I wanna do it all

[swimmer_spe]

Seeing the various pictures on the various diving Facebook groups I belong to, I keep thinking: I wanna do that.

Dive below 130 feet, dive in caves, dive in wrecks, the list goes on.

I have my AOW. I know I can do more certifications, but, I want to know; Is there something higher than AOW that covers caves and deeper, but does not force me to wear and use the exact same things as everyone else?

I am guessing that means going Tech, but I don't dive enough.

 

[EastEndDiver]

There are many certifications after AOW such as "Rescue Diver", "Deep Diving","Cavern Diving","Cave Diving","Wreck Diving" etc.

I don't quite know what you mean by "but does not force me to wear and use the exact same things as everyone else? "

 

[scubadada]

I would advise going to a few of the main line certification agencies and taking a look at their training requirements.

 

[PfcAJ]

Seeing the various pictures on the various diving Facebook groups I belong to, I keep thinking: I wanna do that.

Dive below 130 feet, dive in caves, dive in wrecks, the list goes on.

I have my AOW. I know I can do more certifications, but, I want to know; Is there something higher than AOW that covers caves and deeper, but does not force me to wear and use the exact same things as everyone else?

I am guessing that means going Tech, but I don't dive enough.

Using the same thing as your buddies isn't a bad idea.

 

[swimmer_spe]

I am not saying it is a bad thing, but I have my own equipment that I like. I have gotten rid of some equipment I did not like. I think GUI require you own the exact same set up as everyone.

When I say "Deep", I mean well over 200 feet. Cave, I mean, those really long caves.

 

[PfcAJ]

I am not saying it is a bad thing, but I have my own equipment that I like. I have gotten rid of some equipment I did not like. I think GUI require you own the exact same set up as everyone.

When I say "Deep", I mean well over 200 feet. Cave, I mean, those really long caves.

There's a reason for those things. The equipment requirements for what you're describing is a different ballgame than regular OW gear.

And if you want to learn from the deep/long cave guys, GUE is really where its at.

 

[swimmer_spe]

There's a reason for those things. The equipment requirements for what you're describing is a different ballgame than regular OW gear.

And if you want to learn from the deep/long cave guys, GUE is really where its at.

I do not have the money available to replace my current gear. So, GUE is not where I will be at.

 

[decompression]

If you have a goal and want to achieve it and live.........sell your gear, give yourself 5 minutes to wish you knew about GUE/UTD before you started and start on the right path. That is, fundies or essentials. One gear configuration and the skill foundations to serve your entire dive career.

After that course you will see why the choices we make make sense.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[swimmer_spe]

sell your gear, give yourself 5 minutes to wish you knew about GUE/UTD before you started and start on the right path.

Right after I win the lottery.

 

[kafkaland]

I do not have the money available to replace my current gear. So, GUE is not where I will be at.

You can take it slowly and replace one piece at a time as you get additional training and go into more demanding environments. You can do a cavern course in standard recreational configuration, and buy a good dive light and reel at that time that will get you eventually through full cave. Or, when you start diving in the 100-130 ft. range, get a larger pony that can double as a deco bottle later one, with DIN valve and DIN regulator that can be cleaned for oxygen service. Eventually, your gear will look like what those who do these dives regularly have (GUE or not). That's at least my strategy for now, but it's still expensive.