How long is too long to knock the rust off your full cave.

I been playing around with getting my gear all ready and with the goal to return to the caves I really love, but with my last cave dive being in 2002, (started in 1986) with over 160 cave dives it was just too long without starting over.

I looked good with all my new cave gear but my skills just sucked. I have stayed active open water diving but now I understand that for me should Full cave have a experation date. Mine did I just did not know it :roll:

Thanks for all the suggestions on the gear but sold it today and will troll and read about all the cool stuff you guys are doing, be safe maybe I start a new thread about Obama hehehe. If you guys get up to Homosassa look for my 305 whaler Killin Time :-)

Oh no, not another thread like this. Eeeeeeeeek!

I don't cave dive as much as I need to. But I have found tooling around in the cavern at JB for the first dive gets the cobwebs shaken out. After 10 to 15 minutes I seem to be back at full speed. Going down P1 into a heavy silt floor may not be pretty the fisrt time, so that would not be my choice for a warm up dive. Everybody is different. I once saw a guy that dove once a year for four day at a time. His first dive was as good as most instructors, an impressive feat as I've ever seen. He could swim to the coathanger at Ginnie and never hit thirds. Looked like he did it every day for practice.

When someone questions themselves seriously, it's usually time for another hobby. I would hate to quit because continueing to cave dive make me head strong about keeping my overall diving skills sharp. When open water diving I strive to keep the gear in configuiration, proper trim and maximimum awareness so when I cave dive it won't entail having to remember what's right and what's wrong. And what would I do with all my cool gear? LOL

Like the first rule of cave diving says, you can call the dive at any time for any reason. You called it at home and I respect that. Good luck with your new hobby!

i think you meant lurk, not troll...

next time i'm in town, maybe you'll take me out ow diving?

skip

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Originally Posted by skip

i think you meant lurk, not troll...

next time i'm in town, maybe you'll take me out ow diving?

skip

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Anytime,

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Originally Posted by Wizard

Oh no, not another thread like this. Eeeeeeeeek!


Like the first rule of cave diving says, you can call the dive at any time for any reason. You called it at home and I respect that. Good luck with your new hobby!

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I think some of it was being 54 I am lazy now, lol. them 104 got heavier for sure but at least there are nice steps at Little river compared to the ditch we used in the day. having a place on the water and dropping the lift and dive whenever has spoiled me the last few years. That is the one thing that stuck all these years was how Cave Diving is the best place to learn gear configuiration & proper techinques. I was diving last year in Rotan and watched a cattle boat drop on the reef and lord stomping coral, dragging gear you name lol, thanks

Huntingbigun, if you're in Homosassa stop by Birds in Crystal River- he can help you with shaking out your gear, whether it's Cave or OW. Forget the 104's, get yourself a set of LP85's, much lighter and easier to handle. Worthington galvanized LP80's are good in salt water too, and more manageable than the larger cylinders.

Safe Diving,

Mark

Jim Wyatt will also usually be able to help you out. Look him up on here.

I dived today after a four month layoff. It was humbling and fumbling running reels, but "cheating" is not acceptable. The skills don't just come automatically. So tomorrow will find me running reels up and down the Eye entrance at Ginnie till I get the fumbles out.

The problem is that once it gets smooth, then it is time to go home!
Cheers,
Barbara

I took a 2 year break before getting back into it this past December. It is definitely humbling. You have to master your technique all over again, although it is definitely easier to do than it was the first time around.

I think going slow,and easy is key. I recall a fatality by someone who cave dived infrequently with long periods of inactivity in between. They recalled their last cave dive which was megadive with stages to the *****,and wanted to do that dive right out of the box.

I took a 16 year break to build an airplane. I did a few dives during that time, but noticed I was getting rustier as time went on. I didn't quite have to start over, but I did a lot of easy dives the first couple of months back. And oh yea, what is OW? :roll:

OW is that scarey place with wind, waves, sharks, boat fees, salt,....need I say more?

Thanks for all the tips, couple great points and FW you the man for sure, . no fees on my boat lol. I may rethink this but glad that White dry suit is gone that suit was not for me too restrictive,

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Originally Posted by FW

And oh yea, what is OW? :roll:

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A better question would be, what is this "break from diving" you and several others are talking about?

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Originally Posted by Slüdge

A better question would be, what is this "break from diving" you and several others are talking about?

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+ 1

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Originally Posted by Slüdge

A better question would be, what is this "break from diving" you and several others are talking about?

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It's an unfortunate byproduct of having children who are too young to dive but old enough for little league and soccer and fishing and model rockets and homework and science fairs and horse shows and minibikes and gokarts and trips to see grandma and ...........

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Originally Posted by Half-Fast

It's an unfortunate byproduct of having children who are too young to dive but old enough for little league and soccer and fishing and model rockets and homework and science fairs and horse shows and minibikes and gokarts and trips to see grandma and ...........

