Thu, July 9, 2015 Dives: 1 Bottom Time: 67 minutes Max Depth: 61-70ft/19-21m Avg Viz: 91-100ft/28-30m Water Temp: 71-75°F/22-24°C Weight: 0 Exposure Suit: Fullsuit - 5 (Hood, Gloves, Boots) Tank Type: Twin Steel - 85cf/12L Gas Type: Nitrox Dive Type: Cave, Training Dive Buddy:   Lamar Hires, Rachel Voeltzel Cow Spring Florida Springs, FL Water Type: Fresh Entry Type: Other

To conclude my NSS-CDS full cave certification, with buddy Rachel Voeltzel (all of us in Sidemount), Lamar took us to Cow Sink. First we went upstream to the pull rope, then came back to the entrance area, checked our gas, and proceeded downstream approximately 300+ feet, at which point we tied off our primary reel.

Then we proceeded to do zero viz (lights out), out of air, bump and go, drills. Each of us took turns setting the primary, leading the way out of the cave system, and then retrieving the line.

Not only did we learn a tremendous amount of valuable skills, but had a ton of fun in the process. Cow was perfect at perfecting hooking ones’ steel bottles on while treading water too. All of this training will be extremely useful for in water attachment off a boat. Yes, you can indeed attach your sidemount bottles away from the entry point, off a boat, with steels. At 5 ft., using LP steel 85’s, if I can do it, so can you!