agree 100%, I even got into a line trap (that I laid cause I was not really paying as much attention as I should have been) in a tight tunnel and in zero viz and that really, really sucked, live and learn so to speak.
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I remember being asked why I held my hand under my nose when I was doing the no mask drill... because the regulator exhaust tickled my nose!Originally Posted by Diverlee
As a pastor I am amazed that some of my best communions with God are when I am in the underworld!
keeping the cave map straight in my mind, and math without pencil & paper.
proud cave tourist!
Judging by some caves boancy seems to be quite challenging:-(
The hardest thing for me is bottle management through interesting places. Other than that lost line drills, especially sense the places I feel okay to train is significantly different than where I imagine actually loosing the line in terms of geology.
A. No wonder you were sideways in sidemount
B. You should try staying right side up in double 104s and a old style horse collar BC.
Other than B. the only skill I recall having trouble with was reeling out of the main spring "mouth" at Manatee.
Fortunately, my wife is a cave diver, too. So equipment acquisition isn't usually a problem.
Rob Neto
Chipola Divers, LLC
Check out my new book - Sidemount Diving - An Almost Comprehensive Guide
"Survival depends on being able to suppress anxiety and replace it with calm, clear, quick and correct reasoning..." -Sheck Exley
Situational awareness. I was so focused on trying to do the physical skills properly that I would not even remotely notice two instructors and my buddy all flashing their lights at me simultaneously. My instructor told me I had all the skills to be a cave diver but that I got an F for awareness, and he was right. I still remain paranoid about this, but my buddies say it is no longer a problem.
That's an easy one - show her the life insurance policy with no conditions on payout - my wife waits at the surface for me during most dives to see if she can cash in when I cash out!!
OK - my real "most challenging skill" was getting my trim under control. I was feet heavy, tried moving the bands down, didn't want to use shoulder clipped weights, I fought this through my full cave class. Second day of class my instructor talks with me about it - he noted that I'm using jet fins - he gets me a different type of fin also with spring heels - bang, my trim was fixed. I've made some gear adjustments since then - different wing, aluminum O2 bottle instead of steel, they have all helped, but none as much as that one suggestion.
Mark
Last edited by mfascuba; 12-12-2010 at 07:19 AM. Reason: gave a serious answer to the original question
Yeah, that's one that probably not many people do or can do with any ease. It makes exiting the Ear seem like a low flow cave
Putting the reel in is not not a walk in the park either!
John
Except that, whatever you get, you have to buy TWO!Fortunately, my wife is a cave diver, too. So equipment acquisition isn't usually a problem.
Situational awareness was a big one for me, too, and is something I have to work on constantly. It's incredibly easy to get to thinking about something and miss stuff like contrary arrows, at least for me it is.
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