I recently had the great pleasure to hang out and dive with two fellow dive professionals from the other part of the world:

Tom from the Philippines and Kelvin from Truk Lagoon. Both of them came by after they had visited the DEMA trade show. Tom just the day before Hurricane Ida and Kelvin just after. At first we were a bit nervous if Ida would destroy our plans of cave diving the next days but then she passed us far and we only got a day of wind and rain followed by excellent weather.

Tom was in for some guided cave diving to see what the Mexican caves were all about and so we sent him out with one of our guides to give him an overview. Unfortunately he was on a tight schedule planning to do other things besides cave sightseeing and so Santi could only show him the tiny little tip of the iceberg leaving a lot of fantastic sights out of the tour.
On the plus side Tom could use the time to get certified as Basic Sidemount Diver which was a new experience for the PADI Course Director who also happens to be Instructor for Cave and CCR diving.
It is one of the greatest things for me about this sport that even after years of working in this industry and having logged thousands of dives there are always things left to do and new techniques to be learned. It simply never stops, always fields and places left to explore.

It was definitely cool to share stories and experiences with him as well as comparing techniques and protocols. I definitely took a lot from it and am always grateful to encounter open minded people who like to share their experiences and knowledge with others.
I hope to see him back here soon for some more…this time Sidemount cave diving. Or maybe Wreck diving in the Philippines.

Kelvin is running a big technical diving shop in Truck Lagoon which is one of my dream destination since my wreck diving days in Egypt. Just the drives in the car to the Cenotes were super interesting and filled with stories about sunken battle ships and wreck diving techniques in comparison with cave diving techniques. We also have both a passion for mixed gas deep diving, which made for interesting discussions about decompression theory, gas selection and ascent protocols.

Kelvin was thinking since a long time to come to Mexico and start with cave diving but it had never quiet worked out until now. He started his course with Santi who dialed him in on buoyancy, trim and propulsion, as well as giving him his first experiences in the non metal overhead environment. All in all a good start and preparation to the adventures that were yet to come.

Once I came back from Toluca we met in the evening and the next day we were diving the three of us together. Objective of the day was to finish Toms Sidemount course and for Kelvin some more time to get used to fresh water and train the skills he had worked on with Santi.
The next day it was me and Kelvin in Chac Mool working on lost line and lost diver drills. A nice day with lots of discussions about procedures and protocols and eventful dives with multiple emergency drills. We train hard and dive easy!

The next couple of days we were getting into restrictions and navigation and even though we had to fight with equalizing problems on Kelvins part we still managed to finish the course. Kelvin had a great time and did not only learn some new diving skills but also learned some things about himself. Often asked questions about how he would react in certain situations where answered during the course.
I hope to see him back here soon as we did not have any time after the course to go and do some fun diving. There are still sooooooooooo many caves he has to go and look at! I am also looking fwd to meet his wife as she was the star of most of Kelvins stories…although I have to admit I am a bit scared =)

Looking back it was just one of these times where you get the chance to hang out with some good people and share experiences, stories and a lot of laughter . Although we are all from different parts of the world, have a different age and different opinions about a lot of things, we are all still united by the same passion and fascination of the aquatic realm.

Now I stop writing and go diving instead!

Cheers
Patrick

This project has been long time in the making. October 2008 was the first time Leszek and his guys where diving with me, only a couple of days to get back into Mexican cave diving. In February 2009 the team was back with a bunch of brand new Cuda dpvs and ready to scout dos ojos to see how the lines had changed since there last project in 2005. It was also used to train their side mount techniques utilizing multiple scooters and stages.
Now in October 2009 almost exactly 4 years later they had assembled a strong 7 man team to try and push their old distance. The first days where used for scouting as well as establishing procedures and protocols for the team. Leszek also tried different equipment configurations to determine which would work the easiest for his 10h run time. He went from back mount to side mount and even tried a “quad” (4 tanks on the back) but ended up deciding that side mount with additional stages would be the best compromise given that he was diving solo and the passage seize especially downstream of cenote monolito.

In the same time other team members where locating and cutting trails to different cenotes which would be used as possible bail out points. The day after the whole team including 4 Sherpa where taking off to cenote kentucky castle 1.3km in the dense jungle to scout the lines around this area as well as leaving some equipment staged for the big dive.

The day after we decided to take a brake and relax a little, which also gave me the time to prepare some   custom gas blends for the deep dives that followed in the Pit. These deep dives where the last missing puzzle pieces for the declared long distance dive that would start off with a deep drop at the short line right under the cenote.

Everyday passed in a very relaxed atmosphere with plenty of laughter and good spirits. Always with a cooler full of drinks and food and hammocks for the surface support to relax while waiting for the dive teams.

Finally the day had arrived and we started our day early at Cenote The Pit. In the days before we had finished dropping tanks, scooters and lights at predetermined locations through out the cave which would enable Leszek to travel the 17km without ever having to surface.
He started his journey with a drop to 72m before exchanging tanks in the dome and then taking off towards the passage named link. After reaching the end of the line there, he turned around and passed the pit once more on his way to tikin chi and afterwards to Cenote Kentucky Castle. There a team was positioned which informed the rest of us when Leszek was passing by. Then he made his way towards Cenotes M1 and M2 but was forced to turn as a collapse had made the passage too small for him to pass. Now he was on his way downstream and followed the lines up to the end of the LSD area and back. He was making good speed, reaching every waypoint at almost the exact previewed runtime. Half way through he passed the Main Entrance of Dos Ojos and now continued downwards to Cenote Monolito passing several other Cenotes on the way. There he changed his gear to slim down for the restrictions lying ahead. After almost reaching Cenote Hilario he truned back and finally surfaced slightly tired but happy in Cenote Esteban where the team greeted him and took his gear for the final 500m walk back to the cars. It was almost 10 o’clock at night and his Liquivision X1 marked exactly 558min after submerging.

A great achievement and the perfect end for an awesome project that lasted at the end for 12 days. I really had a nice time with genuine people that always smile and joke even after a 90min hike through the jungle with a 30kg backpack and 1.2million mosquitoes chasing them.

The team:
Leszek – dive leader
Remek – main support diver
Cisek – rescue expert and support diver
Mirek – support diver
Bogush – surface support and protection =)
Richard – surface support and equipment expert
Waldek – surface support and equipment expert
Patrick – logistics, transport and diving safety officer
Lucio – Equipment transport at Pit

This will definitely not be the last you heard from this extraordinary team as future projects are already planned.

