Planning a scooter dive to Heinkel restriction for very first time ...

[kwinter]

So well skilled the seek out dive planning on the internet. Sounds like winning a gold medal at the Special Olympics.

As someone involved with Special Olympics a lot in the past, I should take offense. But knowing Sebastian makes me see the humor in it.

[Dsix36]

As someone involved with Special Olympics a lot in the past, I should take offense. But knowing Sebastian makes me see the humor in it.

I always said you were "special"

[Danseur]

There was a Star Wars teaching moment like this.... finish the training (like stage/dpv class maybe) and build some significant experience in the system.

Love you guys, really I do! But, uh, you can see where there might be some holes in this, right?

You are all well trained, but none of your training would support this approach (nor previous
instructors or mentors).

Yeah, it'll probably be fine. But how confortable are your three awesome children and your young beautiful wife with the concept of "probably", Polish or not?

Dude, I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.....

You are my Friend first, a bright and enterprising guy as well, and I mean to take nothing away from your significant skill set and wreck diving experience. That said, dude, this is ballsier than is necessary.

I think you should hang more with my Jamacian friends.

Whatever the hell you do, come back home, upright, OK buddy?

There are Bold Divers, and there are Old Divers....

(When Bob, Trace, and Forrest are all making the same point in different ways, that's kinda a big deal)

[Jont]

As someone involved with Special Olympics a lot in the past, I should take offense. But knowing Sebastian makes me see the humor in it.

Did you win, place or show?

[Superlyte27]

Are you sure they dont have the experience? I'm not so sure, I know Sebastian and Damien, in fact I'm meeting Sebastien tomorrow in New Jersey, they are in fact very well trained and quite skillful in the water.

I'm pretty sure this was the team Trace was telling me about that is less than 10 dives post full cave. So, by now, it can't be many more than that. Lets say 20 full cave dives. Is that enough to go to the Henkel, especially considering they are coming on here asking for advice on how to plan the dive?

I'm really really glad I'm not their instructor. This is the reason I'm so selective in who I take as my students.
Trace, in the future, please let this be a lesson to you. You thought you had problems nipped in the bud. Next time, assume they are only behaving until they get the card. Eject them from the class, no refund, no cert.

Thanks God for IANTD and the line in the standards that says if I don't believe they have the mindset for cave diving (despite having all the skills) I DO NOT have to cert them.

[Superlyte27]

I can't tell that here but he was simply the best you could find

Trace you know me and Damian ... we're Polish and pushing the limits (still in a safe way in our minds) is our nature, you can't change your nature you might try to keep it on the leash sometimes but ...

This is all the information I needed. As soon as I got this vibe from the students, class would have been over.
For those of you reading, if this is the mindset you have and you're looking at cave training, don't consider me as your instructor. I only certify people who I believe have the proper/safe mindset for the sport. Anything less is detrimental to yourself, your family, and the sport itself.

[Sludge]

My instructor threatened me with bodily harm if I so much as touched a scooter before I got my Abe Davis award.

[mdax]

I think it's presumptuous to assail his instructor based on a post here, there is no way to know how he articulated his "nature" while in class. Some dudes I've met through diving, climbing and shooting from other countries (primarily Russia) have a totally different acceptable level of danger to fun ratio than I think is sane.
The saddest part is that scootering to the Hinkle isn't anywhere near the coolest part of Ginnie. I can't understand why you'd want to skip mainland, sweet surprise, insulation room and all the other cool dives...for pete's sake scooter in and swim out to these other great places first!

[TraceMalin]

Do you really think I would have certified them if they hadn't shown sound MATURITY and DISCIPLINE (once I broke them of trusting the instructor) in class? I doubt their intro to cave instructor would have certified them either. Damian is diving with an instructor I consider to be one of the best you could ever find as a regular dive buddy. I'd be amazed to discover that he was even part of this plan. The OP was the strongest diver both in skill and personality in the class and others naturally looked to him for leadership. By the end of class he showed himself to be a true team player and leader who made decisions for team safety even if it meant denying himself personal goals.

[oreo]

Well at least Trace doesn't let his female students slide by just because they are cute. If that was the case I would be finished already and teaching you a thing or two.

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This is all the information I needed. As soon as I got this vibe from the students, class would have been over.
For those of you reading, if this is the mindset you have and you're looking at cave training, don't consider me as your instructor. I only certify people who I believe have the proper/safe mindset for the sport. Anything less is detrimental to yourself, your family, and the sport itself.