Category — Cave Course

Just before I went on vacation I taught a cave course with Mark from England who had recently moved to Playa del Carmen in his armoured car and Meril a French pilot extraordinaire. In the last days we also had the pleasure to be joined by Anneleen who had done her training a couple of months earlier and now came in to practice a little.

The first days we had Etienne with us who is assisting towards becoming a Cavern Instructor and Mauro who did his last assistance before his Intro to Cave Instructor evaluation which he passed later with flying colours…Congratulations again.

As always we started of with a bunch of training in the open water to get used to the equipment, the configuration and the local environment. Once they felt comfortable it was time to start with the cave related training which meant a bunch of zero visibility exercises first on land and then underwater to prepare them as good as possible for running through those exercises later in the cave.

Both of them did great and it was amazing to see their progress from day to day. It really always impresses me how steep the learning curve is in the first couple of days. I think the key to success is to introduce new skills and new information always step by step and let the student master the one before moving on to the next. I compare cave diving to a juggling act while riding a mono cycle. The main idea is first to learn how to juggle lets say two balls, then three, then more. After that learn how to drive a mono bicycle and then combine the two. Some people maybe will need first to learn how to juggle on a normal bike as a step in between and so forth.

In any case we had great fun and always a good spirit even if the days were long and the weather horrible.

At the end we did some really great dives and even as a team of three they rocked through multiple out of gas scenarios combined with zero visibility, restrictions and anything else a cave dive could possibly through at you!

After that I took some time off first to go exploring down in Tulum with Kim and after that was off to Austria to meet my baby nephew Lorenz for the first time. I spent three wonderful weeks with my family far away from the jungle and dark water filled holes. Of course being a true cave diving addict I had to at least spent an hour a day on you tube checking out some cave diving videos =)

Back in Mexico I started right off with Ivan who did his technical cave diver training with me some time back and this time came down for some multi staging and a basic DPV course. Since my schedule is still not that busy he decided also to always take some time off in between which worked great for me as it gives me the time to go down to Tulum and explore some more.

Since some time now I really have the great pleasure to be in a project with Kim a cave diving Instructor who lives down in Tulum. 

 Kim found what he first thought was a virgin cenote in an area he was long interested in. Being super happy about the discovery he decided to call the cenote Lycka which is Swedish and means happiness. While freediving  it he found that there was already a guide line in the entrance from a previous exploration team. He enquired with Jim Coke at the QRSS and no data was reported from any team about any cave in that area.

 We then decided to make a joint effort of resurveying and retrieving the data and also while doing that, to look for further possible exploration. Now after we connected other Cenotes (one of them named Lorenz after my nephew) it already turned into Sistema Lycka =)
So far we make great progress and I am enjoying the time a lot. The cave is really very different with unique characteristics and colours. So I am sure not to get bored on my days off, thanks to Kim!!!

I make sure to keep you posted on the progress.

Happy diving

To Avoid Breathing Gas Emergencies constant awareness is the key to a successful dive. If a critical situation is developing, react to it before it becomes a threat and call or terminate the dive. Remember the most important rule of diving is that anybody can call the dive at any time, any reason, no questions asked. There are various reasons why a diver could and should abort the dive or even not start the dive at all.

Never dive with minor or mayor equipment problems. Be more conservative on penetration distance on wrecks and caves on turnaround pressure with new equipment, a new cave system or wreck, even new dive partners. Don’t dive with divers who in your opinion do have attitude problems. Always dive within your and your team member’s limits and comfort zone. Do not be “pushed” or push others beyond their self-imposed limits. Allow team members to evolve within their own time and experience frames. In the last years a variety of breathing gases has been used successfully ranging from air to nitrox, trimix or heliox and all divers face the same problem when the tank is empty. Humans cannot breathe water and we are limited to our time underwater depending on the supply of our breathing gas in our tanks.

Running out of gas or air is in most instances operator error and self inflicted. Essential to all successful diving operations is the knowledge of your and your team members breathing gas supply including reserves for emergencies. In recreational non-decompression diving the traditional rule of turn around pressure or return to the surface pressure is 500 – 750 psi / 35 – 50 bar while some prefer to turn the dive at ½ 200 psi / 15 bar to allow a larger reserve. In decompression, wreck penetration or cave diving the rule of thirds is to be observed as a minimum.

Some divers feel that the rule of thirds is not conservative enough and turn at a fourth or sixth of their starting gas volume. Similar Tanks When all divers in a team are using the same size tanks the calculation of the turn around pressure is simple. If a diver has a tank fill of 3000 psi / 210 bar he will divide the initial tank pressure by three coming to 1000 psi / 70 bar for each third. The diver has 1000 psi / 70 bar for the penetration part of the dive, 1000 psi / 70 bar for the exit part of the dive and 1000 psi / 70 bar for a potential emergency. Taking 1000 psi / 70 bar away from our starting 3000 psi / 210 bar we will have a 2000 psi / 140 bar turn around pressure. If a diver has less then 3000 psi / 210 bar, for example 2900 psi / 190 bar then the number will be rounded down for easy calculation, in this case we go to 2700 psi / 180 bar. Dividing 2700 psi / 180 bar by three will give us thirds of 900 psi / 60 bar. Taking 900 psi / 60 bar away from our initial start pressure will give us our turn around pressure of 2000 psi / 120 bar. When ever we have a pressure not easy dividable by three we will round down to find a number easy dividable by three and subtract that number from our initial pressure to find the turn around pressure.

If diving in a team it is important to match the penetration and emergency gas supply by using a simple method. If we have a team of three with same size tanks and pressures for example of 3100 psi / 210 bar, 3000 psi / 200 bar and 2800 psi / 190 bar we look for the smallest number, in this case 2800 psi / 190 bar. We round 2800 psi / 190 bar down to 2700 psi / 180 bar because it is easy dividable by three and coming to 900 psi / 60 bar. Now every diver in the team can use only 900 psi / 60 bar for the penetration and will subtract that number from the initial pressure, arriving at turn pressures of 2200 psi / 150 bar, 2100 psi / 140 bar and 1900 psi / 130 bar. Since all divers in the team are matched and use the same amount of breathing gas to conduct the dive they will have enough gas for potential air emergencies and a safe exit.

Dissimilar Tanks In many diving areas of the world divers own their own tanks with their own volume size and pressure rating preferences. When dissimilar tanks are used we can not use the system of calculating thirds on pressure but must first convert the tank pressure into volume, then calculate thirds on the volume and convert the turn around volume into turnaround pressure. SAC rate Calculation Matching the gas supply is to insure reserve gas supply for emergencies. Gas matching compensates for diver with greatest RMV (Respiratory Minute Volume) or SAC (Surface Air Consumption) to exit sharing gas on smallest gas supply. Carefully estimate distances and gas needs for varying conditions.