Stage cylinders are generally used in addition to “back mount” cylinders or in addition to “side mount” cylinders while cave diving.  The reasons that cave divers, wreck divers and technical divers use stage cylinders include but is not limited to increase the total volume of gas during a dive so that penetration distances or dive times can be greater, to hold different gas mixes (for example a decompression mix, a travel gas, or a bottom mix), to hold a volume of gas needed for team planning or as a safety bottle, and to provide an open circuit bailout source during Rebreather diving applications, to provide safety air volumes needed when planning dives using DPV’s and calculating for failures requiring a swim out.  The diver throughout the entire dive may carry these cylinders, depending on the objective and dive plan, or they may as well be placed along a cave or anchor/ascent line to be retrieved during the exit from the dive depending on the environment and conditions they are diving. 

Diving with single and multiple stages in the overhead environment (cave, wreck, or decompression) should only be attempted by divers who have perfected diving skills in their back mount or side mount gear.  These advanced techniques are to be used only once a diver has achieved perfection in the environment they are diving and have a real need and desire to progress greater into the dive.  The reasons divers use stage diving techniques may be enticing but as well with these practices comes a greater responsibility and greater risks for divers to be aware of.  Divers are now entering further into the overhead environment, they may be leaving tanks in water filled caves which may impact the cave, and they are increasing task loading during the dive while making a more complex dive plans.  Divers using the techniques and information in this manual must as well understand and completely accept the risks involved in planning extended penetration dives.  

Stage bottles need to be secured to the divers harness via clips to the d-rings. The preferred clip is a bolt clip made out of stainless steel due to a longer life span and ease of use while brass clips become more difficult to operate with time. The size of the clips is depending of the environment, where cold water divers need larger clips due to the gloves or mittens worn. A carry strap can be attached to the stage bottle with the two clips firmly attached to the strap. The strap is used below water to handle the tank and less for the surface. A stainless steel clamp covered in a tubular webbing makes a perfect tank band to hold the strap in place. The connection from tank to clip should be of a cutable kind, a metal to metal connection is not desirable since it can not be cut in case of a clip failure or entanglement scenario when it becomes important to drop or remove the stage tank to solve the problem.

All stage tanks should be labeled clearly in regards to what breathing media is inside the tanks, the marking of maximum operational depth on the side of the tank in large number does have the advantage of the team members being able to see and verify that the correct breathing mixture is being used ant the correct depth.

Each stage regulator does need its own pressure gauge with a preferable short high pressure hose of about 15 cm length. The gauge is bend upward during use and attached to the first stage via a bungee cord or surgical tubing. During periods of non use the gauge can be released to ease the stress on the hose. During the dive when the stage bottle is not in use the valve is to be maintained close, during descent and at maximum depth the valve should be opened shortly to pressurize the first stage, a prevention of water entering the first stage due to pressure differences.

Safety and Deco

Decompression diving and accelerated decompression schedules are in need of a variety of breathing gases ranging from bottom gases to travel gases and a variety of decompression gases. All these breathing media have to be planned, blended, labeled, analyzed and then used at the appropriate time and depth during and according to the dive plan. Depending on the environment dived and the planned bottom times stage tank size and material are of consideration to the diver, while most divers prefer aluminum stages because of their lesser weight and lift requirements.

In ocean drift diving and wreck diving scenarios the decompression stage bottles are usually carried by and with the diver throughout the whole dive, even if that means that the breathing mixture is carried below safe breathing depth. In cave diving scenarios the decompression stage bottles are clipped to the line in a way that not to much stress is exerted onto the line and left at a depth where the breathing gas can be safely breathed, eliminating the potential danger of breathing the wrong mix at the wrong depth.

Extended Penetration

Stage diving must be well thought out. Staging allows the diver to extend the distance of safe exploration. Due to being further into the system it may also produce additional time pressure stress. Training and gradual build up in penetration distances will help offset this stress. In addition stage diving is similar to flying a airplane in that the diver must think well ahead of their position. By thinking ahead and being familiar with stage techniques the diver avoids delays during stage drops and retrievals and the diver will also avoid sudden changes in buoyancy.

Stage and multi-stage diving are other techniques used to further penetration into the caves or wrecks but allows as well longer bottom times during technical dives. When a diver reaches his turnaround pressure but wishes to further penetrate the cave or wreck then a stage or extra tank becomes a necessity. A stage tank can be worn on either side or all on the left hand side depending on configuration preferences. The dive is generally started on the stage tank and when the pre-established turn pressure is reached the diver switches over to another stage or the primary tanks either back mounted or sidemounted. When turn pressure on the primary tanks is reached the diver will turn around and will find his or her stage that was clipped to the line, then change over to the stage tank and exiting the cave or wreck breathing of the stage tank or tanks. Stage diving has a potential high impact on the cave and wreck environment and damage can be extended far into the cave or wreck. Care should be taken not to harm the cave or wreck. Special training is needed to use stage tanks safely in the cave or wreck environment.

Gas and Stage Switching Procedures

How you and your team will switch between your cylinders during the dive needs to be preplanned and practiced in open water situations prior to attempting them in the overhead environment or in real decompression situations.  There are a few common and ¨accepted¨ ways that this can be accomplished.  However your team decides to accomplish gas switches it needs to be remembered that there are many things that can go wrong when switching gases and going to and from regulators.  The end result of an improper switch can end in loss of gas, loss of a way to deliver gas, hypoxic and hyperoxic situations.  Gas switches no matter how done need to have the entire teams attention at 100%.  This is true if you are doing a switch to a bottom gas, travel gas, or a decompression gas.  In addition to verifying your own gas supply and system you must also verify that the other members of your team have made a proper switch as well.

Entire team switching gas and stages

One way that teams prefer to switch gases is the entire team switching at once.  This means that at one point, after the signal has been given and confirmed by the entire team, every member of the team will initiate and switch gases at the same time.  The sequence for this is:

a.     One team member gives signal to switch gases upon arrival at the correct depth or point of dive

b.     Team confirms the need and place to switch

c.      Every diver locates proper cylinder

d.     Divers read labels and check depth vs. MOD

e.     Everyone turns on the correct stage cylinder

f.       Divers deploy regulator of stage and get it into position to breathe

g.     Purge regulator you are planning to breathe from, confirm it will supply gas

h.     Switch to new regulator and breathe prior to storing previous gas (you may need to go back to it)

i.        Store hose that is no longer needed

j.       Trace regulator back from your mouth to the stage bottle and check mix and MOD vs. your actual depth

k.     Check other team members to verify they are doing switches and to proper tank and breathing gas

l.        Once all team members have switched and confirm okay, continue dive or decompression

This type of switch is best accomplished with all the team members facing each other.  While you are completing each of your steps you are as well going to be keeping up to date with what the rest of the team is doing.  How is their buoyancy, are they at the correct depth, are they switching to the correct tank, is the tank on, is somebody out of gas?  The ability for every member of the team to be able to see each other and the cylinder that each member switches to is critical.  A wrong switch to a wrong tank and breathing gas is a life-threatening event for every member of the team.  Every team member must stay in complete control of the procedures during this time of task loading. 

