Silliest/Most dangerous mistakes during cave Training

[alias]

What was the silliest mistake you made during your cave training? What about the most dangerous one? Or were both the same ones?

I could ask what have been the worst mistakes you have made in cave diving but I thought this would be a bit more light-hearted as at least I am more prone to making stupid mistakes when I am being watched (performance anxiety). You know, I will regress to bone-headed “what is the instructor expecting me to do” type of thinking that leads to off the-wall-kind of mistakes/solutions rather than realistic chain of events.

Yet, these stupid mistakes have been very educational too. Especially the ones that have ‘killed’ me. Care to share any stories?

[caverkevin]

Third day of my cave training back in 1997. Diving Devil's for a "fun" dive, no planned skills. I was leading in and had just got past the Lips. I had seen the area to the right of the Key Hole on a previous dive. I was so intrigued by the idea of what could be back there I swam the team right off the line. Rennaker swam right up and motioned for us to turn off our lights. In the jet black, I had just killed the team. He let me know that after we surfaced. The only compliment I received was for getting into touch contact with my buddy as the lights went out. This was a big kick in the gut for me.

The other was a roll-off. In those days I was breathing the short hose on the left post. Had the long hose bungeed off somewhere. I was leading out in the Eye at about 45 feet when I got stuck and sucked my reg dry. PUCKER!!! There was no turning around for my buddy. I got my other reg in my mouth, reopened my valve and moved on. In the debrief they asked why I stopped on the way up. The others did not realize what had happened. PUCKER!!!

Cheers!!

Kevin

[deepdiverbob]

It wasn't my mistake, but one of the guys in our team was the first guy of the cave, and he took up the reel on his way out, and left the rest of us without our line to OW. It wasnt a big deal in Peacock, but for training purposes, me and the guy I was there with clearly heard Orlowski dropping the f-bombs under water.

I guess my biggest mistake was I saw my buddy's light disappear behind me, I turned to check on him, and saw he was with the instructor, and it looked like they was both looking at something below them, or on the light itself. I should have signaled an okay, just to make sure, but I made the mistake of thinking the instructor was part of our dive team, and just continued the dive. Ooopsie. We came up in Olsen, and Shelly Orlowski told me I killed my buddy. Lesson learned, and I told him I was sorry afterwards.

[icestac]

During the dive, my instructor cut off my primary light. No big deal, I went to my backup. He signalled me to turn that one off too. So I did. Then I continued to exit the cave without lights and just using the ambient light from my buddies. Upon surfacing, he asked why I didn't go to my third backup? I told him "You done told me twice [to turn off my light]!"

~Jeff

[Sludge]

I left my booties on a picnic table at Peacock and didn't realize it until we got to Ginnie. Ninety-mile round trip to retrieve them.

Does this count?

[deepdiverbob]

During the dive, my instructor cut off my primary light. No big deal, I went to my backup. He signalled me to turn that one off too. So I did. Then I continued to exit the cave without lights and just using the ambient light from my buddies. Upon surfacing, he asked why I didn't go to my third backup? I told him "You done told me twice [to turn off my light]!"

~Jeff

now THATS funny.

[giles45shop]

Explain to your instructor "that's the way they do it on the internet"

[sskasser]

My silliest mistake? Agreeing to make that first cavern dive...thinking one time would be enough "just to see" what it was like.

[ggoodman]

going wrong direction on exit at ginne, i thought we were going wrong diretion pointed it out to dive buddies(2) both signaled and continued heading it. I like a fool killed myself as well as i stuck with them. for another 40 feet before we all realized ,with help, our mistake. now i pay DAMN close attention to where I am and where im going.

[crawford]

I left my booties on a picnic table at Peacock and didn't realize it until we got to Ginnie. Ninety-mile round trip to retrieve them.

Does this count?

I can beat that....

I travel regularly through airports, never check bags except overseas, and have an ingrained habit of landing, walking off the plane with my carry-ons, proceeding directly to the rental car lot and driving off....

sooo..... I use a voucher flight to Tallahassee for my Intro class, get off the plane with my carry ons, go directly to the rental counter and drive off for Luraville...

..two hours later, feeling all upbeat and excited about arriving in Cave Country open the trunk to my rental care and see an EMPTY TRUNK!!! I'm instantly deflated and realize at that moment I've left two bags of dive gear on the carousel at the airport...and its around midnight or later. I've never felt so stupid.

So, 180 miles round trip the next morning, and feeling like a moron the whole way, my silliest mistake is showing up for cave training with no gear.

There, take that Sludge