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....and now i don't want children.

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Originally Posted by pink arrows

....and now i don't want children.

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Fortunately you're lacking a crucial element of that process anyway, so there's no need for you to worry... :-p

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Originally Posted by FW

I took a 16 year break to build an airplane. I did a few dives during that time, but noticed I was getting rustier as time went on. I didn't quite have to start over, but I did a lot of easy dives the first couple of months back.

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I knew Orville and Wilbur had help. And for this they never gave you any credit?
That wasn't right Forrest. You were robbed.

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Originally Posted by Wizard

I knew Orville and Wilbur had help. And for this they never gave you any credit?
That wasn't right Forrest. You were robbed.

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:rollguy

ZING! :D

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and now i don't want children

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You may want to rethink this - mine are now big enough to carry our doubles to the water for us. ::joy

I took a break from diving once....it was the longest week of my life!

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The problem is that once it gets smooth, then it is time to go home!

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Oh, I know that feeling! I generally get two cave diving trips a year, although I dive actively at home between times (and make sure to do some of it in doubles, and if possible with stages, just to keep the fumbling down). The first day of a each trip I call my "bull in a china shop" dive, and always do it someplace that's forgiving. By the end of a trip, it's starting to feel natural . . . and then I have to leave :(

I deeply envy the folks who live close enough to caves to dive them all the time. I'd love to have the grace and control that some of my friends and instructors do!

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Originally Posted by LCF

I deeply envy the folks who live close enough to caves to dive them all the time. I'd love to have the grace and control that some of my friends and instructors do!

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That is a "double edged sword". I know a lot of people that live right in cave country, that have adopted the attitude, "I can dive anytime I want, the caves aren't going anywhere". When the finally do dive, they aren't any better than people that drive over a day to get down there.

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Originally Posted by Leslie Sapp

You may want to rethink this - mine are now big enough to carry our doubles to the water for us. ::joy

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My son is finally old enough to dive and got his OW last summer. I've nicknamed him Spare Air.

New plan so we will see how it works, talked to Lamar Hires and going to spend couple days in July trying out some of the cool side mount Nomad's and work on some of my forgotten skills lol, He figured if he got me squared away the first time he can do it the 2nd lol, in the mean time work on basic stuff up ,

I always like stage diving so post up your favorite Nomad setup, tank size & conf. staying wet this time may have been the fusion I was having issuses with that suit. Then I can join in on why to give up BM for SM.

FW & me have one thing in common them dang airplanes is one of the reasons I stopped then add helciopters to the mix and all work no cave diving. Thanks for post (i think lol)

I dropped out of the sport for 17 years. Got back into it last year. Rusty is too kind of a word to describe my skill level. Barnacle encrusted would be a better choice. In some ways I've started over. Began by running reels in the Ginnie ballroom and moving to simple gold line dives. Some of the equipment has changed, but mostly it's just ramping back up the learning curve. I had to get reacquainted with dry suit diving, for example. My biggest mistake was thinking that my skills were as good as they were when I quit. Time has a way of erasing parts of the brain and physical coordination. The best thing that I have done is use cave diving as motivation for getting in better physical shape. Re-discovering the NF caves has been a very rewarding experience. Just last weekend I was in Peacock for the first time since I started back. It was almost like I had never been there before. While I still have a long way to go, the journey (including some less than stellar dives) has been enjoyable and I don't regret falling in love with cave diving for the second time in my life.

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Originally Posted by BgDadddy

Fortunately you're lacking a crucial element of that process anyway, so there's no need for you to worry... :-p

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you mean a rich and handsome husband to carry my tanks, do my bidding, and watch the kids while i'm diving?

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Originally Posted by Leslie Sapp

You may want to rethink this - mine are now big enough to carry our doubles to the water for us. ::joy

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Leslie my rich and handsome husband that I currently don't have can hire someone to carry our tanks.

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Originally Posted by Half-Fast

My son is finally old enough to dive and got his OW last summer. I've nicknamed him Spare Air.

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Genius.....

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Originally Posted by gasdiver

I dropped out of the sport for 17 years. Got back into it last year. Rusty is too kind of a word to describe my skill level. Barnacle encrusted would be a better choice. In some ways I've started over. Began by running reels in the Ginnie ballroom and moving to simple gold line dives. Some of the equipment has changed, but mostly it's just ramping back up the learning curve. I had to get reacquainted with dry suit diving, for example. My biggest mistake was thinking that my skills were as good as they were when I quit. Time has a way of erasing parts of the brain and physical coordination. The best thing that I have done is use cave diving as motivation for getting in better physical shape. Re-discovering the NF caves has been a very rewarding experience. Just last weekend I was in Peacock for the first time since I started back. It was almost like I had never been there before. While I still have a long way to go, the journey (including some less than stellar dives) has been enjoyable and I don't regret falling in love with cave diving for the second time in my life.

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That is encouraging, thanks