Kudos to GDI - my cave course

[mania]

I came to Ginnie Springs Friday morning. Was the first one to be there and it’s hard to believe that I’m here. The place I read so much about and dreamed to see and dive for few years. I parked my beautiful Chevrolet 300 in the front and went to have a look around.
I bought coffee and sat outside. Soon Linda approached me – she will assist GDI during my course. Soon after comes Rick. We see each other for the first time so at the beginning it’s a bit official. But not for long. Soon Rick will be calling me “Polish, redhead, and woman”. We started with paperwork. Then a bit of theory. I’m having problems with matching tanks that are in cufts and psi. Thank God Rick knows metric system – it’s much easier. And we practice guideline among trees. Everything is done normally and with closed eyes. Putting the line, winding up the reel, looking for a lost line and for lost buddy. Almost immediately Rick tells me the brutal truth about cave diving – if you don’t have time or gas to look for buddy safe yourself. Cave diving is a solo diving done as a social activity, he adds. After that we had a look at my equipment and we went to pick up a bit lighter doubles for me (still they are much heavier than the ones I have in Poland, so I think this could be a good business – importing to States European Faber tanks – one weights 12 kilos only).
Practicing guideline took us most of the day. It’s time for a dinner so we go to High Springs and again a bit of theory.
Saturday – H2Andy and Scubafool came as well. So we talk a bit about grass skirt and lap dance (details were not revealed to me) and it’s time to get wet. First we practice all safety drills – head to toe check, s-drill and v-drill. I have problem with v-drill which surprises me. Later I found out why – my shorty which I was wearing underneath was too tight in arms. So I cut the sleeves and later I had no problem. First dive is simply a pleasure one – we went to the crate and I could feel the current which was rather strong. Then I started doing the guideline. Next thing – Rick puts the line in the whole area. I have to swim it with eyes closed and then wind it up. I found out that reels are extremely aggressive – it simply attacked me (did I inherited this after H2Andy?). It got jammed and Rick had to unscrew the whole thing. All drills took us something like 3,5 hours, which we spent in the water.
In the afternoon some theory and cavern exam. David and Linda are explaining things I couldn’t understand while Andy has a nap on a bench. We all went for a dinner and time to go to bed. I was so tired that I fall asleep immediately.
Saturday morning – quick coffee (OK, brown water that doesn’t even taste like coffee – how can you all drink this????) Today we will enter the caves. First is the Devil’s Ear. Current is quite strong so Rick tells me – you have to descend quickly. He goes first. It was just a second and he was gone. I looked down and show to Linda – “no”. After w while I said – OK, yes” and looked down – again “No”. For couple of minutes it was like this – yes, then a look down and no. Rick came up, and I told him that I’m scared and I can’t do it so quickly. Finally, we do it slowly and I’m grabbing rocks to get down. I put the guideline, tied it to goldline and we went inside. This place is beautiful!!!!! I do the guideline, tie to goldline and then we follow the goldline. This time I simply have a trip into a beautiful cave. After the dive, we discuss my problems with entering the place. I laugh at myself. I know that I will like cave diving, that being in the overhead environment doesn’t scare me to death. Everything we practice is not to get you into the cave but to get you out of it, repeats Rick almost non – stop. And he is right. I want to learn it this way I would be able to get out of the cave alive.
Second dive – I do the guideline. Then we get to the Lips. Rick gives me a black mask (I can’t see anything) and moves me. I lost the sense of direction completely. So now it’s time to find a lost line. I try to do it methodically but without a success. So simply I’m dead.
Third dive was Devil’s Eye. The current is quite strong so whether I like it or not I have to practice pull&glide. We get to the Devil’s Ear and there I’m looking for a lost buddy. Surprisingly I found Rick although he really tried well in hiding. We are coming back to the reel and when trying to untie it I don’t see that my partner is showing me OOA. It took me some time to see this. (BTW I hope that in real situation Linda would simply grab my regulator). Finally I saw this, gave her my regulator and (surprise, surprise) our lights went off. Therefore, we have to get out in complete darkness. Therefore, this time I killed my partner. Not bad, right? This shows me that in cave diving you have to have eyes all around your head and think about so many things at the same time. A bit like driving but much more difficult.
The last dive was simply a dive back for the reel.
Summary – I have killed myself, my partner, lost my fingerprints (which are close to bleeding). When I showed them to Rick he said – Welcome to cave diving.

 

[mania]

