Florida Cave Diving

[WylerBear]

As most of you know, Valerie (Zen Diver) and I just spent a couple of weeks in Florida doing some cave training and diving. We had a blast, were again humbled by the cave environment and the training it takes, and came away eager to return for the next step of our training.
Here are a few photos from the time we were there:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7244941@N07/

[boydski]

Excellent Photos! I really like the Peacock 1 Cavern Shot.

It looks like you and Valerie had an excellent trip! :occasion5:

[Burntchef]

awesome pics

[Metal man]

Manatees! How cool :smt038

[Zen Diver]

http://jellyfish.smugmug.com/gallery/65 ... 8856_A3sT3

My pix are at the link above, but here's a few to wet your appetite:



Manatees!


Cave Buddies


BDub! How'd you get down here?


Our first cave dives on our own


Enjoying a local favorite on our "Redneck Sofa"

[BDub]

Nice pics Val and Georgia! Makes waiting til April to go cave diving again that much tougher.

So what are the limits of your training? How many nav decisions? How far did you penetrate?

Oh, and as for the poster.....I'm tired of this west coast mainstream crap. I'm taking it underground!

[Joshua Smith]

Congrats, you two! That looks pretty amazing! Man, I swear, I'm kind of amazed at how many cave divers we have around here.......

[Zen Diver]

So what are the limits of your training? How many nav decisions? How far did you penetrate?

At the Intro/Basic level for NACD you are limited to 1/3s on a single cylinder or 1/6 on doubles (altho why anyone would want to do a cave, even at the Intro level, on singles is beyond me), 100 ffw depth, mainline penetration only, no jumps/gaps/traverses, no deco. During our training we never made it beyond just over 400 feet linear penetration before having to turn on gas, and during our post cert dives we topped at 500 feet linear, on 1/6ths. Next level we go to 1/3s, 1-2 simple jumps, and begining deco stuff. Deco procedures/advanced nitrox is not required as a pre-requisite, but it helps to have it beforehand.

We both found, that just like the cavern level, the desire to go "just a little further" is a powerful one. We were disciplined enough to stop at the Grim Reaper sign last year, but boy, did we want to go on. This year, too, we were really curious about what was around the next bend, or the intriguing side tunnel, but knowing it was beyond our limit at this time of course we didn't. Strong incentive for returning tho, and learning more.

-Valerie

[Joshua Smith]

I get the "just a little further" thing. I've resisted the cave diving bug so far- I'm much more interested in deep wrecks, at the moment- but I can see the appeal- those caves look spooky and cool!

Can you explain the "1/6ths" rule to the clueless CCR diver? 1/3rds, I get, but what's up with 6ths? You gotta rescue 4 other people, or something?

[BDub]

Can you explain the "1/6ths" rule to the clueless CCR diver? 1/3rds, I get, but what's up with 6ths? You gotta rescue 4 other people, or something?

It's more of a distance limitation thing....

My personal opinion aside (I agree with Valerie about cave diving with a single tank), evidently NACD allows you to dive 3rds on a single tank. That's going to limit your penetration distance.

If you're an Intro to Cave diver and decide you want to go further into the cave, so you're going to dive doubles, 3rds will take you in pretty damn far...Way more than a new Intro to Cave diver should be going.

Imagine a newly certified Intro to Cave diver diving 3rds on a set of 130's...maybe not a big deal if nothing happens. But, if they have to exit sharing gas, at that level, chances are good that they'll exit at a slower pace than they went in. Diving thirds, you have to exit at least as fast as the pace you entered. Add to that, if for some reason they run into low vis (silt out, lost mask, etc), and have to exit on the line, they're in serious trouble. That's a long exit going out much slower than they went in. Limiting that diver to a 500psi penetration on doubles is going to limit the distance they can go into the cave and if it does hit the fan and they have to exit on the line, they're going to have a lot more gas to make it back out.

NAUI Cave 1 is 6ths, and I believe GUE Cave 1 is the same.

[BDub]

So what are the limits of your training? How many nav decisions? How far did you penetrate?

At the Intro/Basic level for NACD you are limited to 1/3s on a single cylinder or 1/6 on doubles (altho why anyone would want to do a cave, even at the Intro level, on singles is beyond me), 100 ffw depth, mainline penetration only, no jumps/gaps/traverses, no deco. During our training we never made it beyond just over 400 feet linear penetration before having to turn on gas, and during our post cert dives we topped at 500 feet linear, on 1/6ths. Next level we go to 1/3s, 1-2 simple jumps, and begining deco stuff. Deco procedures/advanced nitrox is not required as a pre-requisite, but it helps to have it beforehand.

