Starting out.

[highwirediver]

I appreciate all your advice. I have about decided to do cavern in back mount and transistion to sidemount later,before I do cave . Thanks again.

[JamesK]

Good call.

[FW]

I appreciate all your advice. I have about decided to do cavern in back mount and transistion to sidemount later,before I do cave . Thanks again.

Yep, good call!

[Line Squirrel]

Yep, good call!

+1

I used to work at a shop in Luraville, arguably the epicenter for N FL cave diving/cave training.

Watched students come and go weekly. I cannot tell you how many students were either sent home by their instructor or decided on their own to pack it in and come back later because they showed up with and wanted to try some new gear config they either never tried or started diving a week or two prior to their class.

The most common examples, by far, would be doubles or a drysuit. I've even seen students show up with BOTH a drysuit AND doubles having only a few dives if any.

Cave instructors are not there to teach you how to dive a drysuit, or doubles (unless you pay them extra for that service). Their there to teach you how to cavern/cave dive. You're expected to be proficient with the gear you show up with.

[powerglider]

Yep, good call!

+1 on that one as well!

[Mauro Bordignon]

Yes good call! knowing backmount will be part of your diving experience and will also help you realize and appreciate differences with side mount diving!

[Jim Wyatt]

I appreciate all your advice. I have about decided to do cavern in back mount and transistion to sidemount later,before I do cave . Thanks again.

Good decision, IMO

[diverdarren]

Not just a good call, an excellent one! Don't let the side-mount guys convince you that side-mount is the do-it all configuration. It has it's advantages and dis-advantages just like the back-mount configuration does. For example, gas management(a very important concept for both new and experienced cave divers) is much easier in back-mount configuration where you only have one pressure guage to monitor and don't have to change regulators several times during a dive.