The calculation of the SAC rate does begin with measure of gas consumption at a stable depth over a specific period of time noted on a slate for later calculation. Example – 500 psi / 34 bar are consumed in 10 minutes from an 80 cft / 11 liter tank at 100 feet / 30 meter. What is the SAC rate ?. First step is to calculate the minute consumption at depth 500 psi / 34 bar in 10 minutes is 50 psi / 3.4 bar per minute at depth. Second bring depth minute consumption to the surface. We convert the depth of 100 feet / 30 meter into ATA ( Atmosphere Absolute ) resulting in 4 ATA. Dividing our SAC rate of 50 psi / 3.4 bar by 4 ATA will give us the SAC of 12.5 psi / 0.85 bar per minute at the surface. Gas Reserves The rule of thirds is the absolute minimum for technical, cave, ice, wreck penetration and decompression diving due to that fact that the diver has no immediate access to the surface but has to exit the real or virtual overhead environment with a potential problem.

When a diver’s ability to access the surface is limited or non existent he or she must maintain larger gas reserves for potential emergencies. One third of the initial gas supply is used for the penetration part of the dive, the second third is used for the exit part of the dive and at least one third is used and reserved for emergencies. It is that last third that does not belong to us but our team mates that are diving with us in case they are running out of air. It is important that divers monitor their gas volume and pressure gauges in order to return safely from the farthest point of penetration while maintaining sufficient gas volume for exit and emergencies.

Primary gas supplies are managed by a concept called the rule of thirds, which states “ When diving in an overhead environment the unexpected can happen. Since it may be a long way out of a cave it is better to be conservative when applying the rules of gas management ”. The dive must be turned when 1/3rd of the initial gas supply has been consumed. The remaining 2/3rds are then available for use when returning to the exit for any gas related emergencies. The diver should surface with at least 1/3rd of the original gas supply remaining. Good examples of gas-related emergencies are free flowing regulators and ruptured hoses. Manifolds equipped with isolators and dual regulator shut off valves are designed for maximum safety. They allow a diver to shut down a defective regulator and to recover by using the remaining functioning regulator to return to the exit.

It is important to understand that the primary reason for diving the rule of thirds is self-sufficiency. When applying the rule of thirds to dive teams, the number of variables increases. Each diver in the team has his or her own swimming style and normal breathing rate. Moreover, it’s highly probable that team members are using configurations with different tank capacities, sizes and volumes. When this type of scenario develops, it’s imperative that the team matches its gas supplies to insure everyone makes a safe dive with sufficient gas reserves to deal with out of air scenarios.

The first step in gas matching is to insure that the gas has been planned to enable both the diver with the least amount of gas and the diver who has the most gas to exit the cave from the maximum point on the smallest available gas supply. If the dive team has properly matched gas supplies with individual consumption patterns, the rule of thirds provides a secondary advantage. If a problem causes a team member to run out of gas, actions can be taken so all team members can safely exit the overhead environment. For divers to be able to swim as normal as possible in a gas sharing situation, the donor’s alternate regulator should be equipped with a hose at least 7 foot / 2 Meter long hose. The standard 40 inch / 1 meter octopus hose simply isn’t practical when major horizontal distances must be traveled. In addition, a short hose will make it difficult for each diver to maintain contact using a guide line in cave or wreck diving and almost impossible to share air through a restriction.

RMV rate Calculation is the Conversion of SAC into RMV. Imperial – How many cft are 12.5 psi out of a single 80 cft tank. In order to calculate that we need to know what the rated pressure of that tank is, stamped into the neck of each Scuba tank. In case of the 80 cft aluminum tank it is 3000 psi. If we calculate 80 divided by 3000 we arrive at a base line of cft per psi, in this case 0.0266 cft per single psi. For our example above we just need to multiply 0.0266 by 12.5 and will arrive at a RMV 0.33 cft of gas per minute on the surface. Metric – How many liters are 0.85 bar in a single 11 liter tank. The Metric system is somewhat easier to calculate with our Sac rate of 0.85 bar multiplied by the tank size of 11 liter resulting in a RMV of 9.35 liters per minute at the surface.

Live long and prosper. Have plenty of gas to breathe.

Matt

…The very next day I was back in the water with Yamil and this time we couldn’t finish again as I had another course already booked but we could get another two days done.

Then Ritch came in who I had taught previously during his cave diver course to do some training in deep diving and expand his horizon in cave diving with a basic Sidemount class. As Ritch was already a cave diver his basic skills just needed a little brush up but we were ready to go and introduce new information and skills such as SMB deployment, gas switches, team formation in open water, ascent protocols, and so forth. We did a deep diver and advanced Nitrox combination and so the theory was focused on gear selection, dive planning in regards to decompression, gas volumes, oxygen exposure, emergency procedures and plenty of real life examples. During our dives we saw different environments as we used a Cenote for confined water, a sinkhole for our first dives and then moved over to dives in the ocean. During our dives in the ocean we went down to Xpu-Ha and then drove down a bit south to the deep reefs. After arriving on the bottom I have to admit I was surprised how cool the reef was. Anybody that knows me, knows I am not super keen on ocean diving, but I have to say that I really enjoyed the dives there as it was full of life and colour.

Right after that we were back in the caves (juhu) and our first objective was to built a rig that Ritch would feel comfortable in. Being that Ritch is a bit larger then life it wasn’t quiet that easy but not that hard either, and I think at the end we came to a total price on his rig of like 100usd or smth =) The next two days we were training first in open water to get familiar with the equipment and to understand 3 dimensional diving, fine tuning here and there and working on gas management and emergency procedures the basic game. After that we started with cave diving in passages that he could have passed in backmount but only with serious effort but now in sidemount were manageable with ease. It was cool to see Ritches smile after the dives because he felt so comfortable and free under water as never before with a set of doubles especially since the normal backplate simply doesn’t fit on his back. We even had a day to spare and go for a fun cave dive down in Chan Hol which we both really enjoyed!!!

Ritch in a basic harness with a modified BCD

The days after that we could finally finish Yamils cave training with two last spectacular days in Taj Maha and Xunnan Ha. It was kind of funny since I went from the biggest person I have ever trained (Ritch) right to the smallest one (Yamil). The same way I like to challenge my students during training I like to be challenged myself, and so it was really cool to look for ways to make the two comfortable in the water although they had slight disadvantages due to their seize. At the end of the day the two of them really came around during the course and I was more then happy to sign their certification!!!