We both found, that just like the cavern level, the desire to go "just a little further" is a powerful one. We were disciplined enough to stop at the Grim Reaper sign last year, but boy, did we want to go on. This year, too, we were really curious about what was around the next bend, or the intriguing side tunnel, but knowing it was beyond our limit at this time of course we didn't. Strong incentive for returning tho, and learning more.

-Valerie

Thanks for the info, Valerie. What was you max depth on your dives? I know the Florida caves are deeper than the Mexican caves, generally.

Is the next step Apprentice? Is that where the navigation decisions are introduced?

What did you do in terms of lost line or lost buddy skills?

I hear ya on wanting to go just a little bit further. There's always that next bend just up ahead to draw your interest!

[Zen Diver]

Thanks for the info, Valerie. What was you max depth on your dives? I know the Florida caves are deeper than the Mexican caves, generally.

Is the next step Apprentice? Is that where the navigation decisions are introduced?

What did you do in terms of lost line or lost buddy skills?

I typed up a long response to this a few nights back and when I hit "submit" it promptly got lost. Was too busy to respond before now, so here goes...

Max depth was generally between 60-70 feet, but we did one system (Little River) where we maxed at around 93 feet. That system really surprised me, I was stunned when I glanced at my computer and it said 93 feet. None of usual cues were there to tell me the depth; the water was clear, it hadn't gotten any darker than when we'd begun, life hadn't changed. Really an interesting experience.

Next step is Apprentice, then Full Cave. At the Apprentice level we start 1-2 simple jumps but no complex navigation per se. Deco is introduced and while you don't have to have Advanced Nitrox/Deco Procedures as a pre-requisite, it definitely helps to have it beforehand. Full Cave is more demanding in terms of navigation and traverses, deco/stage etc.

The Lost Line drill was very interesting. We first practice some skills on land, and in the cave we did it on the return trip. The instructor gave us the sign, let us have about 10-15 seconds to glance around the cave and get our bearings, then handed us the blacked out mask, took us off the line, spun us around and placed us somewhere else. I figured out that I was in a little alcove of some sort as my fins were touching rock on either side of me. The idea is to feel around with your hands, find a rock or outcropping to tie off on, then deploy your safety reel, tie off and begin a search pattern, sweeping up and down with your searching arm. Well, I never made it out of my area. I was groping and feeling along, thought I found something but it didn't seem solid enough etc, and eventually managed to tangle my reel in the effort. Johnny (the instructor) said that there had been a great spot just inches from me (of course). After a time I felt the dreaded arm squeeze, the signal to call the drill. We'd had ten minutes to do this, and neither of us found the line. Later he said that approx 60% of students do NOT find the line. It's not required to find it at the Intro level, but it IS for Apprentice (and rightly so!).

The Lost Buddy skill was done at Peacock, thankfully a low flow system. We'd turned the dive and were heading back out when Johnny, who was leading the way out, wandered off the main line. I knew immediately that the drill had begun, so we both stopped, flashed our lights (of course he ignored them), did the shielded search etc. Next was to orient to the exit, check gas and reevaluate thirds, place the line arrow pointing home, deploy the safety reel (affixed with the line arrow) and begin to search. We found him soon after, popping out of where we'd seen him wander off. We got back to the line, where my primary light promptly "failed." Since I was now the "stressed" diver I led the way out, and Georgia had the good sense to place our wandering diver between us, so she could play shepherd to keep him in line. Good thing, as he tried to "wander off" again. Later he said that many students just follow him along, thinking "well, he's the teacher" and don't realize that the drill has started.

[Zen Diver]

I think our favorite drill was the No Viz-Air Sharing exit. We'd penetrated the Peanut Tunnel at Peacock One, and almost as soon as the dive had been turned the drill was on. I was given the signal to be OOA first, so I turned to Georgia, gave her the sign and took her long hose. We got oriented on the line, then lights were out. One hand ok-ing the line with her long hose secured in the same hand, the other hand in front of my head to prevent injury secondary to rock bumpage, and we began swimming. I remember thinking, "hey, I'm not wearing the blacked out mask, maybe I could open my eyes...... oh, yeah, my eyes ARE open." The absolute complete and total absence of light is truly incredible and hard to believe until you've experienced it.

