Cavern class

[knfmn]

Hello all,

I'm going to be taking my cavern class with one of my buddies in March. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should work on before I get down there?

Thanks for advise in advance,

Kristopher

[sskasser]

Bouyancy, bouyancy, oh, and.... bouyancy. Practice holding yourself horizontally within a 2' range in around 10' of water...without moving your feet or hands. Now practice doing it while doing other stuff (using camera, air sharing, playing pac-man on your underwater gameboy, etc)

Welcome to the forum and enjoy your class!

[knfmn]

Thank you! I'm working very hard on my buoyancy. Thankfully I have a pool available to me a couple times per week that I can practice in while it is a little too cold for diving locally. It's not the same, but it's not bad, either.

Kristopher

[a64pilot]

Once you get the buoyancy thing down, then try it while running line. I was always very comfortable with my buoyancy control in open water, but it went bad coming out of the cavern with a flow, decreasing depth and while reeling in line. Oh and everything must be done flat, abandon that head up, feet down thing, and forget the scissor kick. But truthfully until the buoyancy was second nature and didn't require thought or planning, I was a mess and easily task saturated. You can't have good buoyancy without near perfect trim.

[JamesK]

Pool work is great. Like the folks said above me, buoyancy and trim are key. Look up videos on You Tube of cave divers and the way they are positioned in the water. Repeat that. I hate to suggest running a line before class sometimes because you could end up doing it all wrong and then have to unlearn that habit. Although task load yourself in the pool while trying to maintain perfect trim and buoyancy. Take off your mask and try to hold that depth without a mask. Things like that. Good luck and enjoy!!

[bpcfire1]

Work on the use of your equip and locations on your set up. Work on trim while reaching, removing, replacing and locating all your equipment. You may find ways to move things and where to place such items as lights, knives, reels and such to where using them will not effect your trim. Also, do a few drills with locating and using your equip in the dark. Doing this will make it second nature and you will be more confident in the water.

[Line Squirrel]

Work on your Bouyancy & Trim...they are not the samething.

[hunabku]

Pretty much the same advice as everyone else.

Bouyancy and Trim.

You want to be able to be completely still in a horizontal position. Once you nail that practice performing tasks with your hands while maintaining that position.

Having outstanding control of your bouyancy and trim will make everything else a piece of cake. Try to do the entire dive horizontal. never go out of trim.


Have fun!!!

[Line Squirrel]

I think one of the biggest mistakes students make is rushing through some of the skills. Try to remember, it's not a race and you're not being timed when you put a reel, etc., in. Too many people think they need to do it fast. Just take your time with the reel(s) and concentrate on bouyancy and trim while performing these skills.

And...don't forget, this is supposed to be FUN!!!

[sskasser]

I think one of the biggest mistakes students make is rushing through some of the skills. Try to remember, it's not a race and you're not being timed when you put a reel, etc., in. Too many people think they need to do it fast. Just take your time with the reel(s) and concentrate on bouyancy and trim while performing these skills.

And...don't forget, this is supposed to be FUN!!!

OOOO so true! SLOOOOWWWW is fast. And ENJOY!

Mike, you so smart! Miss ya!