Individual Gas Switches

The second style of gas switching is very similar to the first in the stops but has a different team strategy.  Some teams prefer to switch with one person always acting as observer.  This means that one person will delay their switch and act as an observer until the rest of the team has confirmed their switch.  Upon confirmation of the gas switch of the rest of the team this diver will then switch gases with the rest of the team observing them.  This second way will take a longer time to get the entire team switched but gives you the added benefit of always having one diver less task loaded and paying attention to confirm the switch of the other team members and can respond in case of any failures.

a.     Team member gives signal to switch gases upon arrival at the correct depth or point of dive

b.     Rest of team confirms the need and place to switch

c.      Rest of team locates proper cylinder (leader does not switch)

d.     Team read labels and check depth vs. mod (leader observes)

e.     Team turns on the correct stage cylinder (leader observes)

f.       Team deploy regulator of stage and get it into position to breath (leader observes)

g.     Team purges planned next regulator, confirming it will supply gas (leader observes)

h.     Switch to new regulator and breath prior to storing previous gas (leader observes)

i.        Store hose that is no longer needed (leader observes)

j.       Team traces regulators back to the stage bottle and check mix and mod vs. actual depth (leader observes)

k.     Team members verify they are done with switch and to proper tank (leader confirms or makes any adjustments needed)

l.        Upon completion and confirmation of the entire teams successful switch the team leader will then start at the top of the list and complete theirs with the rest of the team acting as observers.

Once the team leader has switched and now the entire team is on the new breathing gas and or stage tank the dive will continue or the decompression will start.

Either way that you decide to switch gases team members must be responsible for their own switch while ensuring the safety of the other team members.  Regulators will be coming out of mouths making potential out of air situations more likely.  In situations of reduced and zero visibility extreme caution must be used, especially when you are carrying mixes that have maximum operating depths shallower than any parts of the dive.  A wrong switch has been the end of divers lives on more than one occasion, usually involving switches to high oxygen content tanks at depths over maximum operating depths.

Valves

North American valves have a safety feature called a burst disk. That disk, located behind the outlet is designed to release overpressure inside the tank in case of an fire of the tank being left in intense heat. That safety feature can be a potential problem with failing burst disk releasing all the breathing gas at once, specially if no isolator is used. Some diver plug the burst disk completely or use a higher burst pressure disk in order to avoid that potential problem. Other divers use valves made in Europe, where burst disks are unknown.

Knobs

Valves are the gateway from the high pressure gas inside the tank to the first stage and should be treated as a piece of life support equipment. While most valves come with soft rubber valve knobs some other materials are used such as hard plastic or even metal knobs. The advantage of the softer rubber knobs is that hey do not have the potential of shattering upon impact to a wreck wall or cave ceiling but absorb some of the shock and stay in place. Rubber knobs have a much better grip on almost any surface and with that the potential roll shut of a valve is much higher when diving in overhead environments such as caves or wrecks, and after each contact it is imperative to check the valve and make sure it remains in the fully open position. Metal knobs upon impact can bent and make it impossible to turn the valve and or break off the stem due to the inability to absorb some of the shock. Metal knobs and hard plastic knobs do not have as much grip and somewhat reduce the roll shut scenario but have the other above mentioned potential disadvantages.

K - Valve

The regular K-valve is the simple on – off valve with a single outlet to attach a single first stage to it. While these valves are simple and common around the world they do not offer the option of attaching a second first stage to it, and with it do not have the redundancy of dual outlet valves such as the Y or H-valve. K-valves are no suitable for cold water diving, cavern, cave or wreck diving applications.

H and Y - Valve

The H or Y-valve has two outlets to accommodate two first stages. On either first stage is a second stage attached and both valves are open at all times. If a free flow or complete regulator failure occurs the diver is in the position to self rescue him or herself in order to return safely to the surface. Cold water or ice diving with its potential for regulator freeze up, cavern or cave diving including wreck diving with overhead environments can not be dived without the use of a dual outlet valve for redundancy.

Manifold

The manifold was designed to access two tanks with one regulator two avoid the necessity of changing regulator regularly and the potential of a diver forgetting the change of regulator with the result of the diver having one tank empty and the other full, loosing all his or her redundancy in the breathing gas supply. The first manifold had only one outlet, allowing only one first stage to be attached, not allowing any redundancy in regulators and air supply.

In most double tank dual valve manifold systems, the left valve turns off in the direction of travel (counterclockwise) and in case the valve handle is bumped during the dive against the cave or wreck ceiling it is possible that the forward momentum could shut the gas supply off, leaving the regulator without gas supply. Every contact between any object and the tank valves must be investigated and the fully opened valve position must be assured.

The breathing gas delivery system features a dual outlet valve with two first stages and two second stages. One first stage has to have a 7 foot / 2 meter hose, attached to the right post. One SPG on the left post and one inflator hose on the right post are needed and are divided between the two first stages minimizing a situation both ( SPG and inflator ) are lost at the same time if that regulator had to be shut down. Common sense tells us in event of a emergency requiring a regulator shutdown the dive should be terminated. If the divers are adhering to the rule of thirds, there will be enough gas to return to the surface and an extra pressure gauge is not needed.

200 Bar and 300 Bar threads are in common use the 300 Bar thread is coming from a development in Europe where the trend and tendency is to smaller tanks with a higher pressure while in North America the trend and tendency is to larger, high volume and low pressure tanks which are often over filled. Many diver feel that the longer 300 Bar connection and thread is giving a better seat and connection, which is not necessary until the tanks are filled to 300 Bars.

Isolator or not

The isolator valve, located in the middle of the manifold enables the diver to isolate the two tanks in case of an catastrophic failure such as a burst disk failure or a tank neck / valve o-ring. In case of such an event the isolator valve is to be closed, the dive to be terminated and the diver is to breathe as long as possible form the leaking and depleting air supply, then change over to the isolated remaining tank and if the breathing gas supply is not sufficient ultimately starts sharing breathing gas via the long hose with one of his dive partners. If no isolator manifold is used the complete breathing gas supply will be lost and gas sharing has to be commenced at once, denying the diver self rescue capabilities.

