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NACD Training
charstew - 10/05/2009 11:11 PM
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Category: Educational
Comments: 6
NACD Training
Wow what a weekend, This was a very challenging course to say the very least. I have a whole new respect for cave divers after this course and a new outlook on how I will be diving from now on. It made me look at gear differently as well. I actually lost over 12 pounds during the course. So at the very least it is great for weight loss. Not my gut but the amount of weight I dive with. I enjoyed Ginnie Springs and was impressed by the visibility there. The spring flows out at 35 million gallons per day so clear water seems to constantly be coming. Peacock Springs is pretty clear unless you are doing a bunch of line drills blacked out and are new to caves. The bottom will kick up quickly until you get the buoyancy down really well. This course will teach you how to do that. My Mares Dragon BC malfunctioned and dropped weights so I did some hang time on the ceiling. It showed me that recreational equipment does not belong in a technical environment. The most important thing to know is never go anywhere you don’t have training to go. You cannot dive a cave or overhead without training. A cavern course is a nice way to learn some new techniques and get a taste of caves to see if this is what you might want to pursue. I still remain undecided myself and will continue to ponder it for a while.

Comments

jfhuard - 10/15/2009 11:27 AM
I wholeheartedly agree with you. Any serious diver should take the cavern class with a cave instructor. One does not need to want to dive in cave to take that course. Whether you pass or not, your diving skills (buoyancy, trim, communication, kicking technique, reel handling, multi-tasking, etc.) will improved drastically, gear configuration, awareness and safety will also greatly improve and make anyone a much better and safer diver.

I had a Mares Dragon AT when I took my cavern course. I managed to pass despite all the challenges controlling the BC. The following week I had a back-plate and wing. That was a point of no return for me.

Safe Diving!
JF.
charstew - 10/10/2009 10:53 AM
I copied this from my messages too good not to post:

LOL. Well gents that class really shows you just how good you really can be and arn’t yet. What we do in open water and have no trouble with is a problem in close quarters. You breath and go up 6 inches in depth and in open water no problem. In cavern you hit he top. Exhale and hit the bottom. It is mostly about confidence and control. You will find yourself working what you have learned there every time you dive. One day you will be with Timmy and he will say your good and you will be.

In cavern we learn skills that make us safer, better and more confident than we knew possible. I didn’t complete the class either but as soon as I can get back to it I will finish. I have lots of diving to do to refine what I have learned there and in the other classes before I return to the cavern but I will return.

I think any serious diver should take that class. As many times as it takes LOL
charstew - 10/07/2009 4:47 PM
Mike

You hit the nail on the head. As far as I am concerned will never dive the way I was diving again. My trim and frog kicks still need some work. The main issue with this new posture is that you can’t train your muscles overnight to dive this way. I will need to retake the course again soon.
charstew - 10/07/2009 4:40 PM


You may have seen us there. I was driving a black hummer. We were there Thursday and Friday though. On Saturday we were at Peacock and the vis was fine, until we got there. LOL




DiveBuddyChgo - 10/06/2009 7:01 PM
I took the cavern cert. at Ginnie Springs when I only had an open water cert with only 50 dives.. The course opened my eyes on what is the proper way to dive and survive... I should go back and take the same course again even though I have over 500 dives at this time and still only Open Water cert. and my NSS/CDS cavern cert.. Cave diving isn’t for me but you are correct on how much there is to learn about situations that will arise .... Mike B.
DeepAddiction - 10/06/2009 8:03 AM


I was diving at Ginnie on Saturday, I think I saw you guys. I have the same BC, I dropped a weight pounch one time as well. I really make double sure those things are clipped solid.


We thought of going to Peacock, wanted to dive Orange Grove Sink but their website said it was closed due to poor vis, you were there over weekend? Did you dive that sink, it looked like a lot of fun, fairly deep - blah,blah,blah