3 weeks to cave 2

[lamont]

Any suggestions?

I think mostly I just need to figure out the drysuit thing. Need to patch all the leaks and boot dip it and then i'm just worried that my 200g thinsulate will fry me in MX and might need to put together something thinner... I'm vaguely concerned about taking the drysuit down there not having dove it before in MX, but i've got a couple of days of acclimation before class starts...

I need a lighter hood than my 12mm as well...

Hmmm... need to figure out stage regs as well, i think one of mine needs to be rebuilt, but there's probably not enough time for that based on how long they usually take...

 

[TSandM]

Lamont, BIG piece of advice here -- don't take anything with you if you aren't 100% sure it's going to work. Equipment issues add significantly to the stress, and I swear that stuff knows when it's going to bother you most if it fails.

Another recommendation -- if you haven't already, make SURE you get in the water and do a bunch of line-following air-sharing drills, including switching the team over the line. It would have helped me a LOT if I had done this -- and I'd be happy to do it with you if we can match schedules. Practicing with the two bottles, and dropping and picking up the O2 bottle, is important, too. As is flutter kicking, although I'm not sure the guys in MX are as big on this as the guys in high flow.

Anyway, if you want to get out and practice, let me know.

 

[lamont]

Lamont, BIG piece of advice here -- don't take anything with you if you aren't 100% sure it's going to work. Equipment issues add significantly to the stress, and I swear that stuff knows when it's going to bother you most if it fails.

yeah, i've been trying to think through the equipment issues ever since we got back from the last trip. since i was constantly catching my gauges on the line i switched those over to bungee straps. i've been diving with my trilam to make sure that will work for me down there.

the stage bottle regs were not something i had thought about before, but took them out a week ago and found one of them needed maintenance.

Another recommendation -- if you haven't already, make SURE you get in the water and do a bunch of line-following air-sharing drills, including switching the team over the line. It would have helped me a LOT if I had done this -- and I'd be happy to do it with you if we can match schedules. Practicing with the two bottles, and dropping and picking up the O2 bottle, is important, too. As is flutter kicking, although I'm not sure the guys in MX are as big on this as the guys in high flow.

Anyway, if you want to get out and practice, let me know.

yeah, line-following drills would definitely help some. i'm reasonably okay with dropping and picking up bottles now -- mostly it is just having two bottles chest-clipped that gets difficult for me to manipulate them.

i think one big thing may be that i'm going to be diving with two other divers who have been diving with each other for awhile and we're going to need to figure out how to come together as a team.

 

[Peter Guy]

To Get Ready For Cave 2:

How about standing 9 or 10 feet from a concrete wall, bend over, run as fast as you can, hit the wall -- rinse and repeat until you are so tired you drop. Eat a power bar, take a 10 minute nap, start over again!

 

[PfcAJ]

Lamont, what bungee straps are you talking about?

If you can acquire any spares (spare anything) and its not an issue to bring it with you, do it. It will save time if you break something to just pull out a spare and not have to tinker/ find an extra from someone else.

 

[rjack321]

Make sure your wrist seals are tight. I have to replace mine going south, if they are suitably tight around here my hands freeze. Loose as I have them up here = major leaking down there.

email me if you need a stage/deco reg, I have one you can borrow.

any hood will work in MX, Danny even uses a 12mm Otter Bay.

old squished 200gm undies are perfect down there.

 

[MonkSeal]

i'm just worried that my 200g thinsulate will fry me in MX and might need to put together something thinner...

I used 100g for Cave 1 and I was OK. When I talked with Chris about Cave 2, he told me 200g was OK and recommandable due to longer exposure.

 

[lamont]

Lamont, what bungee straps are you talking about?

on the gauges (not on the wings, please god lets not go there).

i found that the plastic wrist straps were line traps last time i was down there.

Make sure your wrist seals are tight. I have to replace mine going south, if they are suitably tight around here my hands freeze. Loose as I have them up here = major leaking down there.

my wrists don't have large water channels... I just need to fix all the little leaks and boot dip them, otherwise my legs will be soaked...

email me if you need a stage/deco reg, I have one you can borrow.

any hood will work in MX, Danny even uses a 12mm Otter Bay.

old squished 200gm undies are perfect down there.

cool, my 200gms are indeed old and squished.

not wanting the 12mm otter bay is really about comfort and jaw fatigue since its a tight hood for me...

I used 100g for Cave 1 and I was OK. When I talked with Chris about Cave 2, he told me 200g was OK and recommandable due to longer exposure.

cool, 200gm it is...

 

[PfcAJ]

Wing bungees didn't even cross my mind!!

I've been using cave line on my stage spgs, but I'll give the bungee a try and see whats better. Thanks!

 

[lamont]

Wing bungees didn't even cross my mind!!

I've been using cave line on my stage spgs, but I'll give the bungee a try and see whats better. Thanks!

Actually, not those gauges...

On my compass and my bottom timer... With enough length on the plastic straps to fit around a drysuit with a bunch of coldwater thinsulate under it, when I'm diving in MX with a much thinner wrist the dangly bit is pretty big and it seemed to be a cave line magnet last time I was down there... So I switched to bungees on the the (wrist) gauges...

I think I do like bungee better on stage bottle SPGs over cave line as well though (although I think both of mine are cave line right now)... Don't really know what I'm doing there though... RTodd will probably be along to tell me how one way or the other is going to kill me now...