What else could I add to my website, or my CV, to make my services more attractive?

[Great White7]

At least two agencies and many cave owners (in Florida) claim open water divers can go in the cavern. Will they back the instructor that does this? Nope. Guess what! the standard was intended for Mexico. Try it in the USA and your toast! Bottom line is lawyers.

Why are you assuming things right off the bat?
I am not even in the USA.
If you dont want to help, then why comment?

[Great White7]

Has life got some of you guys beaten?
Is that why you have to act tough or attempt to stir up trouble on the internet?
If you would not say it in real life, then why some online and do it?
Its the most cowardly thing anyone could do.
Hardly something to be proud of.

[FW]

It's not hard to lead them right on by the reaper sign either...guess all they need is a guide!

Sorry if you want to act like an idiot, can you go to another thread and do it?

OK you two, don't let this get personal. Check rule #6.

[Kelly Jessop]

At least two agencies and many cave owners (in Florida) claim open water divers can go in the cavern. Will they back the instructor that does this? Nope. Guess what! the standard was intended for Mexico. Try it in the USA and your toast! Bottom line is lawyers.

You admit you haven't been to Mexico,but cavern tours for OW diving etc is like comparing apples and oranges here. Is it a good idea for untrained open water divers to enter the overhead, even with a guide and or instructor. No, never. How useful is a guide/instructor in a silt out with open water divers who don't know how to find their way out-none. Cavern tours that have oversight have had their accidents, even the Ginnie cavern and Vortex springs which have a "safe" cavern have their fatalities. I think the hypocrisy is as cave divers we support safe cave diving, and provide signs etc to make sure open water divers don't enter the overhead, but we don't blink an eye when we see cenote tours or Ginnie/Vortex cavern. If cavern instruction wasn't so readily available that the existence of these overhead experiences for open water divers really should cease.

[Aotus]

...I have been looking at some of the qualifications of the of the "guides" down in mexico lately and I cannot fathom how they do it. Perhaps some one can enlighten me.

Might you provide a link to what you've been reading? I am also very curious about what the standards and rules are.

[MarkR]

I was kind of expecting some 'reactions' when reading the OP's initial post.

If cavern instruction wasn't so readily available that the existence of these overhead experiences for open water divers really should cease.

I pretty much agree with this. I was into the overhead in Blue Grotto before even completing my OW cert. Seemed like everybody else was comfortable with it, so I did not even question it at the time. Now that I have two kids learning to dive, I have a much more conservative point of view.

Beyond the initial "Rules" from the blueprint for survival, I remember being tought the danger of "trust me dives". Meaning being led into a dive beyond your comfort level by a more experience diver. I think these "guided dives" is sort of like that. Do the cavern guides to any sort of intruction on trim, bouancy, or risk? You really are taking responsibility for peoples lives. The term CYA seems relavant.

[Aotus]

...I remember being tought the danger of "trust me dives"...I think these "guided dives" is sort of like that...You really are taking responsibility for peoples lives.

this is why i'm so interested in the training, and certification of these guides. I have a friend, well, acquaintance, who let me believe that she was a "cavern diver" for some time before admitting that her pictures of caverns were during a guided "cavern experience" and that she's only certified as OW. Another (genuine) friend is regularly in MX and has attended the "scuba experience" down there a couple times despite my urging her to just get certified. Knowing so many people are fascinated with cenotes (rightly so), I'd really like to know what my friends and others are getting themselves into with these "guided" dives.

[Seanmeboy]

Might you provide a link to what you've been reading? I am also very curious about what the standards and rules are.

I am not at liberty to disperse standards. I think those that are familiar with cenote tours would agree that a divemaster rating is sufficient to lead OW divers into caverns in Mexico. Feel free to correct me. Nothing against the divemaster or the OP. I have a problem with agency standards and procedures that are not consistent country to country. Just that the standards for me to bring someone in a (USA) state park cavern are clearly more stringant.- for the diver AND the guide. But yes an OW diver can go alone in the overhead in say paradise springs to 120' just because he watched a video. But if I as a trained instructor guided him, I would be violating standards and procedures. I hope this can somehow relate to a better website for the OP!

[Seanmeboy]

Why are you assuming things right off the bat? I was talking about the standards not your qualification. If I assumed anything it was that the agency you represent has one set of standards for all countries it operates in. Perhaps they have different standards for their professionals country to country. if they do thank you I have learned something.
I am not even in the USA. That is my point
If you dont want to help, then why comment?

I was hoping for you to see the VALUE in your advertising whereas you display on your website that your operation operates to the highest standard even above your competition down there. And at the same time avoid liabilty. My agency has one standard perhaps in the translation....

[ScubaStingRay]

Ah yes. Dive master. The PADI level of certification where you are so comfortable in overheads that you can reason your way out of them being overheads and lead others on these "safe" dives. I've heard enough about the Ts and line systems to know this is beyond unsafe.

What do you mean experience?
I have an "about me" page.

I meant, what qualifies you to lead these dives? Wasn't it a few short months ago that you were asking about the equipment needed to dive overhead environments and were considering taking courses in diving them? I'm all for the spread of information and support the quest for knowledge, but it seems that suddenly you becoming a guide is a zero to hero approach. Even if you have gone through a full cave course now (have you?) it still seems like you don't have much bottom time under your belt.

I say this out of respect too. I'm a relatively new caver, and have maybe 40 hours of bottom time in overheads, but I would not think I'm qualified to lead open water divers into such an unforgiving environment.