Advice for a cave diver

[loosebits]

Anyone have any advice for a cave diver thinking of hitting the big-O when she sinks? It's right on my way to cave country and its too big an opportunity to pass up (plus I can get all that salt-water off my gear in the caves, beats a garbage can).

Are the techniques/gear config all that different? Of course I'm thinking of only light penetration, not planning on going down 1000' of passageways.

I'd love to hear from any cave divers who have made this transition. I'd be perfectly satisfied with go-take-a-class-before-you-kill-youself answers.

 

[Meng_Tze]

Anyone have any advice for a cave diver thinking of hitting the big-O when she sinks? It's right on my way to cave country and its too big an opportunity to pass up (plus I can get all that salt-water off my gear in the caves, beats a garbage can).

Are the techniques/gear config all that different? Of course I'm thinking of only light penetration, not planning on going down 1000' of passageways.

I'd love to hear from any cave divers who have made this transition. I'd be perfectly satisfied with go-take-a-class-before-you-kill-youself answers.

Not sure what cave config you use. But I would only be looking out MORE /aware of entanglements (cables, ridges etc) and watch out for sharp edges. My config currently has no dangly bits, so dont see a need to reconfigure. The skills should be the same (line, finning etc). I would also not drop stage/deco, but carry with me (in case I need to get out somewhere else, not the way I came in)

I am sure someone else may have better advise.

 

[loosebits]

Regular doubles setup, hoggish... dangly free.

I would assume line protocols are the same.. always have a line to OW. Do you generally tie off to the anchor line or does it just depend on visibility/where on the wreck the anchor line is?

 

[cdtgray]

You should have no issues with your configuration to move from caves to wrecks (assuming you had a good cave set-up).

As for tie-offs, will always run them during penetrations, but where I tie off on the outside of the wreck comes down to visibility and condition of the wreck. If visibility is good and the wreck is in good enough condition to easily identify my position relative to major sections of the wreck I won't tie off near the anchor line only near the entry point. When visibility is bad or the condition of the wreck makes determining my position difficult I will run a line from the nearest suitable tie-off near the anchor line, but not to the anchor line itself. Oh, also be cautious of where your line rests in relation to any sharp edges on the wreck.

 

[SemorBugs]

Meng may have brought up an interesting subject. Stashed Deco Bottles? Humm. Will all the new divers have respect to leave them where they lie? I can see somebody thinking they found a lost item or worse. This needs to be addressed on all commercial boats dropping divers.

 

[Meng_Tze]

Let me pput it this way. In caves we all know the rules: dont touch other peoples stuff. Everything is marked and if you do take things, people can get hurt. You usually come back to the point of entry so you can drop deco bottles. If you plan something else, you would manage equipment accordingly. But basically you dont touch other people's sh!t.

In OW, you are usually with divers that dont have this mindset/insight. I always carry my deco bottles with me for two reasons. I could exit the wreck away from entry point (for whatever reason, emergency, planned etc. And secondly, there are those who think someone may have forgotten a tank.........take it up to the boat....being good samaritans. I am not worried about someone breathing from it.... it is marked with my name, has MOD and if someone feels they need to use it and dont know about MOD....good luck to them. Darwinism takes over at that point.


I have personally experienced this mindset as well, not with a tank, but a line.

Come back from penetration, and notice primary tie off is gone.....cut! 'Thats strange, there are no sharp things around there, someone must have cut it.

Back on the boat, blockhead is proudly showing off his 'save the wrecks' mindset.... he has my line in his hands and tells people how dangerous it is and how it pollutes.... I walk up to him and ask him if he thought about this...... its tied off neatly, we prepared for a long dive, they did two dives, we did one dive, DM told every one.... maybe that line is in use?

I almost strangled him with my long hose.


So these good smaritans are everywhere, in close proximity with them, do what is right: tel them, tie off and take what you really need with you.

 

[SemorBugs]

:14:

 

[SDAnderson]

Use a heavier line, tie it off more frequently and don't start the line until you're through the entry and around the first corner - the newb's are less likely to disturb it. Keep all your bottles with you. Since it will be a scuttle that won't have been down long, falling objects and silt shouldn't be much of an issue but always think about things moving around.