Right after that it was my time to be student again, Yipi!!! I had enrolled in a GUE fundamentals class with Fred who I know and respect for some years now. I am constantly trying to evolve as a diver and as a diving instructor and part of that is to take classes myself not only to see again how it feels to be watched and critiqued but also to see how the instructor teaches and relates information. All in all it was a great experience and lots of fun and I am looking forward to do further courses with Fred an hopefully also with Danny and Chris!

At the same time my dear friend and dive partner Hans (with family) was is town and so of course we had to seize the opportunity to go cave diving. He had spent the last couple of days exploring with Mauro while I was teaching and now that I was free the three of us went to Cenote 307 adding some 600ft of line in small unstable but awesome cave!!! The day after that we went down to Dos Pisos for a three hour swim around since neither of the two had been there before. There is really hardly anything better for me then going cave diving with a couple of friends and just enjoy a day out in the nature!

Little Hans

The day after that I was back teaching, finishing Anneleens course that she had started with Nando. We had only the last three days left to go from intro to full cave. Anneleen is a local diving instructor who finally after living here for more than a year gave in and started cave diving. It was fun to watch because she instantly was so fascinated and stunned by the caves that she was still smiling hours after ascending =)))))

Finally the last couple of days I had the great pleasure to dive with Dr. Mel Clark and show her around a little bit which was great. Of course it is always cool to dive with another CCR cave diver especially one that is in the hall of fame!!! We did some really amazing dives and finished with an insane trip from Cenote Dos Palmas to The Pit and back. Some 4h of non stop scootering…I don’t know what was better the dive or finally getting out of the water releasing the pressure in certain areas =)

Mel with a 42 ... without batteries in it though =)

After that I got another two former cave students in, Jojo and Chris from the french part of Swiss. We started of doing a stage, multistage course which was really super fun, since I had to teach in french which always kind of makes me look like a stand up comedian. In the evenings my brain was so much in knots that I started to mix all sorts of languages and simply was not able to communicate anymore. Moments like this always make me think of my polish chemistry teacher in high school, being that chemistry isn’t the easiest subject in the first place, only being able to understand every third word of the teacher doesn’t really help either But they both assured me that I was doing great and that they really understand what I am talking about (yeah right…)! Thanks god hand signals are international!!!

Jojo and Chris still suited up to avoid the bloodsuckers

After that Jojo continued with a Normoxic Trimix class which brought me back again to dive in the ocean. After the confined water session in a cenote we dove out of Xpu-Ha, mostly hanging out at the drop off =) Jojo really enjoyed the training especially the ratio deco which was a new concept to him and as he told me changed completely the way he looks at dive planning now! I am always happy and glad to get such a reaction from a student!

So I hope this little report shows why I didn’t post too much in the last 2 months but I was simply too busy living the dream and going diving every day, hahahah! I hope you enjoyed the post nearly as much as I enjoyed the dives!!!

cheers Patrick

I just come out of a pretty busy run full of teaching and exploring, tiring but fun and now as things slow down a little bit I can take the time to write about it.

When I had finished the basic sidemount course with Wayne I was off on three weeks vacation. First I had planed to travel to Dominican Republic and everything was set until my travel partner had to cancel due to work obligations. I was pretty bummed out about the whole situation but when Mauro asked me to join a project he and Alex where pursuing I forgot about the situation and was looking forward to go and explore with the two.
In the same period of time I also got the second draft version of a sidemount rig I help to design which instantly outdid all my expectations and gave me great motivation to go out and dive again daily. So besides exploring I also dedicated a good amount of time to testing the rig in various different diving environments as well as techniques ranging from wet to dry suit, stages and scooters in backmount and sidemount seized passages.

With Mauro I was exploring in Cenote Balan Ak where Alex had established the relationship with the landowner and out of Cenote Palomita to resurvey and push some lines. A great pleasure to hang out and dive with the two guys who are both so passionate about the exploration there.

After that it was back to work and I started my first course right away with Mark who came in to do a deep/advanced nitrox combo course. A cool start that gave me also the rare possibility to dive in the ocean. After one day in a Cenote for confined water training and another day in the sinkhole Angelita we lost a day to sickness. Having only one day of diving in the ocean left, we couldn’t finish the training but Mark has already booked his return in September where we will not only finish but also integrate the advanced recreational trimix course.

Before the next course I had the great opportunity to help Nadia a cave explorer that lives down in Tulum with her mapping project of Cenote Dos Pisos. It was a super experience, first of all since I had never attempted to produce a large scale cave map (besides stick maps of course) and second it was cool to hang out with her and talk about different projects she is pursuing with her husband Dave in the area as well as some of the history of  the Cenote and the Cave System.

After that I almost instantly went into a CCR cave course with two Germans, Dirk and Thomas who came equipped with an Inspiration and a Megalodon CCR. Dirk had already done his course in Thailand some time ago and already visited Florida and Mexico for cave diving but wanted to sit in and train with his buddy. Dirk was one of my really first advanced nitrox students back when I lived in Egypt and to see him now as a very skilled trimix/cave ccr diver puts a big smile on my face. Thomas being a very experienced trimix ccr instructor himself made for a great team and hard for me to challenge the two.

Thomas and Dirk back from a dive in B Tunnel

The first two days we spent in the open water working on buoyancy, trim and fining techniques as well as looking at the units and trimming them down to minimal seize. We also went through all of the ccr related exercises followed by zero visibility training and touch contact and touch and go procedures.
Third day had us in the cave ready to go and trying the first time all ccr skills while staying horizontal within arms reach of the guideline. We realized quickly that doing those skills in a dark place with limited space while staying perfectly trimed with neutral buoyancy is not a quiet easy thing to do =)
The next five days we were working on many different scenarios including hyper and hypoxia drills, boom scenarios, hypercapnia, long hose gas sharing of bail out, passing restrictions in zero viz, complex navigation, surfacing in zero visibility, solenoid stuck close and open during a cave dive, lost line and lost diver and many combinations of the above.
During the entire course we had lots of fun and a general relaxed atmosphere and shared many stories of diving the cold lakes in europe =)
Both of them came very open minded in the course and with a lot of experience which gave us many interesting topics and point of views to discuss, all in all a great time!

Dirk and Thomas tired but happy!!!

