Where would you do cavern training?

[ktkt]

This is sort of a long range question, not at all urgent. Sometime in the next year or two, I would like to take a serious cavern class, largely because I would like to visit some of the Mexican cenotes without doing trust-me dives. At this point, I have no intention of pursuing further cave diving. (Though I must admit, when I first did Discover Scuba, I was sure it was going to freak me out. I was visiting Australia anyway, so I made myself try it for the sake of the Great Barrier Reef, and here I am, completely addicted. So maybe my view will change after some caverns take my breath away.)

I am currently in California, and I am expecting to travel for cavern training. What would be a good spot? Of course, I want a thorough, demanding instructor in the area, and preferably some gorgeous views underwater. Cost is a small concern, basically in that I'd prefer not to blow a fortune on accommodations and airfare. I have 100+ dives so far, pretty good buoyancy control, and I'm very comfortable in the water. Super cautious, not a daredevil at all. I have AOW and drysuit training. I will do a stress & rescue class in the very near future. I can frog kick and do helicopter turns, but haven't figured out the back kick yet.

If you could do things over, would you still do your original training in the same spot? Is there other training you would do before cavern?

 

[Peter Guy]

While I won't tell you that you'll be better off doing your Cavern training in Mexico as opposed to Florida (although that is what I believe), I will tell you:

DO as much of your training as possible at home, BEFORE you start your Cavern class. What training you might ask?

a. Truly strong buoyancy control -- that is, you are able to maintain your position while truly task loaded (no mask and air sharing for example);

b. Learn to dive doubles and get facile with them -- be able to do solid valve drills while maintaining your trim, balance and team awareness;

c. Master the non-silting kicks -- frog, modified frog, modified flutter, helicopter and back kick.

In other words, learn and master all the skills from Cavern that you can learn and master in open water. Once those skills are learned and mastered, then do Cavern and spend the time learning the cave specific skills.

 

[rongoodman]

I've been happy with Protec in Playa del Carmen and the logistics work out well if you'll be traveling alone. If you're of the DIR persuasion, Zero G has a very good reputation too.

 

[CamG]

Greetings KtKt and Peter speaks the truth!
The more you can learn and perfect skill sets at home before Cavern / Cave training the better your experience.
Where I differ from Peter is that I am a fan of north FL for your training.
Why? Well it is cheaper in my opinion but if you are going to MX already then you should train there.
I am a fan of FL caves because the access is relatively easy and instructor choices are easy to check references.
Also lodging is very cheap compared to other types of diving it actually is more reasonable due to the fact you rarely are blown out.
When you get blown out of a dive it costs lots of cash just to be there regardless of whether you dive or not!

I started into the Cave training to become a better Wreck diver, what I did not expect was to enjoy the cave environment as much as I do!
I can do a cave dive trip for $500 - $700 pretty easy that is a week including food, gas, lodging.
Like to spilt fuel costs with at least 3 but if you can get another buddy to go "2" it is not that bad.
If you are interested in specific information PM me with your questions and I will do my best to give you the information with ways to verify the details.

My advice is to get started and train hard to be prepared.

CamG Keep Diving....Keep Training....Keep Learning!

 

[lv2dive]

Lots of good points made already.

For me, a cavern card was almost dangerous*. As soon as I got in the overhead, I was done... I think I made one trip specifcially to do cavern dives after my cavern certification, and worked some other cavern dives into other trips, before I simply made a choice to stay out of the caves until i was trained to go INTO them past the daylight zone.

I think it's a good idea for you to have the awareness that this is a real possibility. In a good way, of course!





*almost as in ALMOST - I never penetrated past the daylight zone. It was far easier to sit out a couple of months, and get appropriate training and feel confident in my abilities.

 

[lowviz]

Read Peter's post, read Kate's post, find an NACD instructor National Association For Cave Diving and start with cavern in Orange Grove.

 

[asha]

I'm doing mine in north Florida in 2 months

 

[TSandM]

You're in Berkeley -- I'd HIGHLY recommend you take GUE Fundamentals with Beto Nava or Rob Lee as a first step. Whether you go on to any further training with GUE or not, the class will give you a very solid footing for cavern training. I firmly believe that it is wise not to try to learn anything in the overhead that you can learn in open water.

And where to train? Why, Mexico, of course! Not only do you have a plethora of nice, shallow, BIG caverns to play in, but when you're done with class, you can go relax on a sparkling white beach with the margarita that wipes away the memory of the day's screwups

 

[LiteHedded]

I say do your training in florida. after that mexico will be a walk in the park

 

[JamesK]

I say do your training in florida. after that mexico will be a walk in the park

I agree. While I think the caverns in Florida are beautiful, Mexico kills them. So I say train in the not so pretty ones and then when you get to the pretty ones you go "WOW".

Is my thought process logical? Probably not, but who cares.