The way an isolator valve can safe our life it can be a potential risk when closed in moment it should be open. During tank filling or breathing gas blending operations the isolator has to be open not to only half fill the double tanks but to avoid the creation of toxic breathing gases when filling oxygen and or helium into only one tank and the air for the blending process into the other. When the pressure is checked a full tank could be the result but breathing could be commenced of the wrong tank with the hypoxic or hyperoxic breathing mixture.

During or before a dive the isolator could be closed involuntarily or just be forgotten to be opened again during the pre-dive valve shut down drill. Such a closed isolator can lead, and had led to deadly accidents. If a diver closed his isolator he will breathe only from his or her right tank. The SPG is not connected to the right post tank but the left post regulator, and will not change its pressure during the dive. This is a very serious situation and the diver should realize that he has not an excellent day on air consumption, but has forgotten to open the isolator and is not using any gas from the left tank. On occasions where divers select to have the SPG connected to the same tank as the breathing regulator the tank pressure may fall to fast, not because the breathing rate is extremely bad this day but because the isolator is closed. Needless to say one must check his SPG often and take the right conclusions and actions from the information collected, and a confirmation of an completely open isolator before entering the water can avoid potential problems.

Regulators

While divers spend a great deal of money, time and commitment to get the best training possible it is amazing to see that there are a lot of dives out there who use inferior regulators and do not see the point of the regulator being life support equipment in a otherwise hostile environment. It is the regulators that deliver our breathing gas to us from our tanks and as we progress from recreational to advanced forms of diving with limited or no access to the surface, or changing diving environments from moderate to cold water diving we must reconsider our choice of regulators.

Regulators fall into a variety of categories ranging from a primary regulator that is our main regulator we are breathing from, to the secondary regulator or backup regulator that is hanging on a bungee around the divers neck, to the stage regulator used on stage tanks to extend cave penetration or extending bottom time to the decompression tank regulator who is used for nitrox mixtures or pure oxygen up to argon regulators used to feed argon from small tanks into our dry suits to enhance thermal comfort.

Each one of these regulators has his own specific requirements regarding balanced or unbalanced first stage or second stage, oxygen clean or not and second stages that can be adjusted or not. Downstream type regulators are preferred over upstream type regulators and all hoses should be interchangeable without any special hose or connector diameter. The use of 90 degree turn pieces is discouraged to prevent restriction in gas flow along with any type of adapter that is going in-between a hose connector and first or second stage.

In an extreme emergency one can breathe from the BCD while inflating the BCD with the power inflator and breathe the gas coming from the right post tank valve. A rare case of closing the left control knob while being in contact with a cave or wreck ceiling and then breaking the valve control know off would still enable us to have access to this last resort while accessing the right post valve and low pressure inflator hose including the ability to inflate the BCD while sharing gas with the long hose.

Balanced versus Non Balanced

First or second stages are either balanced or unbalanced. A balanced regulator is compensated for the environmental pressure and it takes the same effort to take a breath if the tank is either full or empty. Balanced first stages are a must for advanced forms of diving such as wreck, technical or cave diving with a choice of adding the breathing comfort of a balanced second stage. The extra performance and comfort comes with a price and more complexity in the design of balanced first or second stages. The balanced regulators provide ease of breathing with maximum performance while unbalanced regulators are less performing but of a more durable design.

Piston versus Diaphragm

Named after their internal design and working principle the first stages do either have a piston or a diaphragm that is in contact with the ambient pressure and water in order to regulate the intermediate pressure and gas flow to the second stage. Cold water divers prefer diaphragm first stages due to a higher resistance of regulator freeze up while other divers prefer the diaphragm first stage for the ease of gas delivery. While piston regulators have a tendency to freeze up easier in cold water conditions the manufacturers offer anti freeze kits to prevent that problem successfully.

Hoses

Hoses should be of the exact custom length for the individual diver with high quality materials used and providing maximum gas flow. The hoses must be checked regularly and replaced as soon as any wear or tear manifest itself.

The second stage hose of recreational divers is usually 32 ‘’ while many diver find that it is easier to share gas when the donating diver is using a 5-7 foot / 1.5-2 Meter hose instead of the 40‘’ regular octopus hose when using the Hogarthian configuration based on the long hose looping under the waist band or under the primary light if one is used.

If participating in more advanced forms of diving such as wreck, technical or cave diving a 7 foot / 2 Meter long hose is a must when the divers either have to swim or scooter any horizontal distance, are engaged in decompression diving or have to pass through small passages and being forced into single file. Any shorter hose then 7 feet / 2 meters will not allow the divers to facilitate an effective and proficient gas sharing, and exit while passing through restrictions.

The primary regulator has a clip attached with a break away connection, close to the end of the long hose right next to the second stage. If the long hose is not in use during decompression when using another regulator and breathing gas or during an out of gas situation and gas sharing operation the long hose is clipped of to the right chest d-ring to prevent entanglement, regulator and environmental damage.

When diving in double tanks the primary long hose regulator is coming of the right hand post enabling the user to get the full length of the hose out for singe file exits. Of that same right hand post is coming the inflator hose, crossing behind our head to the left and feeding the BCD inflator. The left hand post is accommodating the short hose backup regulator, crossing behind our head to the right and coming over our arm below our chin to be attached to a bungee cord necklace hanging around our neck. The same left hand post is accommodating the pressure gauge hose leading down to  our waist band d-ring.

The advantage of having the long hose on the right post beyond getting the full length out of it is the fact that the right post control knob is rolling open and if breaking off in the open position it will stay open with the long hose enabled. If the left post rolls shut and possibly breaks off when diving close to a ice, wreck or cave ceiling with the long hose is attached to it, the left post will stay close and the long hose will be lost to the team. Gas sharing scenarios where the out of air diver will most likely leading out, passing a restriction there is no way for the out of air diver to signal the donor behind him that he is out of air, and drowning will result.

DIN versus Yoke

There are two ways to connect a first stage the tank valve, one is the DIN ( Deutsche Industrie Norm ) and the second one is the Yoke or A clamp. The Yoke connector is used mainly by recreational divers due to ease of use but has the disadvantage that this connection often leaks gas and is not as streamlined as the DIN connector due to its large clamp surrounding the valve. The o-ring of the Yoke connection is located on the tank valve being subject to much more abuse then the DIN o-ring. The DIN connector is a very streamlined design and construction with the o-ring located inside the first stage stem connector and when assembled is embedded inside the valve for maximum o-ring sealing and protection.