After that Dirk who had brought his own scooter enrolled in a three day basic cave dpv course. We were using Bonex(dirks), Silent Submerge as well as a Divex Cuda during the training to see different performances and characteristics of the models.
First day we were doing theory all morning discussing pros and cons, gas management, emergency procedures, conservation and other topics before driving to Cenote Ponderosa to do our initial training. We were practicing different towing techniques, how to keep neutral bouyancy while driving, touch contact, touch and go and runaway dpv failure which especially on the bonex is an easy scenario due to his master switch.
The next day we were in the cave all day long going through lots of complex exercises involving lost line and lost diver during a dpv dive, computing different RMVs and times which are essential to dive planing, zero visibility drills including picking up gear, dpv failures, time awareness and so forth. Dirk realized very fast that there is more to scootering in a cave then pulling a trigger =)
Last day we implemented all of the previous learned in complex dives in cenote Mayan Blue which turned out to be just amazing! The previous long days payed of and we could use our rebreathers and scooters effectively. We did long dives covering an amazing distance while relaxed sight seeing knowing that at all times even with two catastrophic failures we would still be able to safely exit the cave. Now Dirk must get some more experience using his new favourite tool so that next time we can bring out the long range dpvs and take it to the next level. =)

The next day I went straight over to a OC cave course with Yamil a local diving instructor who had started some time ago but couldn’t finish due to work obligations. Again we were not able to finish his training due to a bad cold that knocked him out after the first two days.
At least that gave me the opportunity to squeeze some days of exploring in and even a fun dive with friends from Utila (Frank and Andy). We were a big group consisting of Dirk, Thomas, Mauro, Frank, Andy and myself and were diving in separate teams in Cenote Muchachos. Dirk and Thomas on CCRs, Mauro sidemount and stage, the Utila gang after finishing their basic sidemount training with Nando in their new rigs and me CCR also and dpv. A great day with 3h+ dive time =)

The following day I welcomed Nick who came in to “upgrade”  from GUE Cave 1 to Technical Cave Diver. We had met before to discuss exactly the expectations that he had in the course and that I had from him as a student. Nick came in as a highly trained, skilled and experienced diver which made my job both very easy and difficult. Easy in a way that he learned extremely fast difficult in a way of bringing him close to the edge of his comfort zone to establish some limits. The main new information and skills we had to cover were navigation, restrictions, deco bottel and stage tank use in the overhead environment and reviewing the stuff he had already learned and all of that on a tight schedule which ment early mornings and late evenings, especially for me as Nick stayed in Puerto Aventuras…
Nick is an avid deep and wreck diver from Australia which made the lunch brakes very entertaining as he shared some insights on the local wreck and cave diving in the land down under. I really hope I will get the chance one day to visit him there and check it out!!!

So that was part one…part two will be up in some days…I hope you enjoy =)

cheers

Stress in Cave Diving

Stress is a phenomenon that may, if unchecked, lead to panic and result in an accident. Cave divers are exposed to most known stresses measured by psychologists.

Like wrecks or diving under ice, caves present us with an overhead environment. This means we can not escape directly to the surface as we do in open water diving. Caves are dark. They usually present us with choices. Deciding which passage to take in an apparently never-ending maze can create its own sources of stress. As we review each stress source it will become apparent how these environmental hazards add to stress.

Time pressure – stress is present in a wide number of scenarios. In its most simple form, time pressure stress involves matching the gas supply to the time the dive will take. This expands into a major problem when a dive plan has been exceeded and the gas supply is running low. In this instance uninformed divers may actually compound the problem by increasing their breathing rates.

Preparing for a dive can also cause stress. For example, if one diver is already suited and enters the water and his or her partner has an equipment problem and removes his gear to make repairs, time stresses both divers – the one who has to wait and the one who is causing the delay because he has to catch up.

Distance – presents a major time pressure stress. The greater the distance to open water, the more time stress has to build. The greatest danger in distance-related stress is the perceived time-pressure threat. In this case the perception is usually greater than the actual threat. There have been numerous instances where divers become so stressed out, they forget basic but important rules for cave diving. Time pressure stress can also build when a diver looks at his decompression clock.

Confinement – is an obvious source of stress. This is usually lurking in the recesses of the mind and comes into play when other stresses are introduced. Confinement couples time-pressure stress with the distance factor. The reaction to bolt toward the surface is overcome by overhead training that discourages thinking about the traditional escape route. In this way confinement stress is managed.

Task loading – occurs when divers must perform more tasks than they think they can simultaneously handle. Task loading can happen when a diver is trying to do three simple things at once – manage a reel, light the pathway ahead while swimming in a normal, correct, relaxed manner. Add to this a Diver Propulsion Vehicle ( DPV ) and / or other specialized items, and the apparent overloading of a cave diver’s comfort zone is evident.

Incorrect breathing patterns – lead to serious stress related incidents. Incorrect breathing results from compounding stress, or simply by not breathing correctly. Incorrect breathing is a major cause of stress. To breath correctly, practice diaphragm breathing exercises. When diving, always concentrate on breathing slowly and deeply until it becomes a reflex reaction.

Once a pattern of incorrect breathing has begun, a vicious cycle develops. The pattern is often so subtle a diver may not even recognize it. Examples of stressful breathing include hyperventilation or rapid breathing ( usually shallow ) resulting in a feeling of air starvation. This is frequently sensed as regulator failure. A diver who fails to exhale and keeps inhaling in small gulps until his lungs are full often feels his regulator is faulty. Hypo ventilation, most often, results from a concerted effort to skip breathe. This often produces a CO2 excess that may lead to unconsciousness.

When first becoming aware of stress or a feeling of discomfort, it’s important that a diver does stop all activity, exhale slowly and fully, and then inhale slowly and fully. This breathing pattern should be repeated at least three times before resuming the dive. The diver should then continue breathing slowly and fully using his diaphragm muscles. Discomfort can almost always be alleviated by this method.

A good way to avoid breathing stress is to develop a swim pace that allows acceptable forward momentum, while maintaining a correct, comfortable respiratory pattern. Accelerating one’s swimming stroke will frequently lead to uncontrolled breathing. It can even produce a sensation of uneasiness.

Physical Factors of Stress

Exertion and thermal imbalance produce stress by being either too hot or too cold. An aware diver should be able to control these simply by monitoring comfort levels and using adequate thermal protection. Factors such as overexertion, new equipment, bad fit of equipment, new cave, bad visibility or strong current can induce physical stress as well.

Psychological Factors of Stress

Ego threats, or peer pressure are indirect sources of stress. They frequently lead to attempting feats beyond our personal ability or comfort level. Diving with a new partner, long distance cave penetrations and task loading can add to psychological stress.

Disorientation is always a problem when exploring overhead environments. Most caves feature multiple passages (mazes). This presents the possibility of becoming lost. The proper use of line arrows and guide lines should offset this source of stress. One of the leading causes of cave death is the failure to follow a continuous guide line. Other stresses include buoyancy problems, excessive dependency on another diver and real or perceived physical threats.

