Ginnie video

A clip from a recent dive in Ginnie has been added to the AUE website. I just threw some extra footage together from past the Henkle, out through the roller coaster, and exiting the eye.
Hope you enjoy it.

http://www.mikey.net/aue/theater.htm

Good stuff!

:applse:

nice vid!

I really enjoyed the cave diving clip.

I have been thinking about giving cave diving a try. It looks beautiful! I am a little skitish about being so far away from the surface as I imagine that at times you my be so far in a cave system that it would take several minutes if not much longer to get out.

I have been diving in caverns and cenotes and loved it!

I know it probably is not offerred, But I would love to try an introduction to cave course with a professional cavel diving instructor.

How do they start a newbie out? Is there anyway they can take you into a cave so you can try it out and see if it's for you. I know you would need to get some training befor they could even do that.

Hey Barbara -

There are lots of cave instructors around FL. Give Wendy a yell for a recommendation and advice.

That being said, there are places where OW divers can go to get used to overhead environments.

Ginnie Springs has the ballroom. Devil's Den. Manatee Springs. Blue Spring and others.

I rather like the overhead environment, but it isn't for everyone.

For general details, read Sheck Exley's "Blueprint for Survival".

Peter

I've been to Ginnie Springs many times as well as , Devil's Den and Blue Grotto. They are among my favorite places to go. I am totlally comfortable in these places. What I guess I would like to do, although I don't think they offer this, would be to get a professional guide to take me into a fairly easy to dive cave, just to see what it is like. I do realize that I would need to use and be trained on cave diving equipment and also have some education in technique such as proper finning. Maybe I should ask this: What are the first dives like for a beggining caver? where do they usually like to start you off diving at? What are the most challenging skills to learn? I know that this is a very dangerous activity, but to those that are trained properly, the risk is managable. I think I would become a more confident diver after taking such a course. I think I need something new after all my years of diving in mostly open water.

Barbara,

Your first step is to take a Cavern course (if you haven't yet) that will give you a taste of cave diving and you will know whether you want to continue or not. After that, you will probably have a little discussion with your instructor about why you want to be a cave diver and then you'll start your Intro class.

The cavern class is the test to see if you want to start cave diving, it will be one of your most informative classes and you will know at the end if overhead diving is for you.

Ben

Forgive my impatience, but what types of things will I learn in a cavern course which will enable me to make the decision wether I want to pursue cave diving?

I already am quite comfortable in the caverns that I have been diving in. I know there are more things I could learn. I know that I should always exit the cavern with two thirds of my air supply. What types of exercises usually make divers reconsider?

Right now my concerns are of course, getting lost and running out of air, which would be a horrible way to die. But with a quide rope and proper skills, I'm sure that this concern is greatly minimized.

barbara once bubbled...
Forgive my impatience, but what types of things will I learn in a cavern course which will enable me to make the decision wether I want to pursue cave diving?

I already am quite comfortable in the caverns that I have been diving in. I know there are more things I could learn. I know that I should always exit the cavern with two thirds of my air supply. What types of exercises usually make divers reconsider?

Right now my concerns are of course, getting lost and running out of air, which would be a horrible way to die. But with a quide rope and proper skills, I'm sure that this concern is greatly minimized.

Click to expand...

Well... it's a big list, but the skills are different fin techniques, proper bouyancy and trim, s-drills and air sharing, reel and guideline use. You'll also learn how caves are formed, the hazards in diving in them and proper planning for overheard diving.

Ben

Actually I was taken into a cave once. I dove the cenotes in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, back in 1997. I remember being apprehensive at first. Our guide told us that there would be an area where we would turn and penetrate into a cave. There was always a guide line throughout the entire dive and also leading from the mouth of the cave and about 50 feet into the cave. The guide had a powerful light and we all each had our own lights as well. Before we submerged, the dive the guide told us that he would take us into the cave if we all told him we wanted to go in, but to make sure we always held on to the guide rope. I remember looking back at the cave entrance and not being able to see anything but blackness until I pointed my light back and saw the guide line leading in that direction. I remember feeling a little nervous and breathing a bit more rapidly. For a brief moment I thought about how awful it would be to be lost in such a place, just waiting for my air to run out, but I soon relaxed and began enjoying the experience of being somewhere where not many women or men go, and also the beauty of the rocks and formations that our guide was directing us to. When we turned around and returned to the cenote part, I was exhilerated after the experience of actually having been in a cave. You know, even though you could always see some kind of light throughout the cenote dive, you really would not be able to surface for air if you had a problem. You would have to swim toward an exit . Yes there were some areas where you might be able to surface to breathe, like when we surfaced and saw a bunch of bats in an airfilled chamber, but most of it was like being inside a really long cavern. I really loved it! The guy I was with at the time was sort of uneasy with the dive, but went through it anyway so I wouldn't think he was a sissy. I told him he didn't have to but he insisted. So, I come away with the gut feeling that I would like to continue with my dive education. It's just a matter of having the time to devote to the training part.