First Dive Trip Without Instructor - Need to Rent Gear & Help Planning

[Lorenzoid]

There are some beautiful basins around some of the springs in Florida. Aren't there also some "sinkholes" or are those the same thing as springs? I am fine having light and air 100ft or fewer above me while I get better. I even had the idea of doing a scuba "float" down a river but something tells me that might be more dangerous / complicated than I am imagining.

I find the basins okay for training but kind of boring. Most are not very deep or very wide.

 

[kafkaland]

Aerolito on Cozumel is an excellent cavern dive for a properly trained diver. There is actually two large caverns there an upstream and downstream one. Aerolito ish also open to the public unlike most of the other cenotes.

Aerolito is certainly quite unique and impressive. But if I recall correctly, it is also rather silty near the entrance, so I'm not sure this would be a good location to get some cavern diving experience. I think the guided cenote dives are safer and would be more beneficial than this.

 

[bamafan]

Aerolito is certainly quite unique and impressive. But if I recall correctly, it is also rather silty near the entrance, so I'm not sure this would be a good location to get some cavern diving experience. I think the guided cenote dives are safer and would be more beneficial than this.

Notice I said properly trained. If after passing a cavern class and you are unable to dive somewhere like Aerolito you should go ask for your money back because you got ripped off. I have a feeling this is exactly what has happened here.

 

[Neilwood]

Fair enough, man. It is a rare new diver who has such a narrow goal, but nothing wrong with that. I can think of at least one SB member who never had any interest in anything but Great Lakes wrecks. Getting some significant OW experience before proceeding to cave training is the standard recommendation and what most people do, that's all. Then again, if you do dozens of guided cenote cavern dives, that's good experience. Nobody is forcing you into the ocean. If you really hate saltwater, take Tom up on his offer to show you Lake Jocassee.

I quite agree - some people find exactly what they want straight away other people like to enjoy the mix.

I agree though about diving with @tbone1004 though - I think he would give a fair but unvarnished appraisal of @CavernFrog skill in the water and the best route to training and development.

 

[CavernFrog]

I’m diving with @tbone1004 on 6/23.

 

[halocline]

Aerolito on Cozumel is an excellent cavern dive for a properly trained diver. There is actually two large caverns there an upstream and downstream one. Aerolito ish also open to the public unlike most of the other cenotes.

Aerolito is a beautiful dive on Cozumel, but I think it's crucial to emphasize that it's for an experienced and well trained overhead diver. It would be easy to end up in the cave zone in this system, and the cavern zone is very dark and not what I would call appropriate for unguided diving by someone without cave training and gear. ESPECIALLY the OP on this thread, who has almost zero experience diving outside of certification classes AND has demonstrated a disregard for understanding and following the most basic safety considerations on his first unsupervised dive.

This thread isn't that complicated, is it? Stay out of overheads until you develop skills and and experience in open water.

 

[divad]

I’m diving with @tbone1004 on 6/23.

Good thinking. Where?

 

[tbone1004]

Jocassee. I'm going out with a buddy and his wife already. We were going to get some trigger time for her on OC getting used to it, and for us to get some trigger time on the rebreathers. Nothing terribly exciting up there, but lots of skills and drills

 

[divad]

FYI, I got turned away last Sunday @ 10:30 AM.........and I thought all the good people would be in church...

 

[tbone1004]

FYI, I got turned away last Sunday @ 10:30 AM.........and I thought all the good people would be in church...

we usually get there around 0830 if we can help it during the summer for that reason