Darkness or loss of visibility produce stress due to sensory loss. This can be due to a light malfunction, low visibility, turbid water or silt outs. While this should not be a major consequence, when combined with other stresses and performance inhibitors, it can lead to threatening situations. This condition may be avoided through proper lighting systems and good technique.

The most serious form of stress is “compound stress.” It occurs when more than one stress source is involved. Compound stress is more difficult to manage than individual sources of stress. However, in reality, it is very common to have more than one source or form of stress on a dive. If stress is not controlled, it may, lead to panic. Panic is a life threatening event.

Signs and Symptoms of Stress

Telltale signs, or symptoms of stress, can be prevented by early recognition. Personal indicators of stress often include an uneasy feeling, unusual anxiety or apprehension irritability. Our intuitive hunches will attempt to tell us if there is reason for stress. Becoming tuned with our inner self is imperative for stress-free diving. This degree of awareness also takes training and the use of mind control techniques.

Visual indicators of stress include but are not limited to big eyed look, increased respiration, failure to communicate, fixation on gauges, changes in swim pace, inability to do skill, freezing up, clumsiness and tensing up.

Control of stress can be accomplished through increased self awareness. Frequently the stressed diver is unaware of an increase in respiration. A buddy, who notices his or her dive partner breathing quickly or unusually, should immediately alert him and momentarily remain at rest until the breathing problem is solved. To control stress we must first be aware of it and then execute a corrective action. When dealing with stress we must remember its cause may be either real or perceived. It frequently manifests itself by a change in respiration.

We must recognize some common behavioral modifications that can result in mental narrowing or more aptly becoming unfocused as it relates to problem solving. This condition is also referred to as “tunnel vision”. By becoming overtly focused, the diver may lose his or her ability to correctly analyze situations and to perform many skills, both newly learned and well known. Tunnel vision can compound the problem because of perceived task loading. This type of behavioral change, if not corrected, may lead to panic. The ability to focus the mind on problem solving is paramount in these situations. Physiological adaptations are created by behavioral modifications. Included are increased respiration, increased heart rate, abnormal adrenaline release and the urge to flee.

For survival, it’s imperative we compensate for behavioral and physiological changes. The tools that will enable us to control stress in all its manifestations include awareness, adequate training and the application of newly acquired skills. We must develop a new discipline or attitude. We must be able to instantly recognize a real threat (instead of a perceived one) and we must instinctively make the right moves, take the right corrective actions to avoid disaster.

Awareness is developed through a process of both self and group analysis. Awareness must become automatic. To accomplish this we employ the process of mental visualization prior to actually diving. By running the dive through our mind prior to diving can result in a safer dive. Awareness also opens the mind’s ability to detect changes in dive performance that otherwise would go unnoticed in either your self or your dive companions. During the dive ask yourself, am I comfortable ?. Is everything really OK ?. Observe team members and their comfort levels and listen for changes in respiratory rates.

Personal training needs to be ongoing even after the course has been finished. It is key to maintaining a record of safe diving. To do this, we must continue to regularly practice relevant skills. We must continually evaluate and configure equipment so it’s easy to use and every element is accessible and works dependably. Routinely review your skills to make every dive safer. As your interests expand, seek additional training for specialty areas in cave diving. Select team members who share your interests and training objectives. Through anticipation of upcoming stress, elimination of stress factor through continuing training with continuing skill practice and preparation for upcoming dives a lot of the stress factors can be reduced or eliminated. A certain amount of stress is good for us and keeps us sharp, to much stress is harmful to us.

Un an après avoir terminer mon cours de Full Cave Diver chez Protec, je décide d’approfondir mes connaissances de plongée en grotte. Après de nombreuses discussions avec Patrick nous arrivons à la conclusion que la prochaine étape pour moi est le cour Basic Sidemount. Ce seront donc trois jours intensifs de plongée, une  nouvelle configuration de mon équipement et je l’espère, de nombreuses nouvelles sensations. 
Lors de mon inscription à Protect, Patrick me fait comprendre  que la première phase est tout d’abord l’élaboration  de mon harnais pour plonger Sidemount. La solution la plus facile est d’acheter un harnais type Transpac, ou similaire. Nous optons pour une seconde option, celle de le fabriquer nous même. La veille du cours je me procure donc du webbing que l’on découpe à mes dimensions, et bien sûr ma vieille stab.

Premier jour, il est 9 heures de matin et je suis à Protec. On commence par un peu de théorie. Patrick m’explique les différents aspects de la plongée en Sidemount avec ses avantages et ses inconvénients, ainsi que la différente configuration du détendeur. La plongée en Sidemount consiste à avoir ses bouteilles sur les côtés. Le but est de me permettre dans le futur de plonger dans des grottes plus étroites, ce qui m’est pour le moment impossible avec mes doubles bouteilles sur le dos….

Je passe donc toute la matinée  à la fabrication de mon harnais. Après deux heures de travail le résultat n’est pas trop mal ; il y a encore quelques réglages à faire, mais ils se feront après les essais en piscine. Pendant ce temps Patrick s’est occupé de ma stab. Toutes les poches et tous les clips ont été retirés. Petite pose déjeuner, et me voilà dans ma combinaison, mon harnais avec ma stab sur le dos.

Mise à l’eau dans la piscine de l’hôtel Mom’s ; j’attache mes bouteilles de chaque côté et je descends, le temps de faire différents tests de flottabilité. En sortant de l’eau on discute des changements et ajustements que je dois effectuer sur mon nouvel équipement. On va dire que ce sont mes devoirs pour le lendemain.

Deuxième jour, on se donne rendez-vous au magasin pour un dernier ajustement de l’équipement, avant de partir plonger dans les cénotes  Chikinha et Xtabay. Sur place avant de se mettre à l’eau nous revoyons les basics de la plongée en grotte Backmount (signes, position et touch contact), puis les nouveautés du Sidemount (touch and go). Une fois dans l’eau je réalise différents exercices de flottabilité (nager sur le côté et sur le dos), ainsi que retirer les tanks sous l’eau et de les replacer (position du superman). Avant notre première plongée en grotte nous avons effectué plusieurs exercices de touch and go dans la zone de caverne.

