The Overhead Question

[GDI]

Just a thought here. How many divers are wreck, cave/cavern and Ice divers. OR any combination of the above. I do all three disciplines and enjoy each and everyone of them. I haven't had much chamce over the last few years to do ice but I will get back to it. How about you?

 

[Genesis]

Wreck and cave/cavern without formal education thus far, but a goodly amount of practice, and I do know (and follow!) the rules.

Wrecks more than anything else. No ice for me - I don't like cold!

I love all that I've done thus far. A lot of my wreck diving is solo; most of the people I dive with are either uncomfortable with going inside, or worse, not properly equipped for it.

Then again I love all the diving I've done.....overhead or not.

 

[100days-a-year]

uh,Gen,the first rule in cave diving is not to do it without training

 

[Genesis]

Yeah, well, the first rule of mixing gas is not to do it without "formal training" too, and I've yet to blow up; the desires of some here notwithstanding.

Of course EVERY agency says "no solo" too, but gee, an awful lot of people ignore THAT "mandate" too.....

 

[DeepScuba]

AH Genesis, you are so controversial

 

[Genesis]

I know.... what can I tell 'ya. I think its this funny thing called "personal responsibility" that so many people are intent on ignoring.....

 

[jviehe]

uh,Gen,the first rule in cave diving is not to do it without training

No, the first rule is not to talk about cave diving. Wait, thats fight club. Seriously, who says you have to have training by a formal instructor and possess a piece of plastic saying you passed? Who was Sheck trained by?

 

[Genesis]

No, the first rule is not to talk about cave diving. Wait, thats fight club. Seriously, who says you have to have training by a formal instructor and possess a piece of plastic saying you passed? Who was Sheck trained by?

Wanna do some diving?

BTW, if you haven't read - and can implement - Sheck's treatise on the matter, IMHO you have no business in any overhead environment. If you can and have, then IMHO have at it - but be aware that if you get in trouble while in one, you do not have the option of rushing to the surface.

 

[100days-a-year]

The State of Florida and most privately owned cave systems agree with Murphy that a piece of plastic is in order.Non-cave certified divers make up most cave fatalities,some were even great divers.In any case it was a dig,as Genesis is very meticulous about things,I was having fun.Sheck is dead,died trying a EAD of ~300',he died proving some rules are important.

 

[Genesis]

Actually, if you read the stats on those deaths, it always seems to come down to a violation of the same basic rules.

The rules aren't the class.... if they were, you could show up, test on "Sheck's Rules", and get the card. Of course then there'd be this howl and scream from the agencies.

They are blatently hypocritical on this account - indeed, a lot of their bookwork is all about how to avoid dying (good), but they pointedly come back to, again and again, violations of those basic rules!

Gee, do 'ya think that maybe the little blue book that Sheck wrote might be the "real deal"? Even the agencies admit this in their own pontifications on the subject....

Sheck was a pioneer; he did things that people said were simply impossible and lived another day. Once, he found out that there really are limits to human endurance - pioneers often end up doing that.

That in no way diminishes his accompishments, some folks (none here in this thread - at least not yet!) pronouncements notwithstanding.