Pressure Gauge

Following the concept of streamlining, keeping it clean, gear and environmental protection the best place for the pressure gauge is for the hose to come down from the left post, having the exact length to connect and be clipped into the left waist d-ring. This configuration provides the cleanest and most protective approach. Some divers prefer to have the pressure gauge coming under the arm and clipping it into the left or right shoulder d-ring to facilitate the reading of the gauge specially with a lot of additional gear and stage tanks. The use of two pressure gauges is over-redundancy and not needed since we will abort the dive inside turn around pressures including reserve volumes. All a second pressure gauge does is creating more failure points in our life support system. Any boot or console increases drag and a greater chance of environmental impact or entanglement.

Часто ученики спрашивают меня, что они могут сделать, чтобы лучше подготовиться для курса и ответ, конечно же, есть. Для большинства, кейв дайвинг вначале это - невероятная работа, связанная с борьбой с основными навыками.
В настоящее время термин «основные навыки» звучит как что-то простое и легкое, что на самом деле не является правдой. 
Когда я говорю «основные навыки» я, как правило, подразумеваю следующие три вещи:

1) Плавучесть
2) Положение в воде
3) Техника движения

В любительском дайвинге мы привыкаем ко многим вещам, которые зачастую приводят к обратным результатам в кейв дайвинге, и поэтому для опытных дайверов прохождение курса иногда оказывается труднее. Во-первых, они уже имеют определенные «плохие» привычки, с точки зрения кейв дайвинга. И, во-вторых, они легче получают разочарование, когда что-то не получается. Зачастую, они более требовательны к себе как к инструктору и в состоянии недовольства их эффективность снижается, что является так называемым порочным кругом.

Итак, давайте посмотрим, что можно сделать, чтобы получить преимущество и как можно больше удовольствия в первую пару дней курса.

Плавучесть:

Обычно в любительских погружениях мы привыкли погружаться на дно, добавляя нужное количество воздуха в жилет до нейтрального уровня, и затем используя наши легкие для конечной правки плавучести. Во время погружения, когда я водил группы в Красном море, как правило, менее опытные дайверы использовали инфлятор намного чаще. В кейв дайвинге это практически противоположно. Пещера диктует нам контуры и профиль погружения и зачастую, здесь, в Кинтана Роо, это пилообразные контуры. Учитывая наш относительный вес со спаркой,  просто не эффективно использовать легкие, а не компенсатор для изменения плавучести. Другим отличием является стиль погружения. Погружения в пещерах зачастую включает в себя погружение на определенное расстояние, в то время как в любительских погружениях мы в основном ограничиваем наши перемещения на небольшие расстояния. Другими словами, одной из наиболее важных частей кейв тренинга является обучение технике погружения наиболее эффективно и экономично. Не для того, что бы поставить рекорд, но например, обеспечить спокойное всплытие после непредвиденного происшествия, с достаточным резервом газа.

Расслабленый и постоянный ритм дыхания, это является ключевым элементом, гарантирующим стабильную плавучесть, снижением потребления газа и минимизированием содержания углекислого газа. Наличие слишком большого количества углекислого газа в крови имеет множество негативных последствий, таких как головная боль, повышенная частота дыхания, так как тело старается избавиться от него, а также повышает риск возникновения токсического синдрома и наркоза посредством инертных газов.
Почему плавучесть так важна? Думаю, если Вы читаете это, уже очень хорошо знаете, но в целом, это должно быть второй привычкой, потому что нам нужно сконцентрироваться на других вещах, например на напарниках, прокладке маршрута, на знании пещеры и так далее. Стабильность в воде является платформой, на которой строится все остальное. В среде, где иногда всего лишь сантиметры отделяют баллоны от крайне изменчивой верхней поверхности пещеры, а грудную клетку от глубоких донных отложений этот навык является абсолютной необходимостью. 
Итак, что Вы можете сделать, чтобы подготовиться? Начните использовать инфлятор чаще, чем легкие, для изменения плавучести и научитесь выпускать воздух без заметного изменения Вашего положения в толще воды. Потренируйтесь неподвижно зависать, без наблюдения Ваших датчиков, только по ориентирам, а также попытайтесь ограничить глубинные колебания ног вверх и вниз. Начните чувствовать скорость Вашего подъема, опять же без показаний датчиков.

Положение в воде:

К сожалению, большинство любительских компенсаторов плавучести совмещенных с грузовым поясом спускает центр тяжести до точки, где невозможно поддерживать горизонтальное положение в воде - оптимальную позицию для любого типа погружения. Итак, что можно сделать? Купите компенсатор стиля крыло, уберите груз с пояса, и попробуйте переместить его выше, так чтобы в неподвижном состоянии получалась прямая линия от плеча до колена, параллельная дну. Заметьте, что Ваша спина должна быть выгнута.
Почему это играет такую важную роль? Во-первых, это уменьшает сопротивление воды, что очень удобно, если Вы хотите продвинуться сразу на три метра вперед всего одним гребком. Это также уменьшает напряжение и увеличивает эффективность, что еще более снижает потребление газа и противостоит удерживанию углекислого газа. Соответствующее горизонтальное положение в воде является обязательным для всех и используется для любой технике передвижения в пещерах, особенно для поворота «вертолетиком», движения «фрогом» и задний ход «фрогом» о которых мы поговорим немного позже.
В пещерах, где очень слабое течение, или его нет, это также помогает избежать заиливания, и за счет отсутствия движения воздуха внутри крыла, Ваша плавучесть будет более стабильной.
Большинство людей не привыкли, чтобы их головы находились так низко по отношению к туловищу, что зачастую дает чувство падения. В результате, это приводит к дискомфорту, что очень плохо, и приводит к другим проблемам. Во время ходьбы наш мозг располагается на верху, и именно поэтому, большинство студентов, практически мгновенно отступая от этого положения, сталкиваются с тяжелой задачей. Для того, чтобы оставаться в таком положении требуется определенная концентрация, и когда мы должны         сконцентрироваться на чем-либо еще, горизонтальное положение мгновенно исчезает.      
Представьте себе картину: из-за нехватки газа дайвер дышит из регулятора напарника, и моментально переходит в вертикальное положения просто от отсутствия привычки. В следствии чего происходит заиливание прохода, ситуация ухудшается, и как мы знаем, большинство несчастных случаев вызваны не одним, а несколькими факторами.
Привычка к этой позиции до начала курса, это посильная помощь, и кроме того, хорошие навыки плавучести, создают прекрасную основу.
Как можно проверить свое горизонтальное положение? Достаточно легко. Просто положив подбородок на грудь, и не переставая находиться в параллельном ко дну положении, Вы должны увидеть пространство за собой. И не беспокойтесь, если плечи теперь немного выше головы, так Вы просто избежите прикосновения ласт с потолком.

