Running Reels In Cave Class

[jebernot]

I'm curious. I generally strive for a student to run a reel on every dive or at least the team to run a reel on every dive. I have recently been hearing students tell me they were specifically told even in class not to run reels in Peacock and Ginnie Springs among other cave systems. While many lines are run to Open Water or a safe exit I would generally expect a class to run the reel to at least the beginning of the cave sign or cave zone for training value if nothing else in class. Is this what you experienced in your cave class?

[Dominick Gheesling]

Ken Sallot had us run lines everywhere.

And believe me, we needed the experience.

[ScottW]

I?m sure newer divers will chime in, but in 2014 the only time I remember not running the line was the first dive of intro and a dive at Ginnie for full when there were a number of teams already in and I didn?t want to make the mess any worse.


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[oya]

I've learned that the very thought of ANYONE not running a reel out to undisputable open water down here will set everyone to shouting and waving their arms around.

[Jack Hammer]

In all my cave classes we ran reels. At Peacock, for each dive we ran it from OW to the sign on the way in and pulled it on the way back out.

[twaldo]

Ran a line in circles around the Ginnie Ballroom basin(x2)...... to the end of a expedition spool... Then I was so lucky as to only have to run them to the tie in to the gold line at which ever cave we were training at.....

[Germie]

In France all the lines start from surface, but I still let students run a reel on the first days. It is a skill that has to be practiced. On the last days I say, we can use the permanent line from surface. There are 2 caves you cannot see the line from the entrance of the water, so then I don't say anything. If they don't take a reel they can get back to the car. If they come out of the cave they see the line going to surface. But if you don't know it, it is searching for it. So never expect there is a line.

[Kelly Jessop]

I'm curious. I generally strive for a student to run a reel on every dive or at least the team to run a reel on every dive. I have recently been hearing students tell me they were specifically told even in class not to run reels in Peacock and Ginnie Springs among other cave systems. While many lines are run to Open Water or a safe exit I would generally expect a class to run the reel to at least the beginning of the cave sign or cave zone for training value if nothing else in class. Is this what you experienced in your cave class?

This would be a sad dumbing down of basic training and the learning of a key skill. Any student having received this training has to question the quality of their over all training, and if the quality of their class has really prepared them to handle an emergency and survive.

[tbone1004]

In class we ran reels on every dive regardless of where the line went. If anything, it's a training standard last I checked.
There were discussions at certain caves that the lines were run out to nearly open water to remove clutter on busy days where multiple lines can be more dangerous than not having one. In that case, we were to use our better judgement to whether we felt it came out far enough.

[MORGAN]

In 2005 and 2006, Michael O'Leary had us run lines on every dive from intro through full cave.