Cave Diving for the 'Less than Fortunate'

I was down in Florida for my Cavern course back in November. I enjoyed it emmensly. However, the more I think about the practicality of cave diving, the more I realize that it's not something I can do on a regular basis.

So are there any of the 'less than fortunate' cave divers here that can give me some hints to my future? What I mean by 'less than fortunate', I refer to those of us that aren't fortunate enough to live in close proximity to cave country.

Myself, I only know of one quarry that has a cavern, and that cavern I believe sits at 80 ft. Which is a tad beyond the limits of my training.

So I think to the future, and if I can continue with cave training. The more I think about it, the more questions I have to the safety of that training.

Training only shows you the tools to get yourself out of trouble. They do no good without practice. For those unfortunate as I am, there is no practice. Cave diving most likely will be limited to one weekend or week a year, if that.

So how safe is it to return to the caves next year, and take an intro to cave class. Then returning the year after doing more cave training?

Probably not very.

So... is there anything that can be done between those trips to the caves to keep that cave training fresh; to practice what was learned so that you aren't returning and going into unsafe situations due to C-cards that have lost their meaning over the many months between?

Of course there is wrecks, but that's a different beast. While similar, it's different. Is adapting my cavern training to caverns of metal sufficent?

What have others done to build experience onto that training?

What you can do is to practice cave skills on every dive. Treat every dive as if it were a cave dive. Practice running reels in quarries, have someone else map out a course with reels, and then practice air sharing touch contact drills along that line.

Keeping up on the skills required for cave diving is not all that difficult. When you do ge a chance to go back to the caves, do very simple dives.

I agee with JamesK.

Even though I live just 2 hours away from Cave country, I don't get up there but a handful of times a year. I am planning a trip in February and already told my potential buddies my plan:
first dive will be ow, to work on skills, check my bouyancy, etc and then do a cavern dive (or two depending on whether or not I feel my skills are at the level theyshould be).

Alot of out of state cave divers, I don't think, spend the frist dive or 2 of their trip refreshing skills. I think they have the mentaility of 'heyI just drove 12 hours, I'm going cave diving, I can dive ow at home', but sometimes these are the cave divers who later in the day, their next of kin gets notified.

So between your dive trips to cave country, practice running your reel, OOA drills, low to no vis drills, practice your kicks.

Happy New Year!

I have some cave buddies in the Dallas area and we go to the scuba park and run line, practice drills, communication, etc. Work on your bouancy too, that's the most important thing. Obviously, wear your full cave rig.

When I get to cave country, only 1,000 miles from my house, I'm pretty much ready to go. I also schedule trips about 4 times per year.

ALL of my practise is done in a quarry.
If anyone gets to Pelham Quarry in Alabama, every other Sunday, you will see a weird looking Australian doing the same things over and over.
Whenever I get bored, I just think of the reasons I am doing it.

Its all for the caves..........

Aquamaniac once bubbled...
you will see a weird looking Australian doing the same things over and over.

Click to expand...

Just one??? (kidding, jussssssst kidding)

JamesK once bubbled...
What you can do is to practice cave skills on every dive. Treat every dive as if it were a cave dive. Practice running reels in quarries, have someone else map out a course with reels, and then practice air sharing touch contact drills along that line.

Click to expand...

That's precisely how I treated ever dive before my cave training and how I will continue to treat my dives. I always envisioned that I was diving in an overhead environment. I plan to practice in a quarry by running a reel and doing lost buddy searches and OOA drills, etc.

Stacey

You can always sell all of your worldly possessions (except dive gear, computers, music, and musical instruments) and be a dive bum and cave dive several times a week.
If not, you can use the skills learned in cave diving on wreck dives and any other dives. The buoyancy skills are priceless and the protocols are very similar to OW.
As for swimming around in a mud hole following a line, hey man, whatever floats your boat.

Cheers,
Sherp

:doctor:
I think you have your answer- practise in your quarry running you reels. Try diving it a night with the reels and OOA drills. Remember that you can work under a "virtual overhead". Get the training to do the 80 feet cavern you were talking about. If you are close to any underwater structure like wrecks or even a sunken school bus practise in them. The bottom line work your skills. When you get back to cave country. Start with some simple dives get more training and gain experience.

Spectre once bubbled...
So... is there anything that can be done between those trips to the caves to keep that cave training fresh; to practice what was learned so that you aren't returning and going into unsafe situations due to C-cards that have lost their meaning over the many months between?

Click to expand...

Practice your skills and drills in your local quary as if your were in an overhead environment.

The Pirate