 Техника продвижения под водой:

Или как перемещать свое тело и все надетое на нем оборудование под водой. Представьте, что дайвер со спаркой это – автомобиль, у которого вместо плеч и колен четыре колеса.
Для того, чтобы припарковаться на ограниченном пространстве Вы должны уметь поворачиваться  на этом пространстве, двигаться вперед и назад. Нижеследующий текст – только краткое введение, скорее всего Вам также понадобиться сеанс с инструктором для улучшения навыков.
В пещере, что бы двигаться вперед, мы можем использовать три типа движений, в основном «улучшенное движение фрогом». Это движение немного изменено и улучшено тем, что во время подготовки к удару ластами мы раздвигаем ноги, согнутые в коленях, по горизонтали, вместо того чтобы просто опустить колени вниз. Это самой мощный вид движения ластами и имеет преимущество в продвижении вашего тела только вперед, а не вверх (как, например, при ударе ножницами) при этом поток воды от ласт направлен назад, а не вниз или вверх, не тревожа слой осадков. Здесь используется крупнейшая группа мышц, которые наиболее важны при продвижении на длинную дистанцию и правильно сделав это движение, Вы можете преодолеть три метра за одно движение. Движение «фрог» состоит из четырех основных элементов. Позиция номер один, когда мы находимся в неподвижном состоянии горизонтально, колени согнуты; два, когда мы раздвигаем наши ноги и пытаемся развести пятки как можно дальше друг от друга; три, поворачивая ласты так, чтобы создать как можно больше пространства для продвижения воды; и четыре, это наиболее трудное плавное круговое движение, при котором мы направляем воду назад, распрямляя  наши ноги и лодыжки полностью, и одновременно их сдвигая. Теперь, находясь в этом положении, мы скользим сквозь воду, дожидаемся замедления, и потом опять сгибаем коленей на 90 градусов, чтобы повторить движения сначала.
Измененные размашистые движения (modified flutter), работают также как и обычные (flutter kick), за исключением того, что ласты не опускаются ниже тела. Таким образом, я сгибаю колени вверх и вниз, и при этом постоянно держа ласты параллельно нижней поверхности. Основное отличие от движения «фрог» состоит в том, что вместо того чтобы толкать воду ступней, мы делаем это верхней частью ласты, а также движением одной ноги, а не двумя. Это означает, что одна нога нас тормозит, за счет сопротивления воды, а другая толкает. Это движение очень удобно в туннелях каньонного типа, где недостаточно горизонтального пространства, для более эффективного движения «фрог».

И наконец, движение ступней (shuffle kick). Это движение мы используем в тесных и хрупких местах, а также для впереди плывущего дайвера в тесном контакте с напарником, при прохождении ограничений. В основном, это такое же движение, как и размашистое передвижение, только все движения осуществляются лодыжками, оставляя бедра и икры неподвижными. Правильно сделав это движение, можно получить огромную скорость с небольшим усилием и в ограниченном пространстве. Движение очень похоже, например, на постукивание ногой в ритм во время игры на гитаре.
Как упоминалось выше, существует две специальные техники для дайвинга в пещере: «поворот вертолетиком» и задний ход «фрогом», оба как движение в обратном направлении.
«Поворот вертолетиком» осуществляется двумя способами, медленно и быстро. При медленном варианте не нужно делать ничего нового, то же движение «фрогом», только одной ногой, в то время как другая остается на месте и выполняет функцию тормоза. Правила просты, двигаетесь при помощи правой ноги, и поворачиваетесь налево и наоборот. Это похоже на движение в гребной лодке.
При быстром варианте нужно делать движение «фрогом» одной ногой, выполняя возвратное движение другой, опять как в гребной лодке.
Это единственный способ развернуться, не переходя в вертикальное положение, и поэтому так чрезвычайно важно. Так как мы всегда разворачиваемся лицом к ходовой линии, очень важно уметь поворачиваться в обоих направлениях одинаково эффективно.
Задний ход «фрогом» для многих является  черной магией и источником для легенд. Это наверняка самое трудное из всех движений, но при помощи инструктора и тренировок это достижимо для каждого. Как и для всех координационных движений, Вам понадобиться время, для создания мышечной памяти, но по сравнению с обучением игре на музыкальном инструменте, например, это действительно легко. 
Помня четыре шага в движении «фрогом», просто повторите их в обратном направлении. Вместо проталкивания воды в заднем направлении при помощи ступни, вытолкните ее в стороны при помощи верхней части ласт. Важно не опускать колени, а перемещать воду в стороны. Начните с выпрямленными ногами и пятками, сведенными вместе, выверните колени, ногами образовав букву «О». Затем раздвиньте ноги и согните колени, чтобы они были в позиции движения «фрог». Не двигаясь, позвольте движущей силе переместить Вас немного назад, до того как опять осторожно сдвинуть ноги и убедиться, что ласты выровнены в воде и не продвигают Вас вперед.
Почему важно плыть возвратными движениями? В основном, для того, чтобы остановить  движение вперед, что, безусловно, поможет поддерживать контакт с напарниками, в определенные моменты. Также это поможет оставаться на одном месте, а именно рядом с ходовым концом, и напарниками во время выполнения  других задач.

Итак, как можно потренироваться дома. Начните лежа, на плоской поверхности, что помешает Вам изогнуть бедра и опустить колени. Наденьте ласты и практикуйте движения, если есть возможность, то рядом с зеркалом, чтобы видеть движения Ваших ног. Затем, зайдите в бассейн без оборудования, только с ластами, маской и трубкой. Держитесь за край бассейна и потренируйте движения в воде. В воде Вы мгновенно поймете, что у Вас получается, а что нет. Если есть возможность, попросите друзей снять Вас на видео, чтобы Вы могли просмотреть и скорректировать движения самостоятельно. И последнее, тренируйтесь в полном оборудовании и помните, хорошая плавучесть и горизонтальное положение под водой, являются платформой для того, чтобы дать себе возможность сконцентрироваться над движениями ног. Как только у Вас начнет получаться, положите что-нибудь на дно, например катушку, и постарайтесь оставаться в неподвижном положении над ней так долго, как можете, с допустимым небольшим движением.

Наслаждайтесь, тренируясь, и помните, это не получится легко, но как только пойдет, Вы поймете, это как езда на велосипеде.
Если Вы придете на курс уже с этими навыками и в хорошей форме, Вы потратите меньше времени в открытой воде и быстрее получите возможность зайти в пещеру. И Вам нужно будет более подробно заняться вопросами прокладки маршрута, напарниками и т.п. Так же Ваш инструктор сможет потратить больше времени, показывая Вам тонкости пещерного дайвинга, а, не исправляя Вашу плавучесть, положение в воде и техники передвижения.

