Intro to cave...exploration

[CaveMD]

Thats the beauty of having a cave instructor to suplement whats not covered in the manual.

The entire idea of an Intro level class is to introduce divers into the cave environment without allowing them to have to deal with advanced planning associated with gas planning a siphon/stages/dpv's, without having to deal with advanced navigational decisions, and without having to deal with all sorts of other task loading.

Just get used to being in a cave, then continue your training.

Isn't orange grove a siphon?

[DA Aquamaster]

Well for starters, some Intro divers may not use an exploration reel for their primary. One of about a thousand possible scenerios that come to mind is that when "it" hits the fan, you can generally be assured that both ends of a Gold line are properly secured. Makes O.K.ing the line so much nicer. D.H.

One issue I've seen debated here is the main line versus continuous line to the surface issue.

One of the more common examples is an intro diver in Ginnie using a 400' primary in the catacombs, another would be the same diver and 400' primary in P1 toward the well. One has lots of twists and turns, the other is potentially silty.bConsistent with the point you've maxe, both would potentially involve an intro level diver exiting in an emergency on a line that is not secured on both ends.

[DA Aquamaster]

Isn't orange grove a siphon?

The flow comes from the distance tunnel (about p.950) so it does not technically siphon until you get past the distance tunnel, and that's as far as most intro level divers can get on 1/6ths.

And even then it's a siphon in the same way P3 is a siphon, so slight that it does not require any mod to the gas plan.

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Isn't orange grove a siphon?

Not under normal conditions.

PIII is, usually.

[ffdiver5597]

The way it was explained to me (from what I remember) siphons present different challenges and their own set of dangers/risk. 1/3rds is not sufficient gas planning and if you do dive siphons even at higher levels than intro to treat especially "new to you" systems as intro dives and to progressively penetrate the cave.

I was not told by my instructor or reading through the manuals that diving siphons is not to be done at the intro level. If the agencies that set the standards didn't want intro divers to dive siphons I think they would spell it out the same way that a few agencies very clearly state not to exceed 6ths.

If it was a hard and set rule like "no exploration" than you would find it in the same place as you found the no exploration rule in the course manual.

(DISCLAIMER: I could be 100% wrong about everything I wrote. This is my interpretation of what I remember being taught. If I am grossly wrong its my fault not my instructors.)

[RN]

Just out of curiosity, if an intro to cave diver is laying line in an unexplored cave, is he actually violating any rules? How is it any different than laying a primary to the gold line...that is 1200' away? Provided they stay within 1/6's etc.


I thought about this while watching an intro class at JB this weekend

No original exploration. It's also a test question in the exams of most agencies, including the one you took...

My intro buddy this past weekend got to about 1200 in jb on sixths in 85s.

Which would be another Intro violation since no navigational decisions are allowed and the 1st T is located at about 950'.



As for siphons, there is nothing specifically stating that siphons are not allowed at the intro/basic level, but siphons are typically considered an advanced dive due to the planning involved and discouraged at the intro/basic cave level.

[Tegg]

Exploring as an intro diver would be similar to base jumping after a "skydive experience" strapped to an instructor at 10K feet.

[Bobby]

Geez you all are gas hogs. I dove past EOL in Ginnie the other day and only used 300 psi of gas, LOL.

[FW]

Geez you all are gas hogs. I dove past EOL in Ginnie the other day and only used 300 psi of gas, LOL.

Dil, or O2?

[adam0321]

As an intro diver have you really seen enough to the point you have to move on to exploration? There is plenty to see the first 900' in jb( which is about ad far as you can/should go at the intro level)

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