Bulble check et gear matching réalisé, nous sommes prêts à plonger. Je suis le guide, lorsque je déploie ma ligne d’ariane, je m’aperçois qu’il y en a déjà une en place, je reste donc à sa droite et la suis jusqu’au moment ou l’on rejoint la ligne principale de la grotte. La plongée dure une heure, et la vers la fin nous faisons quelques exercices en zéro visibilité. Ce fut une très belle plongée. En sortant de l’eau, debriefing de rigueur afin de voir quelles sont les modifications à faire pour améliorer ma flottabilité. Au même moment  sortent d’autres plongeurs, l’un deux est Bill Philips ; petite discussion avant de repartir vers Protec et de terminer cette belle journée.

Troisième et dernier jour ….L, on se dirige vers Chack Mol, pour faire deux plongées. Comme la veille, petit réajustement de l’équipement. Le but  aujourd’hui est de faire deux plongées dans des espaces beaucoup plus réduits ou je pourrais voir l’efficacité de ma nouvelle configuration.

Tous s’est bien passé durant ces trois jours, mais je me rends compte qu’il me faudra  de nombreuses plongées afin de pouvoir véritablement maitriser cette nouvelle configuration  et pousser son utilité au maximum.

Je suis vraiment impatient  de retourner dans l’eau lors de mon prochain temps libre pour améliorer ma technique en Sidemount et surtout de continuer ma formation technique en grotte.

I just finished up a great week with Wayne who came down for his third time in an effort to satisfy his cave diving addiction…

The entire week was dedicated to sidemount diving. The first three days we spent setting up Wayne’s rig ensuring that he felt comfortable and that it works for the environment he will dive.   He had done a bunch of research before the course which really gave us a great head start and brought us into the cave quickly.

We started the morning with theory and an equipment workshop.  After having lunch, we jumped in the water to see how everything looks.  A lot of great ideas on the surface turn out to be total failures below the surface, therefore I believe this is a critical part of any course and devote ample time focused on getting the student comfortable with his equipment.  I pay special attention to head to toe trim, lateral trim and proper weighting. My goal is to make the equipment an extension of the body, thereby removing a major distraction allowing for more awareness of the cave, the line and the team.

We spent quite some time fine tuning and adjusting.  After that we ran through various drills and exercises.  By the time we left the cenote we had a great foundation.

The dives lengthened over the next two days as we refreshed line laying skills, marking protocols, and touch and go exit drills in zero visibility. We dived a lot in low bedding plains which would have been difficult for backmount divers to pass, especially if performing touch contact exit.  The conditions were ideal for illustrating the advantages of sidemount.

After that we had four super great days of guided cave diving in Tulum. We started with Dream Gate just south of Chemuyil. Dream Gate is a really awesome cave with shallow depths which make for long dives through the intensely decorated passages. I was stoked to dive the downstream section to show Wayne all of the recently explored lines bearing line arrows marked with 09 for last year. I find it very exciting to dive in places that are still being explored or have been recently explored.  It gives me a feeling of being one of the first to see them.

Unfortunately, to my frustration, we discovered the explorer’s line arrows had been replaced by generic orange arrows with the name of a dive center which had nothing to do with the exploration of these lines.   I felt a range of emotions starting with anger and frustration, then sadness and finally pity for the person who feels the urge to go through the trouble of replacing all these arrows out of envy. Even here in paradise we have some sad stories.

Never the less the dive was awesome!  I was super excited to see the Mayan pottery for the first time.  It is just sitting there next to the line after the T in front of a debris cone which is under a tiny cenote. Our second dive was upstream checking out the many T intersections.

The next day we went to Dos Pisos south of Tulum. It is one of the most amazing caves I know. It has an average depth of less than 20ft, so we decided to do one loooong dive and really swim some distance and enjoy this marvelous cave. The bright white color and the density and variety of the decorations makes this a cave diver’s Mecca. I especially love the beginning as you pass a shallow bedding plain and then a small winding tunnel with crystal white calcite on the floor looking like powder snow. Then the cave opens up in ever larger rooms with breathtaking formations all around. Wayne clearly found his favorite spot and was still smiling hours after we had surfaced.

Wayne on the back of the truck

Next we dove another cenote south of Tulum, Regina.  Regina couldn’t be any more different from Dos Pisos. It is darker and deeper.  With its ever changing shape and depth I can use only one word to describe it, intriguing.  Lots of tannin in the water makes for interesting colors and a generally spooky feeling.  With the numerous transitions from salt water to fresh water and back and an average depth of 50ft it is a great place to accumulate experience for a newly certified sidemount diver. It definitely takes more awareness of tank alignment and gas management.

On the last day we went to Cenote Muchachos and Cenote Mud. These dives were a great finish to the week. Wayne really enjoyed both cenotes and the adventure of getting into Cenote Mud.   Cenote Muchachos and Cenote Mud, although close in proximity have completely different personalities.  In Cenote Muchachos we went up the Black Forrest line and enjoyed the huge passages and incredible ceiling.

In Cenote Mud we swam a white passage with massive decoration that leads you to another cenote with bright green and cold tannic water. There we took the T down which leads you what looks like a dungeon, a really bizarre place where one can see the forces of water shaping our planet.

This was a really cool week with some of my favorite dives here in the Riviera Maya and all of that back to back. I really love it when I come home from diving already looking forward to the next day and the dives I am going to do…

Now I am on vacation and am going cave diving of course =)

Cheers
P

Endlich war es soweit, meine erster Kurs mit Landsmaennern und Frauen und dann auch noch eine super Gruppe von der Tauchschule Traunsee. Veronika, Andreas, Ursula und Markus kamen den langen Weg vom kalten Österreich hierher in die Riviera Maya um ihre bereits breite Erfahrung im Tauchen um eine Nische zu erweitern, Hoehlentauchen!!!

Von Anfang an war die positive Motivation und eine entspannte Atmosphäre zu spuehren, die natürlich den anstrengenden Kurs um einiges leichter machte. Die 4 wurden von Andy, einem Australier komplettiert. Da aber nur 3 Schueler pro Tauchlehrer erlaubt sind, teilten sich Nando und ich die Gruppe. Die Theorie erarbeiteten wir  immer gemeinsam und dann im Wasser trainierten Veronika, Ursula und Andy mit Nando; Markus und Andreas mit mir.

Die ersten Tage sind immer die längsten, bis man alles ins Rollen gebracht hat und so begannen wir täglich um 08:30 und unsere Tage endeten mit wenigen Ausnahmen gegen 18:00.Uhr..sorry =)

Tag eins begann mit Papierkram und sich ein bisschen kennen lernen, Hauptregeln und Ablauf des Kurses besprechen und eine kleine Vorschau auf das, was so auf einen zukommt…letzte Chance es sich noch einmal anders zu überlegen!