Если у Вас есть вопросы о том, как подготовиться, или тренироваться, не стесняйтесь и напишите мне. Мне было нелегко все это освоить, поэтому я знаю пару хороших трюков.

Сделайте дайвинг искусством.
Патрик

Tanks

Configurations vary but easy deployment, easy location and identification has to be of paramount importance. Double tanks with isolator manifold are commonly used, however in recreational diving independent tanks are used. A sufficient quantity of gas must be carried by the diver to allow completion of the planned bottom time, utilizing the minimum gas management rule for the type of diving enrolled in. Furthermore, this gas supply must allow for gas matching between divers.

The first item that needs to be addressed in tank selection for a specific dive is the needed gas supply and with it tank size resulting from factors such as body size, gas consumption, planned depth and duration. Experience has taught that the most logical approach to the question of gas supply can be best summed up by the statement in why there is a need for gas supply requirements. The first step in planning a dive involves computing the amount of gas needed for the dive. This includes primary mixes and decompression mixes. Decompression systems should provide a sufficient volume of gas to complete all appropriate stops with a minimum reserve supply. Each decompression gas cylinder must be appropriately marked as to its use, breathing gas and M.O.D. It’s also suggested that regulators be color coded or coded for easy identification. Mouthpieces should be protected to prevent from accidentally being used with the wrong mix during your decompression at the wrong depth.

The choice between tank materials will be dedicated by the environment and thermal considerations. The diver should be balanced in a way that he or she is neutrally buoyant with empty tanks at 10 feet / 3 Meter, comfortable for prolonged periods of time. In order to archive this diver must balance and trim their rig carefully for the environment one is diving in. Ample emergency gas volumes must be carried for the type of diving engaged in plus a redundant buoyancy device such as a dry suit or back up BCD must be worn on deeper dives.

Steel Tanks

While steel tanks are a great choice for cold water, wreck or cave diving due to their larger volume 104 or 121 cft / 15 or 18 ltr where the weight of the tanks is partially offset by the thermal protection due to dry suit sworn by most divers. Helium based breathing gases do affect weight and buoyancy underwater and must be taken into account.

Aluminum Tanks

Warm water, wet suit ocean diving is best done with aluminum 80 cft / 12 ltr tanks due to their lesser weight and with it lesser negative buoyancy at the bottom phase of the dive. If more gas is needed a aluminum stage tank should be added to fulfill breathing gas requirements.

Harness and Backplate / Softpack

While many dive gear manufacturers offering traditional BCD’s for recreational diving most wreck, technical or cave divers prefer the harness and backplate / softpack combination. Most recreational BCD’s can not be adapted for advanced forms of diving such as cave, technical and wreck diving and when a diver is ready to proceed to higher levels of training a new set of gear has to be purchased. Harness and backplate / softpack combinations eliminate that problem since they can be easily adapted for single tank recreational diving or technical and cave diving activities that may lay n the future.

Harness

A harness is used to attach the tanks to the diver sandwiching the wing style BCD between the tanks and the harness. The harness is attached to a backplate or a soft pack, which is then attached to the single or double tanks. A wing style buoyancy compensator has to be worn, attached to it a low pressure power inflator. The webbing attached to the backplate should be of the all through type with no connections, easy clips, rings or fast buckles intersecting the webbing. Such fasteners who make it easier to get into and out of the diving rig are potential failure points with disastrous potential to loose all of the equipment during the dive and in the long run it is more economic to change a basic webbing when it is worn out.

The crotch strap that has to be worn in order to prevent the unit from “riding up” should be without a clip but made from the closed loop type in order to prevent breaking clips during or prior to a dive. Crotch straps can be used as we for gear storage when a d-ring is attached to it at the back, or to attach a scooter to a d-ring in the front. The all one through webbing allows as well the placement of d-rings at any location throughout the harness to accommodate backup lights, stage tanks on the chest d-rings and gauges or reels on the waist d-ring.

Backplate

Backplate’s are made out of ABS plastic, aluminum or stainless steel. The stainless steel backplate is the most popular one since it is a little heavier and compensates for some of the weight a diver may needs to carry when diving with positive tanks or a dry suit.

Soft packs

The softpack harness systems on the market have the advantage of being well adaptable for the type of diving one is involved in ranging from recreational single tank diving to technical, wreck or cave diving to advanced forms of cave diving such as sidemount diving. The potential downside is the fast clips on the chest that could a dive fast out of the rig but could fail before or during a dive and be difficult or impossible to repair.

Buoyancy device

Back mounted wing style wing’s are known for superior trim characteristics in recreational openwater diving and advanced diving while openwater style BCD’s are not recommended due to limited lift capabilities, buoyancy characteristics, tank attachments and d-ring placement specially in advanced forms of diving such as technical, wreck or cave diving. The lift of the wing needed is depending on equipment weight, tank weight full and empty,  scooters and stages if worn. Oversized wings and tight bungeed wings do have a tendency to create more drag in the water resulting in more energy spend and potential exhaustion of divers. All wing inflator and dry suit inflators if used should have the same connector to insure interchangeability of hoses and gas supply.

Wing style BCD

Wings are coming in a variety of lift capacities, styles and some sport a choice of features. The chosen wing should have the right amount of lift for the equipment, tanks and environment dived in. The corrugated hoses should be not as long as to touch the floor when diving close to the bottom and stirring up silt, damaging the environment or entangling the diver. Shorter size corrugated hoses are available to change the log size hose. In demanding environments such as inside wrecks or caves it is a good idea to have the inner bladder protected against puncture. Dump valves in the corrugated hose assembly can fail and present a potential problem. Dump valves on the bottom of the wing should be streamlined by cutting of the plastic knob to prevent entanglement.

Back up wings are recommended in deep dive applications or a dry suit can be used as a back up buoyancy device however dual bagged bladders are potentially creating added drag and degrade performance, this will in the end may slightly increase in gas consumption. The advantage of a dual bladder in the event of a BC failure is that the diver may still function normally and make a safe ascent. Diving with a single bagged bladder provides less drag and maximizes performance. Given a choice, most divers would prefer a configuration that reduces drag. But, if there’s a chance the single bladder could fail and this failure could be life threatening, it makes good sense to sacrifice being streamlined by increasing redundancy. By opting for greater redundancy, divers need to recognize this will increase their gas consumption. They must also realize it’s going to slow them down a little. Keep in mind dry suits can be used as a backup buoyancy control device.

