management with less time pressure (so more time to use your brain and think it through), as Cave 1 gas rule puts little pressure on time, Tech 1 minimum gas requires a bit more efficiency with problem resolution.

This right here. The absolute hardest part of taking Tech 1 after being a long term cave diver with minimal regular OW deco dives was trying to deal with issues and still hit stops on time. So much so that I need to go back and finish the experience dives to get the pass. We had to use those days for those dives to workout the kinks in ascent timing under pressure.

 

[steinbil]

I usually tell people to do whichever (Cave 1 vs Tech 1) first that they will get the most use out of.

This is what I've been told also, and originally why I thought I'd take Tech 1 first, as there are more wrecks in the Tech 1 range then there are caves in Norway. However, there are some caves, mine diving in Sweden is very popular, and there's also the option of going to France, Spain or Sardinia. On the other hand, most people doing Tech dives here are on CCR, and with the price of Helium it doesn't seem like there's a lot of Tech 1 diving happening. Hopefully I'd still be able to find some Tech 1 divers to dive with, but it doesn't seem as easy to get the experience dives in as I first assumed. Doing <30m dives with deco would be easier to do, so that's still a valuable outcome of the Tech 1 cert, and then a couple of times a year there's some GUE Norway organized dive trips where I could take advantage of the Tech 1 range. If I were to dive in mixed teams with CCR, it would be easier, but I don't know if that is encouraged in GUE - or is that an advantage of the GUE-JJ to facilitate mixed teams? In any case I would like to try to get a Tech 1 OC team together. It's unclear what I would end up actually doing more, though, so I guess it's pretty much a tie.

doing Cave 1 first gives you the opportunity to learn failures and problem management with less time pressure (so more time to use your brain and think it through), as Cave 1 gas rule puts little pressure on time

Great point. In any case it doesn't seem like you object to taking Cave 1 first, so that might end up being my choice.

Looks like I might have to start planning a Mexico trip sooner than expected. Exciting stuff!

 

[Lorenzoid]

Looks like I might have to start planning a Mexico trip sooner than expected. Exciting stuff!

Or Florida.

 

[steinbil]

Or Florida.

Hmm. Now you're just making it even more complicated! My grand plan was to do Cave 1 in Mexico, to experience those caves and to get more time on shallow dives, and try to do Cave 2 in Florida someday...

 

[rduquesnoy]

I did Cave 1 before Tech 1 as I am personally more a cave diving person. The most important reason I took Tech 1 anyway is so that now (after passing Cave 2) I have the option to do tech dives in caves.

If you think you will enjoy the wrecks more then I would say start with Tech 1. If it's a tie then go ahead and do Cave 1 in Mexico. Mexico is great, those caves are really beautiful so you can't go wrong there

 

[PEDiver]

Hmm. Now you're just making it even more complicated! My grand plan was to do Cave 1 in Mexico, to experience those caves and to get more time on shallow dives, and try to do Cave 2 in Florida someday...

I feel like the benefit of doing your cave training in FL is to experience the flow (especially if you plan to dive any high flow caves after Cave 1). It really is a different beast (but with the proper training and experience it becomes a non-issue).

 

[Lorenzoid]

Hmm. Now you're just making it even more complicated! My grand plan was to do Cave 1 in Mexico, to experience those caves and to get more time on shallow dives, and try to do Cave 2 in Florida someday...

As you probably know, there have been several threads debating the merits of Florida for Cave 1 / Intro and then Mexico for Cave 2 /Full Cave or vice versa (hence my wink emoji). It seems both orders have pros and cons, and the order is not that big a deal. If C2 is your first exposure to flow, you will likely struggle at first to deal with it. If you take C1 in Mexico, you could consider getting some exposure to flow after C1, maybe taking a trip to Florida for some guided diving. I took C1 in Florida and C2 in Mexico. C1 allots so much in-water time, and you'll be using those cave-filled LP 104s (or HP 130s), that I wouldn't be concerned with getting long enough dives.

I have no idea what's available in France or Sardinia.

 

[Imla]

Mer has a good argument...
I'll give the other side, doing T1 before C1 lets you have failures under control before you need to handle them in a sensitive restricted environment.

However... they are both introclasses in their respective fields, and either way you go, you'll find use of the other.

Personally I'd go Florida/France for C1 and Mexico for C2. I think the only thing I wouldnt do would be C2 in France.

If you want to go the really exotic route, Annika is planning C1 in Salangen, slightly north of Narvik.