Two weeks later I’m back. H2Andy too. This time we went to Peacock. Awesome place and no current. On the way back our lights again went off so we have to back in the darkness. Once we got to our reel my buddy (Rick) got lost. So I started the search and saw two lights. Asked them if everything is OK, they answered. OK, I thought, I found him. Then after a second I realized that this is not Rick but other divers. So I continue the search and found him. What a relief.
Second dive – we got to Pothole tunnel and there I’m OOA. Andy is a donor but as always we have no lights. I’m the first, as a receiver, so I have to wave my hand in front to get out of the rocks. We got to our goldline. There our lights miraculously started working again, and I have gas. So I’m wining up the reel and we get out.
The next dive though was a disaster for me. It started innocent. When I showed the turning – this time remembered to show it to all team members – Rick is OOA. We dive in three so Rick gets in the middle. I’m first. Again no lights. At peanut tunnel Rick is really pushing me forward. Pushing hard. At the beginning I don’t understand why. I’m trying to stop him but without a success. So I started swearing but I did it in Polish so he won’t understand. OK, I understand he is panicked by why so much pushing???? We went through the Peanut tunnel (oh yes I did get stacked couple of times), this part is over. Then again a black mask and looking for the lost line. Again I didn’t find it and I’m dead. Surprisingly during looking for an OOA I used all gas. Andy is a donor. We go to our reel and there I had horrible crump but Andy pushes me outside of the cave. No time to fight the crump so I scream inside and swim. I have enough of everything.
This weekend I’m sleeping at Linda’s cottage. She has a small but cozy cottage she rents for divers. It’s a great place with fully equipped kitchen, one sofa for two, small sitting room with TV set, DVD and video (quite a big collection of cave diving movies). Another sleeping room is upstairs. Of course the cottage has a full bathroom. Outside there is a place you can wash and dry gear and all this deep in the woods surronding Ginnie Springs. Great place and not expensive (in fact way cheaper than the motel I stayed on the first weekend).
In the evening we were practicing entangled diver and cut line drill by cutting some of Linda’s ropes.
On Sunday we go to Manatee. Scubafool is there as well. I’m happy because I really like diving with them – Andy and David. And they are so funny!!!!!
When I saw the entrance to Manatee completely covered with duckweed I said – I ain’t going there. It’s disgusting. First dive – I do the guideline to the goldline and then we swim. When it’s a turning point (David called off the dive) I take off my mask and swim back. Then I have to untie the reel. I didn’t remember how exactly I tied it off to the goldline so I’m having some problems. But later on the rest went without any problems.
GDI is not the guy that will tell his student that they did something good. Rather the opposite – he would first of all stress things that were not done well. Things you really have to learn. But after this dive he told me that this was so far the best dive I did. I was so proud. Hearing this from GDI is really an achievement.
Second dive (and the last one). We have upstream current so doing the guideline is not easy. When we reached our turning point Rick got himself entangled. So I’m doing the drill. Then a cut line drill – later on he was laughing that I didn’t go very far to find the other end of line. Well – I thought it was far enough. The moment I finished this David is OOA and took me completely by surprise. BTW meantime my primary light went off and this time it WAS FOR REAL (I forgot to change the battery). On the way back we found a reel tied off to the goldline but it was not ours. And ours is gone. Is not where it was suppose to be. But I can see the light, so I push David. Well he doesn’t want to go and takes his safety reel and starts ting it to the goldline. OK, later Rick explained – we could get lost and what I thought was the exit could not be one. So you need to maintain contact with goldline. At the entrance to the cave again some drills. Lost line as the first one. Again the black mask. This time at least I knew Rick took me down because I could feel this in my ears. So I started looking for the line. At certain moment I went way too close to rocks so I went back to the starting point and started the search again. Suddenly I felt the line on my leg. They told me it was there for sometime and everybody was wondering when I would feel it. So I found it. Finally!!!! I was so happy, Rick too because he congratulated me underwater. We did some other skills and finally the dive was over.
In the afternoon I did the test. Still was not sure whether I passed or not (in fact I was rather sure I didn’t).
Finally Rick’s comments – things I need to practice – all line drills, buoyancy, s-drill. But he said – I’m promising if I practice.
I must tell you he is a great instructor. He clearly sets the tasks, challenge students, at the same time gives a feeling of total security. Explains everything clearly even to my humanistic mind.
This was a great training. This was a great time.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU GDI ONCE MORE.

And many thanks to Linda for her support. I already miss our “cat fight”. :wolfgang:

As well as I would like to thank my buddies that kept my humor up –
Scubafool and H2Andy – guys I love you.:sappy:

Mania
PS. Some photos will follow when I will unpack and get from the bottom of my bag UBS cable I need to download photos from camera.

 

[justleesa]

all in all sounds like you had a good time....glad you were able to fulfill your dream

 

[PerroneFord]

I wish I knew you were coming. I was at Ginnie Saturday. Did the ballroom, then Devil's Ear.

 

[mania]

But I did posted my dates - the whole plan for my vacation in Florida was posted....

Mania

 

[PerroneFord]

I don't mean it was your fault. I just didn't see the information you posted. I am glad you had a good time. I have met and talked to GDI several times. He saw me when I had the worst dive of my life at Blue Grotto! LOL!

Wow, is that painful to remember...

 

[Jasonmh]

Great report, thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[CBulla]

EXCELLENT My beautiful Polish dive buddy! What a great FL experience you've had!!

 

[Rick Murchison]

When you come back see if you can get Rick to bring you up to the Mill Pond... JB beckons
Headed there in the morning.
Rick

 

[scubafool]

It was a great experience diving, drinking cold beer, dining, and talking with you. I hope that we get to repeat that many times in the future.

The moment I finished this David is OOA and took me completely by surprise.

I am still chuckling as I remember how Rick set you up for that one. Once you started to wind up your spool and were engrossed in that task, he waved me over and had me shut down my light so you wouldn't have any idea that I was there. Then, just as you were turning back toward the two of us, he signalled me to go OOA. That moment was priceless.

Looking forward to the pictures when you get them up.

Thanks for the chance to dive with you, and you have an open invitation to come back for more diving and some Shrimp ala scubafool anytime at all.