am i on the right track??

[jloving1]

Well, I have finally taken the plunge into diving and I am as hooked as I expected I would be. I am a geologist and love caves so naturally my adventurous side wants to go into cave diving. I got my OW cert. 8/10 and today I got the necessary specialty (navigation; equipment tech; deep diving; night/limited vis) books to start on the route to Advanced OW through SSI.

One main question I have is equipment. I want to purchase recreational equipment soon so I can spend even more time in the water and then purchase gear needed for cave diving next fall or so when I am ready to start that training. Is that a logical choice or should I go ahead and egt a rec/tech BC that can carry over? Any suggestions?

Also any info as to whether my plan of attack seems appropriate would be greatly appreciated!!

Jen

 

[Wendy]

I think you should buy a backplate/harness/ and single tank wing for now. This will carry you thru your cavern and intro levels, and then when you go to double tanks all you will need to buy is a wing for doubles. You can go ahead and get the 7' hose for your primary reg and the bungee necklace for the backup reg. Also save up your money for a canister light. There is no reason why the gear you would wear on a cave dive can't be used on an open water recreational dive.

Another good class to help you get your ow skills in order that will carry over to your technical training would be DIR-F course thru GUE. Even if you don't plan on taking your technical and/or cave classes thru GUE it will help you.

I hope this helps

 

[novadiver]

I think you should buy a backplate/harness/ and single tank wing for now. This will carry you thru your cavern and intro levels, and then when you go to double tanks all you will need to buy is a wing for doubles. You can go ahead and get the 7' hose for your primary reg and the bungee necklace for the backup reg. Also save up your money for a canister light. There is no reason why the gear you would wear on a cave dive can't be used on an open water recreational dive.

Another good class to help you get your ow skills in order that will carry over to your technical training would be DIR-F course thru GUE. Even if you don't plan on taking your technical and/or cave classes thru GUE it will help you.

I hope this helps

This is very good advice, I'll only add that you should get alot of practice in your new gear before takeing the cavern class, you'll thank me later I'm sure.

 

[jloving1]

thank you both for such quick replies. i wrote down the advice and will keep it whith me when i am looking at gear!!

 

[JDostal]

jloving1 - if you plan on cave diving, start buying your gear for it now! Don't buy recreation first, then have to upgrade your gear. You will just end up being disappointed in the crappy gear you bought first, and then mad because you are purchasing everything twice. TRUST ME - I did the same thing.

But the right things first - especially if you are serious about doing the cave diving. But a backplate. Don't buy a console - just get a small brass spg. Get a wrist mounted computer.

After those key things, the rest is fairly wide open. Get quality regs - what brand isn't that important, as long as they are quality stuff. Don't get split fins. Any other fin is fin. DiveRite, Mares Quattros, JetFins all work well for doing cave diving kicks.

You will spend a LOT less money if you start out right - your basic gear (backplate, spg, computer, good fins) will take you from the easy warm reefs, to the caves, to the wrecks and back. Whereas your regular recreational gear will have to be thrown aside as soon as you progress to anything challenging.

I essentially wear the same stuff on every dive - drysuit, backplate, canister light, reg on a long hose, wrist computer and spg. If I'm diving on a charter in warm tropical weather, I just switch to a wetsuit and reconfigure my regs for a single valve tank (I dive doubles or H-Valves...so on a charter I have to put two second stages on one of my single stages). Works out pretty good.

You are on the right track

 

[jloving1]

thanks for some great recommendations. i am so excited about the long journey ahead of me. i have finished all the academics for my 4 specialties as of today. i will be spending everynight next week in the pool to practice and then i have 2 weeks until my open water dives for the specialties. after that i have nothing to do put practice practice practice!!!