The Open Water Diver that

[hunabku]

I kind of gathered thats what you meant. Hey, I have been trying like crazy to get Tony and Li out caving. I think they would love it.

I agree completely about your comments about the NSS. Joining the CDS was a no brainer for me as I was already an NSS member when I got into cave diving. I joined the CDS not to gain access to a dive site (I still have yet to dive at a CDS managed site) but to support their role in cave conservation, education, and exploration. I don't have any CDS certifications, yet, maybe some day. I am more interested in the CDS educating me about cave formation, fauna, conservation, etc. Those are the same reasons I am proud to be an NSS member.

Educating people about all things cave is important.

[skip]

It was taken out of context. We were talking about "dry" caves, and Tony said something that indicated he had little, or no experience with "dry" cave. That is when I said he was an OW diver that just swam into caves.

FWIW, the NSS Cave Diving Section was formed by sump divers. Sheck himself was a sump diver, though he started out as a spring diver. He never was really an OW diver. His first cave dive was on his checkout at Crystal river (King Spring). Sheck went to the NSS to learn how caves were formed, how to predict where he might find more, and to learn to map them. The NSS-CDS is part of the NSS. People that don't like the NSS, shouldn't be a member of a section of the NSS. I am not saying all cave divers have to be "dry" cavers, but in the other hand, they shouldn't consider the NSS a "tax" they have to pay to be an NSS-CDS member. The NSS-CDS Constitution makes it very clear that membership is only open to Members of the NSS.

yes, I've been in dry caves, and sumps, and enjoyed every knee-pounding elbow-grinding moment, but the best part was the sump diving - there is nothing like the feeling of emerging into "dry cave" on the other side of a sump - incredibly wondrous. I also fully support the NSS and the mission of exploration and conservation and education of dry caves as well as submerged caves.

But sump diving is a chore I still avoid --- just not very successfully!

skip

[Tegg]

Personally, I think that all training organizations should require that part of cave diver training include some time in a dry cave.

*puts on flame suit*

[MichaelAngelo]

Has cave diving worked?

It's day by day

[FW]

Personally, I think that all training organizations should require that part of cave diver training include some time in a dry cave.

*puts on flame suit*

Some of the early cave diving instructors did require at least one "dry" cave trip. Sheck and I did for sure, and I think some of the guys Sheck trained did the same. Sheck mostly used Bat cave, near Newberry. I had plenty of TAG caves to use

[Robert Cook]

I did a dry cave as part of my Cavern course a couple of years ago - I think it was a good idea. I'm actually thinking about getting into dry caving as well, and possibly sump diving later,

Thanks,
Robert

[gschaut]

I started out as a stage teck, who took up scuba diving to take my mind off of putting my hands around the necks of people who really deserved it. When that failed I took up cave diving.

My favorite line is that I vacation in an equipment intensive environment where failure is not an option... Then I return to work at CBS.

[Kerry C.]

After I finished my training, my cave diving instructor invited me on a caving trip to Alabama with him and his family. I probably wouldn't have gotten into dry caving and joined the NSS if it wasn't for him. As much as I enjoy caving, I still prefer cave diving......I hate fighting gravity!

[MacLeod]

My first "caving" experiences were "tourist" caves in Missouri as a kid. While growing up I spent a lot of time travelling through the Appalachian mountains (from Tennessee to W. Virginia), and used to crawl into every cave I found when mountain hiking and mountain climbing. In many of the caves, I often wondered what was on the other side of the sumps.... It wasn't until I had been diving for a number of years in FL that I was introduced to our wonderful springs by my wife. The first time I saw a group of cave divers (at Peacock Springs)--I was convinced that I had to learn to cave dive! Life got in the way for a while, but 18 years later--I'm living the dream! However, I forgot how much I miss "dry caving". It was during Curt and Walter's "vertical rope experience" last year that I remembered how much fun it was to dry cave (even if it's a lot more work than swimming through one).

[MORGAN]

My favorite line is that I vacation in an equipment intensive environment where failure is not an option... Then I return to work at CBS.

I'm going to use that at work - in the ICU.