Time Spent and Dives Completed During Cave Training

[FW]

I normally just lurk here, but you've called me out . I did all my training in one week. Unlike some others in that group, I'm still cave diving. Just got home from a trip, in fact. I said hi to you at Wayne's party.

Sue

The key part here, is that you stay current. Too many "one-week-wonders" only dive once a year.

[divgirlsue]

I agree and see that myself. By the time they start finding their groove, it's time to leave. I think part of that is their geographic location and motivation to cave dive, but that's a whole other topic

I'm a wreck diver who really enjoys cave diving. It's fun and I can see beautiful things that I can't see at home. If you want to do something enough, you make the time for it. I think if a one-week student goes in with a similar attitude, they are more likely to develop a stronger relationship to cave diving.

Sue

[outofayr]

Like Sue, I'm also a zero-to-hero. Did cavern/intro with Richard Dreher and full with Larry Green. Even though I only get to Florida once/twice a year for a week or so each time, I also hit the MO caves whenever I can, and tend to treat every dive like a cave dive, whether wreck, tech, or teaching tech or sport diving in OW. I even spent an entire trip to Cozumel diving nothing but caves on the island...

I started cave diving after about 800 OW dives, and came in as a wreck/tech diver & instructor looking to improve my skills. Living 20+ hours from Florida (and owning a dive shop) doesn't make a lot of trips to FL in a year practical - but what's practical about owning a dive shop?!?

Brian

[FW]

Any practice is good practice. It is the ones that only *dive* once a year that I worry about.

[NWGratefulDiver]

Any practice is good practice. It is the ones that only *dive* once a year that I worry about.

Although I dive regularly (3-4 times a week on average), there aren't any caves in Puget Sound. And while our local conditions are very conducive to developing your diving skills, the thought process that goes into planning and diving in a cave is completely different ... not to mention what being inside a cave does to your head in terms of self-confidence and second-guessing. I consider myself a very good PNW diver, and a barely adequate cave diver at this point.

I really thought that with my background I'd be sufficiently prepared to go down to Florida and succeed at the zero-to-hero course ... it turned out to be more difficult than I expected it to be ... mentally more than physically ... but it's the mental errors that can really mess you up ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[Mart]

Cavern to Full Cave in 7 days over ten years ago. Still cave diving, but I live in a country without caves so opportunities are limited. Four trips to Mexico this year, one to France.

[EEL]

I grew up in the Bahamas and dove regularly with my dad from as young as I can remember. I finally got actually certified to dive when I was 18. Its funny I never had a problem getting fills as a kid; I guess the shops all knew I was being supervised by my parents. Anyhow, after high school I found myself living land locked and miserable in Gainesville. I did not dive for one long and very unhappy year, but in 1990 a fellow UF student recommended a cavern course for these things called springs. That was all it took. I was hooked on this new fangled freshwater diving. Trouble was as a 20 year old I did not truly grasp the hazards of cave diving, and after two years and a couple hundred extended cavern dives I had my eyes opened. A good friend who had recently finished full cave died in Alachua Sink. I was supposed to join them on that dive, and only bowed out at the last minute. I finished my intro and full cave in October 1992, and made sure I have lived where I can dive regularly. I am in Panama City Florida now and there are dozens of great dives with in a short drive from here. I usually dive off the local river caves after work, and I get up to Merrits’ Millpond a lot on weekends.

Dive Safe

[w ripley]

I've got a related question, and don't mean to sidetrack this thread to get an answer, but regardless of which way you go to get your full cave card (short, intensive program or long, extended one) can someone explain why our caves are getting so trashed. I mean, with all the training, what's going on?

I look at the damage in Florida, for example, within the last 3 years and just can't understand. It's not the kind of "damage" you would expect to see from just more cave divers in a system as it appears (to me) to be from more divers who just don't care or who know that they should care.

Not sure to blame the instructors or their students.

BTW, Berman was my instructor, too. Sure miss him.

[FW]

I've got a related question, and don't mean to sidetrack this thread to get an answer, but regardless of which way you go to get your full cave card (short, intensive program or long, extended one) can someone explain why our caves are getting so trashed. I mean, with all the training, what's going on?

I look at the damage in Florida, for example, within the last 3 years and just can't understand. It's not the kind of "damage" you would expect to see from just more cave divers in a system as it appears (to me) to be from more divers who just don't care or who know that they should care.

Not sure to blame the instructors or their students.

BTW, Berman was my instructor, too. Sure miss him.

I actually think today's students come out better divers than we did 30 years ago. It was not uncommon back then to see Peacock to Pothole viz drop to 20 feet on a weekend. Now it is usually clear all weekend.

To answer your question, there are just a lot more people in the world, as a result, more cave divers.

[w ripley]

To answer your question, there are just a lot more people in the world, as a result, more cave divers.

I understand, but what I'm referring to is cave floors that look like tank trails.