My first class

[adam0321]

yeah I suppose that would be important hu?

[stairman]

Definetely reveiw the 2 required books and realize some info has changed since their publication but the foundations are there. Making a fun dive with a cavern or caver can help alot before your class even starts.

[BabyDuck]

don't be late showing up.

bring some caffeine of choice in case you start feeling tired after lunch during lecture.

get the book before you go & read it a few times - which one/s to get depend on your instructor. you don't have to have it memorized or understand every last detail, but be familiar.

the main things to practice in the water between now & then are trim & buoyancy - be able to hover horizontally in a 'sky-diver' sort of position without moving your body or your place in the water column.

i hope you have a great time!

[J_glenn06]

Cavern is a great class and the first step in changing your diving. I learned so much in my cavern class that totally changes the way i dive in open water with students. I love it!! DONT BE LATE!!

[adam0321]

what books should i get and where would I get them. I know the instructor may require different onnes but I am a book nut so if I have extra no big deal. and as far as bouyancy its tought because in the ocean where I dive there is always a strong current. As an instructor hear at the base we have to display extreme bouyancy by both sitting laying and kneeling but I always have trouble because when I exhale I sink ( I know I know archamedies principle 101) but I would like to think I have very good b controll. On average I can swimm in the pool or in the ocean and move about 1.5 feet above the ground with out touching it. but when i stop i start to sink. I guess we will tweak that in class, and being in the marines I am quite used to very long lectures.

[Sludge]

I'm going to embarrass Adam here. I met him Friday night. I sold him an HID light and drove down to Panama City Beach to deliver it to him, and boy, was I surprised. I thought I knew what I would encounter - a US Marine who fought pirates in Somalia and teaches rebreather diving to US Navy divers - could there be anybody more macho, with an "I know how to do it all" attitude. Wrong. Adam was very aware of the fact that cave diving is nothing like what he does for a living and he is looking forward to starting cavern and taking each level one step at a time.

I'm looking forward to cave diving with him.

[adam0321]

wow I might need a bigger avatar for my head now. thanks there sludge. I like to think I am only alive after 2 trips to iraq,afghanistand and somalia by relising I do not know everything. we learn alot in military dive school but none of it touches overhead enviorments.. looking foward to diving with you to. next time you come down hear we might do a sneek dive in the pool. or maybe a night dive at the jetty's

[sea2summit]

As an instructor hear at the base we have to display extreme bouyancy by both sitting laying and kneeling but I always have trouble because when I exhale I sink ( I know I know archamedies principle 101) but I would like to think I have very good b controll. On average I can swimm in the pool or in the ocean and move about 1.5 feet above the ground with out touching it. but when i stop i start to sink.

You're talking about hovering in those positions correct? If not...

I'd consider a good buoyancy check if I where you, especially in fresh water if you've been used to salt. If your sinking very noticeably you're probably over weighted which will cause all kinds of problems. If the buoyancy check is good just work on breath control, your instructor I'm sure will have you squared away like your streamlined avatar dude by the end of class.

[RN]

Adam, get Sheck Exley's Blueprint for Survival. It should be mandatory for all cave diving students to read. I'd also recommend the NSS-CDS Cave Diving Manual. Some of the information is a little out of date, but a lot of it still has a lot of valid information in it.

As for your buoyancy, take some weight off. It sounds like you're too heavy. Then get in the water (shallow fresh water is best, less than 15') and practice your buoyancy until you can hover motionless. Once you get that down, keep practicing it. Hovering is one of the most important skills to have for overhead diving. You'll be task loaded quite a bit. You should be able to hold your position while task loaded. I don't expect my students to be even near perfect in cavern class, but by the end of cave class, they better be able to perform skills in a near perfect hover. If I can do it, then anyone should be able to do it.

[GLENFWB]

Adam, I just finished my Intro class last weekend. Those like RN who actually do the training know much better then me. I would add that I found the new book by Heinrith/Oigarden to be very helpful. Like you, I was always trying to find something to read about cave diving to learn more. This book is up to date with all of its information. I learned a great deal from this and other books.

Cave Diving Book by Jill Heinerth and Bill Oigarden

Apart from the training, I benefited greatly from diving with people who were great mentors. Diving with cave divers who will answer your questions, help you refine your skills, but NOT push you to dive beyond your limits has helped me more then I can say.

Like you I wanted to start buying equipment to get ready for class...but follow everyone's advice when they say to talk with your instructor. It will save you a LOT of money. Taking Cavern and later Intro was the best thing in diving I have ever done.

But I have enrolled in my first cavern/intro class. I live in panama City and will be going to Jb probaly twice a week once I am certafied so please dont think I am trying to take the 0to hero approach on this. But I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on the do's and dont's of my first class.