Nach ein wenig Theorie und einem ausführlichen Ausruestungs Workshop ging es ab zur ersten Cenote, Chikin Ha/Xtabay, wo wir uns um die Hauptfundamente kümmerten, und  zwar Tarierung, Trim und die verschiedenen Flossenschlagtechniken und all das in der neuen Konfiguration mit den Doppelflaschen.
Das Hoehlentauchen ist nicht nur eine körperliche sondern vor allem eine mentale Herausforderung, weil man sich zu jedem Zeitpunkt auf sehr viele Dinge konzentrieren muss, dabei sollte man eine stabile Position unter Wasser haben, ohne sich dazu großartig zu bemühen oder sich bewegen zu müssen.

Am naechsten Tag ging es gleich in der Frueh auf zur Cenote Cristalino. Dort angekommen verbrachten wir erst mal ein paar Stunden zwischen den Baeumen, um Uebungen mit den Leinen zu machen, damit man lernt, die Hoehle in Nullsicht sicher gemeinsam mit seinem Team zu verlassen. Dies war der Beginn vieler Uebungen mit geschlossenen Augen und die Antwort auf die Frage: Wie kann ich mich mit meinen Partnern verstaendigen ohne sie zu hoehren oder zu sehen?
Der gesamte Nachmittag wurde im Wasser verbracht, um das am Land Gelernte unter Wasser zu trainieren. Anfangs noch jeder fuer sich, dann  im Team. Jede Menge Situationen, wie sich im Seil verhaengen, keine Luft mehr haben, Tarierungsprobleme, Fuehrungsleine verlieren und noch viele andere mussten bewaeltigt werden. Und als ob das alles noch nicht genug gewesen wäre, hatten wir dann abends noch eine Lektion in der Theorie.

Am naechsten Tag war es endlich soweit, die ersten Hoehlentauchgaenge standen am Plan. Der erste noch mit dem Instruktor als Fuehrer, der naechste schon alleine als Team, wobei der Tauchlehrer nur alles aus der Dunkelheit ueberwacht und die Uebungen koordiniert. Die Cenote Ponderosa bietet sich hierfuer perfekt an, da es mehrere Leinen zu betauchen gibt. So machten wir 3 Tauchgaenge und begannen bereits mit Nullsichtuebungen, die schon gut gemeistert wurden, dank des ganzen Trainings vom Vortag.
Am spaeten Nachmittag als wir zurueck in Pro Tec waren, machten wir noch ein wenig Theorie und den Plan fuer den naechsten Tag.

Tag vier verbrachten wir in der Cenote Taj Maha mit Konzentration auf die Notfall Situationen mit mehrfachen ohne Luft Notfällen, Nullsicht Situationen und beides gemeinsam durch enge Passagen, die das Team zu mehrfachem Wechsel der Seite auf der Leine zwang. Es ging auch immer weiter in die Hoehle hinein.

Tag fuenf, brachte den Abschluss des Intro to cave Kurses mit den beiden Uebungen: Lost Line und Lost Diver. Zuerst verbrachten wir den Vormittag wieder damit, alles im Trockenen zu ueben um uns mental auf die Uebungen vorzubereiten und alles einmal vorher Schritt fuer Schritt duchzugehen.
Im Wasser haben wir die Uebungen dann auch noch mit „null Sicht“ und „ohne Luft“- Situationen kombiniert um das Training zu intensivieren.
Die Cenote Chac Mool bietet sich hierfür sehr gut an, da der Tunnel sehr dunkel ist und die Halocline das ganze noch um einiges erschwert. 

Endlich im „full cave“ Teil angekommen, ging es zurueck nach Taj Maha, um an den Verengungen zu trainieren und mit Sprüngen auf andere Leinen zu beginnen. Wir starteten, wie fast immer mit Leinenuebungen am Parkplatz und dann gings ab zum ersten 90 min Tauchgang wo eine Uebung die naechste abwechselte und wir uns zum Schluss waehrend einer „ohne Luft Situation“ bei null Sicht durch eine Verengung zwaengen mussten.
Alles lief super gut ab und die beiden tauchten mit einem breiten Lächeln auf!

Tag sieben verbrachten wir in der Cenote Minotauro um einen komplexen Circuit zu planen, vorzubreiten und durchzufuehren und noch mehr die Engstellen zu trainieren. Ein 106 min Tauchgang und ein 78 min Tauchgang waren dazu noetig…was fuer ein Tag und die beiden haben auch eindeutig ihre Lieblingshoehle gefunden.

Am letzten Tag ging es dann nach Tulum, in der Grand Cenote machten wir die letzten zwei Tauchgaenge ohne Uebungen um das Erlernte auszuprobieren. Zwei traumhafte Tauchgaenge durch dieses so wundervoll dekorierte System. Der perfekte Abschluss fuer einen tollen Kurs.

Zurueck in der Tauchbasis haben wir dann noch die Examen gemacht, die alle mit fast 100% bestanden haben und somit war es vollbracht, wir haben vier neue, oesterreichische Hoehlentaucher, und ich koennte nicht stolzer sein.
Ein herzliches Danke an die vier, die sich so tapfer geschlagen haben, auch wenn die Tage lang, die Woche noch laenger und die Uebungen hart waren… oesterreichisches Blut ist eben koa Nudelsuppen.

Ich hoffe euch bald wieder hier zu sehen, um euch ein paar der traumhaften Hoehlen der Riviera Maya zu zeigen…

Sonnige Gruesse aus Playa,
Patrick

The last weeks have been awesome, it started of with a basic Sidemount course, followed by a CCR experience, a multistage course, then Basic Cave DPV, an Intro to Cave course, taking some pictures with Matt and some guided CCR cave diving…I really like to do different things, so a schedule like this is just perfect for me.

First on the list was Tristan who lives and works here in Playa and felt it was time to expand his horizon and move into sidemount diving. First step was to work on a rig and after listing up his different options he decided to go with a basic webbing harness and a modified recreational bcd on top as buoyancy device. We used to first day for theory, talking about equipment, gas management, some history, benefits and dangers of sidemount diving among other things. The afternoon was spend with configuration and some time in the pool to fine tune the rig.

On the next day we went to Cenote Xtabay, to work on buoyancy, trim, fining techniques, equipment familiarity and zero visibility procedures. A very long day with hours in the water but leaving with a streamlined rig that started to be more and more an extension of Tristan’s body.
On the last day we went to Cenote Chac Mool to dive in low ceiling cave to show how easy and fast you can move in a sidemount configuration in passages that would really slow you down diving in backmount.

The very next day, I spent with Arthur who had just finished his cave course with Nando but wanted to try out CCR diving before going back to Poland. For his try out he chose the Classic Kiss . We met in the morning and I started with some basics on ccrs, different types and units, potential hazards and advantages over OC diving. Later we went to Ponderosa where he had the chance after some basic exercises to swim the unit in the open water and make his first bubble free experience underwater.

