More untrained cave diving in the DR

[NEON]

Not sure if this video has been posted before, if so, please disregard...

The first cave dive of my life! it was such an amazing experience, I'll go back with bigger lights next time

[JamesK]

Sickening......

[mdax]

just wow, not looking forward to the accident thread when it happens
For some reason your link had an extra http: link in it...probably just needed to select/cut the http in the link dialogue.

[kwinter]

I did that guided dive at Cueva Taina about 11 years ago. I was so enthralled I became a cave diver. It's not all that bad. Supposedly all cavern zone and it is guided in small groups with max depth 35 feet. Most of the time you have a large air chamber above you, even though you don't know it. But in my recollection from over a decade ago, it seemed more like cave than the typical Dos Ojos guided cenote dive.

[FW]

just wow, not looking forward to the accident thread when it happens
For some reason your link had an extra http: link in it...probably just needed to select/cut the http in the link dialogue.

Fixed original link, thanks!

[FW]

...But in my recollection from over a decade ago, it seemed more like cave than the typical Dos Ojos guided cenote dive.

Yes, and I am not convinced Dos Ojos is all that safe.

[kwinter]

Yes, and I am not convinced Dos Ojos is all that safe.

I get your point, Forrest, and its been discussed a lot. Having been there both before and after my cave training, I looked back and also thought OMG. But the safety record is really outstanding after many, many years, so its hard to think about it as an accident waiting to happen. And if it gets people interested in becoming cave trained in order to see more, that's good for the sport. Like the Discover Scuba resort experience that I also thought was pretty crazy.

[JamesK]

I can see both kwinter's and FW's point. I was not aware this was a guided dive. One thing I will say though, even as a guided dive, some techniques need to be taught before you go in. A small skills test and a gear once over. The stuff hanging down, and the flutter kicking made me cringe. I did notice a lot of air pockets in this video, but also saw areas it looked like a ceiling above them. Even if they were air pockets, how far back were they? They always appeared to be out of the cavern zone.

[phillip1]

I did that guided dive at Cueva Taina about 11 years ago. I was so enthralled I became a cave diver. It's not all that bad. Supposedly all cavern zone and it is guided in small groups with max depth 35 feet. Most of the time you have a large air chamber above you, even though you don't know it. But in my recollection from over a decade ago, it seemed more like cave than the typical Dos Ojos guided cenote dive.

There is a "cavern" dive in Taina similar to the new cavern line at Pet Cematary, it is 100% in the dark but also has air and a big dry cave section above almost the whole dive, if "guides" would sticl to this dive it would be relatively safe the problem in Taina is that irresponsible dive "guides" take people on the mainline and swim off into a large area of the cave, this area is about 300ft form the entrance has a very silty floor, a pronounced hallocline and is a 100% full cave dive. This is of course with no line and a full OW configuration.

I watched this video a few times and I know the cave well, it looks like they did the cavern dive and did not go to the mainline like many other dive shops do, it also appears that the guide was in doubles so I assume he was at least cave trained.
To me this seems ok and they did a cavern dive and the guide was in full cave gear as required, unlike many other DR dive shops.

[jcamilogarcia]

Yes, and I am not convinced Dos Ojos is all that safe.

What makes you say that?