Cave instructor recommendation who allows back mount

[Lorenzoid]

Will "allow" backmount?! I may be mistaken, but I believe backmount is still more prevalent than sidemount.

+1 for Ken Sallot. I have no interest in sidemount now or in the foreseeable future--I did my initial training with GUE--and although Ken is not GUE, Ken was recommended to me as being friendly to that gear configuration.

 

[Doby45]

Little River is free...

Correction, Peacock - Orange Grove, etc... Brain fart..

 

[Nirvana]

I would like to add Reggie Ross (NSS-CDS, NASE) to your list of instructors. In the lessons I took from him, he was always very clear in his explanations and demonstrations of skills. He also did a very thorough review of the dive and was quite patient in explaining what should have been different and why.

 

[jerrwhy01]

OP,


I had kensuf for NAUI: Cave I and TDI: AN/DP. I’d definitely recommend him. In fact I’m planning on taking Cave II towards the end of this year with him.


As far as BM/SM you can dive either configuration with Ken. I took my all my courses in side mount, but Ken is a back mount kind of guy. The biggest issue at the intro stage and really up thru full cave is being able to donate gas, which any configuration can accomplish.


Several posters have recommended taking NAUI Cave I. I certainly agree with them that it offers the most bang for the buck, it’s also a lot to bite off. You’ll come out the equivalent of Apprentice cave. However, if you’re taking the course in one fell swoop it’s a lot of material to cover in 5-6 days. When I did mine we did it over the course of a couple of weekends spaced several weeks apart.


Since the NAUI I program opens up a lot of cave it’s also going to open up a lot more demands than most other programs out there. You’re buoyancy and finning techniques should be pretty solid; IMHO this isn’t the course to learn those things. However, it is a course where you fine tune and tweak those things.


You should have a pretty solid mindset when it comes to decision-making and dive planning. That’s not to mean that you don’t make mistakes, god knows I did and still do from time to time. However, you should understand gas management, dive planning, and generally respect the overall rules/guidelines of cave diving so that when you make a mistake you have enough of a foundation that you learn from your errors.


Personally, I like the program and it suits me pretty well. However, I also live in the area and am more or less retired so I can dive as often or as little as I like.


I’m not sure that a program like NAUI Cave I makes sense if you don’t live in the area or can get to the area frequently enough to solidify what you learned and maintain what you learned.


Hope it helps.

 

[Germie]

Paul Heinerth, Mark Fowler, Ted McCoy, all teach backmount. And all are good and friendly.

 

[lerpy]

I will also recommend Ken Sallot @kensuf or Marissa Waltman or the Kieren's ( Jon and Lauren ) have personally been trained by these instructors for various portions of my cave and received great training and an overall really enjoyable training experience.

 

[kensuf]

I will also recommend Ken Sallot @kensuf or Marissa Waltman or the Kieren's ( Jon and Lauren ) have personally been trained by these instructors for various portions of my cave and received great training and an overall really enjoyable training experience.

Thanks for the kind words. BTW, I used up the last of the childrens harvest this morning.

 

[The Chairman]

I would like to add Reggie Ross (NSS-CDS, NASE)

Reggie would be an awesome addition to all the ones I mentioned earlier. He helped me through my ITC many, many years ago.

 

[lerpy]

Thanks for the kind words. BTW, I used up the last of the childrens harvest this morning.

No problem, really enjoyed learning with you. I have a bottle here for you, however I attempted to mail it but there seems to be an issue mailing food products to people across borders. I will bring some with me in November, I will bring enough to keep you in supply between my cave trips.