About half way Johnny turned on his very shielded secondary light and under the equivalent of birthday candle light we switched roles. This time I was donating, and therefore behind my buddy on the line. Back to blindness and swimming along. You very quickly learn to trust your buddy, the reg and the line. Tactile signals the whole way, calmly swimming along in the blackness, there she is, I can feel her grasp on my arm (or leg), oops, she let go, stop, wait for her touch, there it is, continue swimming. Extremely Zen like and very very peaceful, oddly enough. It was very interesting that we both had very different perceptions of time though; I'd thought we got back pretty quickly, Georgia felt it took ages. Zen for both of us, but different in time.

The coolest feeling was as we began to see a soft glow in the distance. We both thought it was the other team of divers we'd seen earlier, but as we got closer, we realized it was the glow of ambient light we were seeing, not artificial. Talk about amazing. To me it felt akin to seeing a beautiful, awe-inspring sunrise or sunset. We looked at each other and had big grins on our faces; we'd done it! At this point we could come off the line and just swim to the opening, but still gas sharing. As we waited on the safety stop we pounded fists and felt triumphant. We became Cave Divers that day.

I can not wait to go back.

-Valerie

[LCF]

Great photos and description of the class.

The lost line drill is humbling. I found the line, but it took a long time. Danny told us, "You will ALWAYS find the line, if you keep at it. The only question is whether you'll find it when you still have enough gas to get out." It makes you more respectful of the importance of knowing where that line is ALL the time.

[WylerBear]

For me the lost line drill was all about tangled reels. I immediately found a great rock to tie off to, deployed my reel and started to tie off. It took me about 10 seconds to create a tangled mess. I finally gave up on trying to fix it, gathered all the line up and secured it, and grabbed a jump reel-figured it was better than nothing. It took me another 10 seconds to jam this one. What to do? What to do? As I tried to untangle the reel I formulated my plan. I was on the floor. I knew the line was tight against one of the walls. All I had to do is maintain contact with floor, wall, ceiling, wall as I searched and I would find the line. But alas, my 10 minutes was up before I could implement the plan. But I was very happy with how comfortable I felt in this granted, controlled, but still scary situation-lost in a cave off the line with no viz. I didn't think I would be at all comfortable in the blacked out situations but like Valerie said, the no viz airshare ended up being the favorite drill. It was very cool.
I also cannot wait to return to do the Apprentice course.
Oh, and after the tangled line situation, I immediately bought a safety spool to throw in my pocket as a back up-they don't tangle.

[BDub]

Awesome report, Valerie and Georgia! Sounds like you had a great time. Congrats to both of you!

I'll never forget our lights out exits. Going from total blackness and seeing the ambient light come into view, silhouetting the cave formations is forever etched in my mind.

Thanks for the report.

[LCF]

We did our lost line with a knotted spool. I wouldn't want to think about managing a reel when I couldn't see what I was doing!

One of our friends in Florida, Rob Neto (who is Dive-aholic on other boards), talked us into turning our lights off as we approached the cave exit, and just marveling at the beauty of the light coming down from the surface. Some of the most magnificent cave photographs come from that, too. It's also amazing how faint a light source you can see, if there is no ambient light at all.

Cave diving is just way cool. Whether it's training or touring, it's just cool.

[ljjames]

Great write up!!!

here's a not _quite_ cave diving comment

if you're wondering why the ambient glimmer of light has such a profound "effect" after a lights out exit (compared to just a shutting off lights just before getting there), check out the nocturnal house at the woodland park zoo, they have a cool little display showing how much our eyes 'acclimate' to the darkness after 2 min, 5 min and 30 min. Also SAR training describes the rods and their sensitization quite well

Even though I 'knew' that eyes acclimated to the dark, I didn't realize the actual difference made by time

[airsix]

Georgia & Valerie, glad you had such an awesome experience.
Oh, and Georgia, the new avatar is great!

-Ben

[GetWet]

Wow! What a treat! Thanks for sharing the pics and the experience. I've done just a little snorkeling in the springs in FLA, and with the manatees, I just love the pics! I'm thinking I need to go back! Humongous pats on the back for both of you, , I really got a big grin reading about the day you felt like 'cave divers', nice job.

Melissa