Questions about Cavern

[Aftertwoam]

I've been a lurker on this site for a while now, and finally have a reason to post! I'm going to be in Playa del Carmen for a week at the end of this year, and am trying to arrange a cavern course while I'm down there. I've looked through past posts about this stuff pretty extensively, but after a while the stuff has started to blur in my head, so I'm posting some questions here.

1. Since I would love to be full cave certified eventually, it seems like I shouldn't take PADI cavern. I've emailed all the dive shops I could find down there, and a few of them offer IANTD, would this be accepted by most Intro to Cave instructors? I haven't asked about NACD/NAUI but I'm thinking it would be rare.

2. Only one instructor has told me I could choose to do cavern w/double tanks, everyone else does it w/singles. Does it matter significantly?

3. The instructor I mentioned above is Nicolas Casella - anyone know of him/had experiences w/him?

4. Does it matter if the instructor is certified full cave instructor, vs only intro to cave instructor? Obviously I'm not doing either of those, just wanted to know if it really makes a difference.

5. Any recs for cavern instructors in Playa del Carmen? The ones I found on this site seem to be more Cancun/Tulum/Cozumel. I tried to contact German Yanez anyway, since I thought I may have read in some thread he might be open to coming to the mainland, but got no response. Did get a response from Mexico Blue Dream, where Etienne would be the instructor. I read about him somewhere in this forum too, any info there?

6. Obviously I don't want to skimp for the sake of skimping, but there is such a huge difference in prices among the people I've contacted that it's confusing me. Is there an 'average' of what a cavern course down there should cost?

Thanks in advance for anyone who might respond - like I said, this is my first time posting so I'm actually kinda nervous!

[Superlyte27]

Wow, lots of questions...

1. IANTD is fine. That cavern cert will transfer to any agency if you decide you like someone else who isn't IANTD when it's time to pursue Intro
2. Cavern with double tanks is fine provided you don't suck at doubles tanks. I have several students who come with doubles for their first time, then fail cavern class.
3 I know nothing.
4. Not if he's a good instructor.
5. I know nothing. They don't let me out of the country much.
6. See answer #5.

I hope this helps. Good luck in your class. I hope it fuels an unquenchable thirst.

[RN]

1. IANTD is fine. IANTD has a decent internship program in place for its instructors. With PADI all it takes is full cave and proof of 20 dives after training. That's why many cave instructors will not accept PADI cavern as a pre-requisite.

2. If you plan on continuing beyond cavern and have experience in doubles, then take the course in doubles. This will better prepare you for your future training.

3. Never heard of Nicolas.

4. Yes, it does matter. NACD, NSS-CDS, IANTD, TDI, and some other agencies require their cavern instructors to be full cave before becoming cavern instructors. PADI used to only require intro to cave but they changed that standard a few years ago. However, they grandfathered in the cavern instructors they had at the time. If the cavern instructor is only intro to cave then it's a safe bet he/she never did any type of internship or instructor examination to earn instructor status for cavern.

5. Here are a couple of lists of instructors. Several are located in Mexico.

NACD instructors

NSS-CDS instructors

6. I don't know about Mexico specifically, but you can expect to pay in the $300-400 range in Florida.

[DA Aquamaster]

I think with regard to number 4 he was asking if it mattered whether he chose a cavern instructor who was a full cave instructor versus a cavern and intro instructor - I don't think he was asking about the old versus new PADI cavern instructor requirements.

In my opinion, the instructor and his/her teaching style make more of a difference than whether they are an intro instructor or a full cave instructor.

[Aftertwoam]

I think with regard to number 4 he was asking if it mattered whether he chose a cavern instructor who was a full cave instructor versus a cavern and intro instructor - I don't think he was asking about the old versus new PADI cavern instructor requirements.

Yup, exactly, thanks!

As for doubles, I don't have experience in doubles, so should I stick w/single tanks for the course? I'll *have* to do doubles for anything past cavern though, right? When/how do ppl usually learn that?

Reading about everyone saying cavern really kicked their ass/humbled them is making me more and more nervous too, hope I don't psych myself out. Don't even need the 'fuel', I already have a thirst for it and I haven't even done anything yet!

*btw DA, I'm a she =)

[chrispete]

Reading about everyone saying cavern really kicked their ass/humbled them is making me more and more nervous too

It's the instructor's job to challenge you. It's your job to be prepared. The more prepared you are, the less you'll have to deal with for the first time in the actual class. For example, if you've run a reel a couple of dozen times before class you'll be more at ease with it in class and the instructor will get to spend less time teaching the "basics" of reels and more time letting you practice/teaching you how to handle a reel with a bit more finesse. That being said, a good class should have you doing some introspection when it is over, no matter how prepared you think you are going into it. That's a good thing, it's how one grows as a diver.

A mentor would likely be of great help, just keep in mind that the way a mentor does something may not be the way your instructor wants it done. While practice (with or without a mentor) is great, use it to familiarize yourself with things that will be covered in the class instead of getting set into (potentially) bad habits. For example, practicing handling a reel in general without having a birds nest of line coming back at you, etc. Just my $.02, good luck and have fun!

[WJH]

Most people learn to dive in doubles by getting some dives in with a friend who already does so to mentor them on hose routing and basic techniques. Some also take an Intro to Tech class. More and more, folks are skipping this step and taking an OW Sidemount class.

Enjoy your Cavern class, and don't worry about being too humbled. If you have good basic skills and excellent buoyancy control it will go well for you!

WJH

[lv2dive]

As for doubles, I don't have experience in doubles, so should I stick w/single tanks for the course?

It's been my own personal experience (not in a Cavern class) that the best way to acquire new skills is to focus that new skill acquisition... in your position, I'd stick w/ singles, given you haven't been diving doubles. You won't be getting any additional gas out of a doubles configuration at the Cavern level, so the only potential benefit to the doubles is prep for future classes (and there is the potential downside of being distracted by learning to manage the doubles). I'd focus on learning the Cavern skills in the Cavern class, and go from there. Just my $.02.

[gsk3]

Since you're in New York, if you want to make the most of your time in the cavern there are some great instructors up here who could get your skills sorted out before your trip. PM me if you want names.

[RN]

Yup, exactly, thanks!

As for doubles, I don't have experience in doubles, so should I stick w/single tanks for the course? I'll *have* to do doubles for anything past cavern though, right? When/how do ppl usually learn that?

Reading about everyone saying cavern really kicked their ass/humbled them is making me more and more nervous too, hope I don't psych myself out. Don't even need the 'fuel', I already have a thirst for it and I haven't even done anything yet!

*btw DA, I'm a she =)

Yes, stick with a single cylinder for the course. You shouldn't go into a cavern course with any new gear. While there is an intro class that can be completed in a single cylinder, I don't recommend it, especially if you want to go beyond that. Get experience in doubles before you move on. Either get a local mentor or take an intro to tech class that will give you the experience. However, do your homework. Not all Intro to Tech classes are the same. Some are used to teach you how to dive doubles and some are used simply to introduce you to tech gear and some basic tech skills. The intro to tech classes I teach are all different. I teach them based on what the student wants, but some instructors only teach one kind of intro to tech course.