Right after that the finish invasion started with Lauri who came in from cold Helsinki to further his knowledge and experience in cave diving with a stage multistage course followed by a basic cave dpv course. A really perfect combination since it follows the principal of progressive penetration.
There are many different schools of thought coming from different point of views, environments, agencies and other ideas and so the first step always has to be to analyze and review them and see which one fits best ones believes. These also may change with time and from one environment to the next and so to be open minded and willing to try different things is the key in my opinion.
The main  topics for the two courses definitely should be different rules of gas management, streamlining of gear, team protocols, zero visibility training including pick up and switching, different failures and the response to these failures and then just train, train, train.
We definitely had a cool time and did some super nice long dives where one drill followed the next keeping us busy and alert. Lauri handled everything I was throwing at him from out of gas drills to zero viz having to pick up and switch to stages with his eyes closed while staying in contact with the team retrieving his scooter while lights out then towing and pushing fellow divers with dpv malfunctions and  all of that several thousand feet back in a cave. He mastered the techniques  necessary for long penetrations understanding the risk of these dives and accepting to start slow and never making too big steps. Now it is up to him to stay sharp and to adapt the skills learned in the Mexican caves to  the cold mine diving he is doing back home.

A couple of days later the finish invasion continued with Veli, Mia, Saara and Miksu that all came to do their intro to cave training with Matt and I. Although we had to fight with sickness and cancel sightseeing trips we fought our way through and at the end all four left as certified intro to cave divers.   I also had the chance to take Miksu and Saara on some guided dives afterward where they finally had the chance to try the learned outside the course environment. We went to places like Nohoch and Dos Ojos which are famous for their beautiful decorations.

Having some days off in between Matt and me took the opportunity to go and take some pictures  in Grand Cenote…here a little taste:

Finally I had the great pleasure to take Dr. Mel Clark on some guided ccr cave diving. Having been sick before I wasn´t quiet 100%  but to be around an energetic and fun person like her immediately made me feel better. She was packing her revo ccr and a camera and so we went for some longer dives taking what felt to me like 1000s of pictures. First day we were out at Cenote Pet Cemetery to dive both lines towards the blue abyss and a bit beyond. On the second dive we where joined by Michael another ccr diver with a Megalodon that made our team complete.
The day after we went to Mayan Blue to dive from B tunnel to E and F and finally back over towards A after the T. One of my absolute favorite dives!!!!
Definitely cool  to hang out with her and share experiences and discuss some different ideas, great time!

So that’s it, a short report on what I did the last weeks and maybe it also explains why I didn’t sit down in the evening to write about it, I was a bit exhausted =)

Thank you very much to all the divers that gave me the opportunity to show them a little bit of my world, it was a great to meet and dive with you. Hope to see you all back here soon!!!

Cheers
Patrick

A little while ago while I was still super busy with the polish group training and preparing their  distance record, I met Anders, a PADI Course Director working for Pro Dive Mexico. Since I have a bunch of friends working there I had already heard that he was interested in cave diving, and now finally he was in the shop to talk about dates and pay the deposit.

From the first moment his enthusiasm about learning something new was obvious and there is really nothing better for me then teaching people that are as stoked about diving as I am. It is also somewhat rare to meet people that are in the industry since a long time but still enjoy to dive for pleasure and even do courses themselves.

Personally I find it very important to be back in the shoes of a student every once in a while to not lose the perspective and to remember that it is hard to learn something new at the beginning.

Since I had a previous work assignment as DSO on a commercial diving project in Toluca and Anders a big IDC right after that, we were a bit in schedule trouble, so we decided to split the course in two four-day runs. Which was also somewhat cool, since it gave him the possibility to practice some of the skills we were working on during the brake.

We started the first day in the classroom to cover some of the basics, and have a look at equipment and communication. In the afternoon we spent about 3h in open/confined water to simply work on buoyancy, trim and propulsion. Plenty of time to really work on the configuration and make the gear and extension of his body as well as introducing Anders to the different fining techniques that are so important for cave diving. Cave diving is about traveling distances as efficient and easy as possible and therefore I spend quiet a lot of time with my students developing these skills.

Second day was all about line drills, first out of the water and then in the water. Training for all sorts of zero visibility emergencies including entanglements and gas sharing. We stayed all afternoon in the water running drill after drill until it became second nature. After that as usual back to the dive center to continue with theory sessions.

Day three arrived and we were ready to go cave diving!!! Having spent all that time before in very shallow open water working on the basic skills with doubles and zero viz now really payed off as we could put all our focus on the cave environment and the team diving concept. It is important that all the other things are somewhat automatic or at least don’t need all of the attention of the diver, if not task loading becomes very fast an issue.

So day three and four were used to practice line laying techniques, team communication and emergency drills inside the overhead environment.

After the brake we met again in December to continue and Anders had really used the brake to work on his skills and study some more the manuals which set us up for a good start.

So we first went to Chac Mool to talk about lost line and lost diver scenarios and give it a try later in the water. Not the easiest skills to start with but Anders did a good job and stayed focused throughout the looooong day.

The next days we started with navigation, completed a complex circuit, negotiated restrictions while sharing gas in simulated zero visibility and did a couple of long awesome cave dives!

It was also nice to hang out and chat as we are both since quite some time in this industry and have in some ways very similar experiences and in other ways very different ones. The one thing we definitely share though is the pride and perfectionism in our profession. Anders just created a training center for people that are interested in becoming a dive professional where candidates have the opportunity not only to get pushed through courses barely fulfilling the minimum requirements. Instead they have the possibility to work in the resort environment, under supervision, to get a real taste of what it is like to work in this job and get the foundation that prepares them to work wherever in the world the day after they completed their training. He and his team also offer additional training in things like free diving and workshops on the underwater environment amongst other things. All in all I think it is an awesome idea  and great to see that there are more and more instructors interested in giving a little more rather than just pushing people through the ranks.

If you wanna get in touch with Anders to find out more about what him and his team are doing, please don’t hesitate and write me an mail and I will put you in touch.

The last day we went down to Tulum to dive in Grand Cenote. The perfect finish were we could apply all the things we had worked on during the course. Prepared with a detailed dive plan utilizing the map at site we completed two long dives incorporating several jumps and passing restrictions of all seizes and shapes.

So from my side there is nothing left to say but: “Congratulations Anders and Welcome to the Dark, Mysterious and Wonderful World of Cave Diving!”

Cheers
Patrick