what steps should one take...

[DA Aquamaster]

I would advise against taking an/dp without trimix mixed in. If you don't, at least ask your instructor what depths he/she teaches at-- I've heard way too many horror stories of STUDENTS doing 130-150ft dives on air.

Part of that is the idea some instructors have of dragging the student to the limits of the cert on the checkout dives with no real purpose other than to go there. In a combined AN/DP course, that means 150' on something like 25% nitrox with 1 or 2 deco gasses - usually 1 if the instructor or course progression wants to save some bottle management skills for normoxic trimix.

On the other hand, it's not all bad if the instructional intent is to have the student figure out they are narc'd beyond any useful ability at 150' and thus learn to scale it back a bit to somewhere in the 100-110 ft range, and doing the dives in a fairly controlled environment, but that does not always happen.

However, an AN'DP cert does not require the student to got to 150' - a 30-40 minute dive to 110-120' would work just as well for the deco, planning and bottle management skills. What ever flaws AN/DP may have, the advantage is that a progressing cave diver completes AN/DP and learns how to do decompression planning and masters the in water and bottle skills before showing up for a full cave class. In N FL full cave nearly always means doing dives that end up with a decompression obligation and the use of O2. While it's very common for full cave candidates to do this absent any formal decompression procedures training, it is in my opinion a situation where the student is then diving beyond the limits of his/her training during the class, and will continue to do so after the class.

I think taking AN/DP and understanding the problems with high ENDs is a much lesser evil than taking full cave absent AN/DP.

If you are talking about mix in an "AN/DP" course you are really talking about an extended range class with trimix for the last two dives, and that makes little sense as a) AN/DP is often a re-req and b) normoxic makes a lot more sense than extended range. I'd rather have a student do two more trimix dives and call it normoxic than do deep air dives instead and call it extended range.

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In any case, to the OP, the intent is to acquire the dive planning and bottle management skills required before you get to the point of doing decompression dives, especially in a cave. And having the training in advance reduces the stress and general ask overload that will occur in a cave class anyway. And whether you are certed to 150' or not, the max END in a cave should be no more than 130' per even the more liberal agency standards and most cave divers who've tried ENDs in that range, with or without mix, will probably suggest a max END of 100-110' instead.

[DA Aquamaster]

Lol. Yes, I have to break the flailing arms habit. 29 years of swimming and now I'm not supposed to use my hands.

I intended to have some video to look at, but forgot the memory card for the gopro last time we went out.

Video certainly helps.

If you are serious about going from OW to full cave in the fairly short term, then ensure that every dive you do in the interim is directed toward learning the skills needed for full cave - trim, perfect buoyancy control, propulsion techniques, line and reel skills, gas shares, all of the previous skills done in a blacked out mask, etc. Even in a quarry you can accomplish most of it, and swimming a 3"-6" inches off the bottom of a very silty quarry and not disturbing any silt is a good way to work on the fin and buoyancy techniques.

[offroadr1]

Video certainly helps.

If you are serious about going from OW to full cave in the fairly short term, then ensure that every dive you do in the interim is directed toward learning the skills needed for full cave - trim, perfect buoyancy control, propulsion techniques, line and reel skills, gas shares, all of the previous skills done in a blacked out mask, etc. Even in a quarry you can accomplish most of it, and swimming a 3"-6" inches off the bottom of a very silty quarry and not disturbing any silt is a good way to work on the fin and buoyancy techniques.

Learning the what I need to know to be competent upon beginning cave class is my goal. The time frame is a non issue. If I am ready next year, great. If its 5 years, no problem. I am concentrating at this moment on being ready for cavern/intro. At that point I should be aware enough to modify my routines to be ready to focus on full cave.

[CaveMD]

Joey, she is more than capable of working with you and getting you ready to just go straight to an/dp from tech nitrox(TDI, not sdi/padi version). She is more capable than most instructors, and you would be better served saving AOW money for more dive time with her until you can do tech nitrox and just skip AOW. If Kelsey says you look good in the water then you are already better off than most of the people that have already done AOW haha.

[OFG-1]

Well, after 37 years of cave diving, I will give you my advice.

First, find an instructor that you trust.
Second, don't ask a bunch of random morons (like me) on a internet forum what you should do next.

Cheers, and good luck.

[MichaelAngelo]

Well, after 37 years of cave diving, I will give you my advice.

First, find an instructor that you trust.
Second, don't ask a bunch of random morons (like me) on a internet forum what you should do next.

Cheers, and good luck.

What he said.

[DA Aquamaster]

... you would be better served saving AOW money for more dive time with her until you can do tech nitrox and just skip AOW. If Kelsey says you look good in the water then you are already better off than most of the people that have already done AOW haha.

I agree that AOW is basically a waste of money in the chain of progression to technical diving. Depending on the agency it's just a collection of skills that used to be taught at the OW level, or a collection of specialties that are largely meaningless.

The problem is that AOW "or equivalent" is a pre requisite for AN/DP, so unless you've got an instructor who is willing to stipulate to the "or equivalent" piece, you'll need an AOW card to get in the AN/DP class.

[FW]

What he said.

You have been cave diving for 37 years?

[jj1987]

I agree that AOW is basically a waste of money in the chain of progression to technical diving. Depending on the agency it's just a collection of skills that used to be taught at the OW level, or a collection of specialties that are largely meaningless.

The problem is that AOW "or equivalent" is a pre requisite for AN/DP, so unless you've got an instructor who is willing to stipulate to the "or equivalent" piece, you'll need an AOW card to get in the AN/DP class.

Could always take cavern before an/dp and I'm sure nearly every instructor would accept that.

[offroadr1]

Well, after 37 years of cave diving, I will give you my advice.

First, find an instructor that you trust.
Second, don't ask a bunch of random morons (like me) on a internet forum what you should do next.

Cheers, and good luck.

I appreciate the advice, but this is a place where like minded individuals gather to meet, discuss, and anything else that involves cave diving. Now being a rookie diver, I would imagine this site should be a pretty darn good resource for answering my questions and providing a little guidance along the way. Really my primary resource is my dive buddy. She has been cave diving for a while(not 37 years), but she is quite humbling to dive with. However she is also a full time student, has 2 jobs and tutors, so I do not want to burden her daily with a million questions. Although she answers everyone of them with not hint of annoyance, I know she is busy and takes the time to dive with me so I try not to be too bothersome.

Im looking for more of an outline and other opinions on how to reach my goal. The frog kick advice was just what I was looking for. I have read every post here multiple times so as not to forget what was said. I do not think any advice was moronic, but maybe I just dont know. All I know is somehow I managed to form a diving addiction, and that eventually I want to dive caves. If I show up to my first day of cavern/intro and Edd says that Im not ready, then Ill go back to the quarry and get ready. Im just trying to head that off at the pass.