Cave Diving Police

[Bakrt]

I was diving the eye at Ginnie last Wed. I was meet by the Cave Diving Police after the dive. I don't know who it was but he sure didn't like us diving there. He yelled at us on how we layed the guide line and how we were diving. Yes I hit the silt near the bone room a little but he was pissed. We have been Full Cave for over 20 years. He was cussing us out at the top of the steps. Making all kinds of accusations.
I have never seen this before. I guess he is self appointed. In my years in cave diving I have noticed that cave diving has attracted in the recent years,super ego A holes. It used to be if another cave diver saw you mess up, they were there to help you out to improve, talk about it. Well he yelled and cussed at us and then left. When I got out he was gone. Seems kind of chicken. Can't we do better as Cave Divers I think so.

[diveconjeff]

Of course the problem with cave divers is they are people. So in order for some to be helpful caring individuals, there unfortunately have to be some like the individual you ran into. I generally say the people I have met cave diving are some of the best folks I have had the privilege of knowing.

The few that I run into that exhibit extreme behavior similar to what you describe, I choose to let them take their own path. Things always seem to have a way of working out. True for any endeavor I choose to partake in.

[PfcAJ]

I'd like to hear his side of the story....

[skip]

I was once told that cave divers are all pretty much high-testosterone alpha males who think they know better than anybody about just about everything. When you get them in the same room, expect fireworks.

skip

[T. Bix]

I'd like to hear his side of the story....

You will..... I was there as well but only observed some of what happened.

[math]

I was once told that cave divers are all pretty much high-testosterone alpha males who think they know better than anybody about just about everything. When you get them in the same room, expect fireworks.

skip

This is true, in my experience, and it's unbearably obnoxious - it's why I avoid many other cave divers This may be true of divers in general, though.

[Superlyte27]

So, I'm the chicken who "cussed" at you. (Yes, I know a lot of you are shocked)

Let's start from my perspective.
We watched as you and your buddy blazed through the keyhole despite my team exiting the cave. No courtesy there. But that's okay. It's not a rule or anything more of just a courtesy that exiting divers have the right of way. Then, we watched as the guy with the 20 year old pistol grip flashlights and orange wetsuit kneeled completely vertical in the mud for a solid 20 seconds. Silt goes everywhere. No real big deal there. Not really any danger, just thought it funny that you have no regard at all for the cave or even a shred of pride in your skill for the hobby. Then you push off the ground, and flutter kick over and over and over, but your buoyancy is so bad that you keep pushing yourself off the ground with your off hand, all the while kicking like a mule (flutter of course every time). I was certain that you were an open water diver who had borrowed gear, and I was terrified you were the next fatality at ginnie. I followed until gas really wouldn't permit me to stay any longer (stupid OC). I rushed for my buddy in the rebreather looking to tell him about you guys hoping he could find and save you, but so much time had elapsed right now, I wasn't certain he would know where to look. Of course as I think about it now, all he really had to do was follow the silt from the incessant bouncing off the bottom and the flutter kick.

I make it back to my line and I find the worst run line I've probably ever seen in my life. Not only was your primary line flapping in the current wildly but you actually crossed my line in 4 or 5 places (I'm not sure how this was even possible or necessary) but then you even tied onto the top of my placements, making it impossible to pull my reel without first pulling your reel. Dude, that just pisses me off.

So, lets recap.... Kneeling in the mud, bouncing off the bottom, pistol grip flashlights (try running a reel with them, maybe that's why the reel work was so poor), flutter kicking in the silt, failure to yield the right of way, failure to run a reel properly in just about every conceivable way.

You can understand how I was worried you shouldn't be there, and then B. Finding out you actually were cave divers, but just didn't know how to cave dive. You're right, I did cuss at you. I said, "either get more training and follow it, or stay out of the cave". I stand by that direction.

Go diving with anyone else. If they tell you that your abilities in the cave are up to par, tell them to get more training too.

And don't do like you did at the steps and try to explain away why you did what you did. The fact is, you suck at cave diving. No excuses man. You've been diving for 20 years but kneeling in the mud and flutter kicking? Running a reel the way you did? Get more training or a mentor. Hell, take another cavern class with a good instructor, because you REALLY don't belong in a cave right now.

[Superlyte27]

It used to be if another cave diver saw you mess up, they were there to help you out to improve, talk about it.

Wanna go diving next weekend? We can work out some of the "mess up" and possibly help you improve.
I can forgive you for sucking at cave diving, if you can forgive me for sucking at people skills.

[ehoffman81]

Popcorn anyone?

[DaleHawerchuck]

Always interesting to know both sides of the story. Let's get ready to rumbleeeeee.