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I'm planning on going to Orange Grove (in Peacock Springs) and Little River next weekend with a friend who is certified in cave diving. I have my Cavern certification, and my friend looks at me as a "superwoman" who is capable of doing more than the average person. I'm more cautious and don't like to overstep my boundaries and do something stupid. Is there enough cavern area to dive to make both my "buddy" and I happy diving in these areas without compromising my safety (and certification limitations? I'm not afraid, but I know this person well enough to know I need more information than I have at this point.
There is plenty of cavern in Orange Grove, less so in Little River. If your buddy tries to take you past your limitations abort the dive, with the thumb.
Great caverns in Orange Grove and Peacock I. I've heard Peacock III is a great cavern dive. Little river is a neat cavern dive, lots of flow on the day I trained there which made it much different from Orange Grove.
I think you can stick to your limits and have great fun at Peacock and Little River. As a cave diver your friend should know better than to go beyond your limits, but I would mention it specifically in the dive plan.
I could do Orange Grove cavern many many times and never be bored.
Thanks. It was presented to me that we'd go to Orange Grove for the first day, and if all went well he wanted to try me on a double-tank in Little River on the second day. For some reason (Woman's Intuition? Knowing this person's risk-taking personality, especially when it's someone else who's taking the risk for his pleasure?....lol), but I didn't want to assume anything. I'd rather be optimistic and give him the benefit of the doubt, but not being stupid about it. Your advice makes complete sense. Does Little River warrant a double tank in the cavern area? I think he's prepping me for a dive he wants to do at Eagle's Nest with next weekend's dives. He said that the ballroom was large enough for me to explore and enjoy alone while he went into the cave, then he'd come up and we would ascend to the top together. Since I don't know anyone else who dives, and I want to dive as much as possible (and he has all the necessary gear....lol), I want to have the opportunity without undue risk (although diving with HIM is already a given risk...lol)
He said that the ballroom was large enough for me to explore and enjoy alone while he went into the cave, then he'd come up and we would ascend to the top together.
Sounds like two solo divers to me. If he enters the cave at Orange Grove or Little River and you are in the cavern - he most likely won't be able to see you (definitely at Orange Grove) and certainly you won't be close enough to help each other.
You should really be full cave and have trimix before you go to the nest. I dont know what agency you earned your cavern cert from but, you arent really able to do anything at the nest and stay within your cert limits. if you feel like you are ready to go past the limits of your training talk to a couple instructors and get the proper education first.
The cavern at Little River warrants little more than an AL80.
As for the Eagle's Nest dive plan, I am searching for the words to adequately describe that plan but coming up woefully short.
Death-wish? Irrationally overconfident? Bent on destruction? Stupid? Do those help?
And to the original poster: You are being asked to essentially solo dive in a cavern/cave (as long as your partner carries through with the 'threat' to go off into the cave and leave you in the cavern.) I know some very experienced cave divers (diving since the 70's with 1000s of dives) and they would never think of solo diving in a cave. Don't be talked into doing something that could have life threatening consequences for yourself.
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Cavern vs. Cave Diving
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Originally Posted by jupitermermaid