Lift

Depending on fresh water or salt water diving, choice of tanks used, including exposure suit selection the amount of weight can vary greatly. Carrying to much weight should be avoided while conducting buoyancy checks before diving activity striving for a balanced rip that can be use with neither to much weight or to much gas in the lifting device. Drop weights can be used in stable depth caves and left close to the entrance when maximum depth is reached. V-weights can be used for double tanks used in-between double tanks and kept in place by the wing and harness while weight belts should be avoided.

Ciertas personas tenemos la dicha de vivir en un estado tan maravilloso como Quintana Roo , el cual nos cautivo con sus bellezas naturales una de estas son los sistemas de cueva y caverna que son una maravilla indescriptible, de como la madre naturaleza  puede crear estas formas y complejidad de túneles y galerías.

Después de haber decidido tomar mi instrucción de buceo en cuevas, el cual hasta la fecha es uno de los curso que mas me ha gustado y cautivado por su técnica y que nos hace ser mejores buceadores, después de mi curso y haciendo unos cuantos mas buceos   me quede adicto a ellas y  decidí continuar mi educación profesional  y me puse la meta de convertirme en instructor de cuevas.

Tal como yo hay otros que también quisieran compartir estas maravillas y trasmitirlo hacia otros. Uno de los primeros pasos que hice hacia mi formación de instructor   hice un cruce a otra agencia de buceo  la cual tiene cursos de buceo técnico, cuevas y recicladores  esta agencia es IANTD, mi nivel fue el de instructor de Nitrox Avanzado, el cual es el primer nivel del buceo técnico se empieza a utilizar tanques dobles y se aprende a hacer buceos descompresibos  y como acelerar la descompresión utilizando mezclas enriquecidas con mayor porcentaje de oxigeno, fue un curso bastante interesante ya que empece a saber mas sobre este tipo de buceo.

El siguiente curso fue el de instructor de caverna el cual es el primer nivel de entornos  encerrado, antes de hacer mi examinacion  hice una asistencias las cuales consisten en ver como se organiza conduce, enseña  el curso cual al principio me pareció  demasiado que por cada nivel tenia que asistir pero  cada día que asistía que  me interesaba mas la manera en que aprendía y tenia la gran oportunidad de verlo desde otro ángulo y como las asistencias las hice con diferentes instructores pude ver como cada uno de ellos enseñaban y los tips que cada uno de ellos me podían aportar, y también ver los diferentes lugares en donde se enseñan ya  que son diferentes dependiendo de donde radique el instructor  los instructores que radican en playa   a los de Tulum.

Al principio no entendí por que pedían que fueran 3 o mas asistencias  asta que  fui progresando  me di cuenta que la primera asistencia es para tomar notas  y ver como interactua el instructor con sus estudiantes, la segunda asistencia tuve un poco de participación y tuve mas tiempo de enfocarme en los detalles del curso, y en al tercera asistencia  hay veces que los instructores  te dejan dar algunos módulos de teoría y supervisar al os alumnos siempre bajo la supervisión del instructor a cargo del  grupo.

Después de dar unos curso de caverna y volver a asistir la parte de introducción de cueva donde mis asistencias las hice desde el principio de nueva ya que ahora se incorporaba el uso de tanques dobles el cual le da una forma diferente al curso y los buceos se realizan en la cueva  donde ya no hay luz natural, fue de nuevo una nueva experiencia por que todavía recordaba mi curso y ahora estaba del otro lado viendo en donde se realizan los ejercicios los cuales son mas cerca de lo se siente cuando uno los realiza y ver como se incorpora el curso de caverna junto con este, ya que también  se realiza los ejercicios de linea perdida y buzo perdido, otros de los escenarios que fue muy interesante son los de cero visibilidad  y  compartir gas con  o sin visibilidad junto con todo el trabajo con los carretes.

Terminando con mi examinacion ya me encontraba a la mitad del camino y ya había pasado la parte mas pesada que era todo los cambios de la diferente forma de enseñanza a la cual uno esta acostumbrado  y ahora tenia que enseñar para que todo  lo que había aprendido con anterioridad lo tendría que poner en practica y irme acostumbrando a los tiempos y los diferentes estudiantes por que con cada estudiante uno tiene la oportunidad de mejorar sus cursos, y que todo sea mas fluido, mas confidente con los diferentes escenarios dependiendo en el progreso de los estudiantes  estuve unos meses  como instructor de introducción a cuevas  enseñando  y siguiendo con el sistema de asistencias para por fin poner todas las piezas en su lugar  y ver la siguiente parte que es toda la navegación compleja y restricciones. y ver como se incorporan las dos partes ya que la parte de cuevas  consiste en el refinamiento de las primeras técnicas  mas la integración de saltos y gaps  que  consiste en ir navegando por las diferentes galerías, o túneles , por lo cual los sistemas que tenemos aquí son perfectos para eso ya no  son demasiado profundos hacia es que se pueden realizar buceos un poco mas largos pero la navegación es súper compleja ya que en un buceo de tan solo 30 minutos se pueden realizar varios saltos  lo cual hace que el buceo se ponga cada vez mas complejo.

Los ejercicios  se vuelven mas completos  hasta ver muchos de los problemas que  pueden ocurrir en un buceo de cuevas  creando hacia en los estudiantes una confianza con ellos mismos que hasta en las peores escenarios son capases de sobrevivir, siempre poniendo de ante mano la seguridad que muchas veces estos escenarios se pueden prevenir con la anticipación y siguiendo las reglas del buceo en cuevas, otras de las cuestiones es nunca confiarnos demasiado  y hay realizar nuestros buceos como si fueran la primera vez que buceamos cuevas.

Después de casi un año y medio de cursos ,asistencias y enseñando  había cumplido una de mis metas  de ser  instructor de cuevas, pero solo era el comienzo de nuevos caminos con  nuevas metas por realizar,  y es increíble como cada curso y buceos que pasan uno va adquiriendo  mas conocimientos haciendo mejores cursos pudiendo aportar mas  cosas a los estudiantes, después de tres años como instructor de cuevas decidí  emprender una nueva meta la cual  es en ser instructor trainer de cuevas, lo cual hasta el momento soy instructor trainer de Nitrox avanzado y de caverna  y espero que antes de que termine este año pueda convertirme en trainer de introducción a cuevas

A little while ago I was teaching a CCR Cave course down in Tulum. Besides the daily driving it was definitely nice to teach in different places than I usually do. To change the air conditioned classroom and PC with the mosquito infested jungle and a white board didn’t appeal to me at first but having the water and breathtaking nature right next to me had definitely its advantages!

My student was Enzo, an Italian Megalodon diver who had already plenty of experience diving CCRs and after having done plenty of deep and wreck dives finally became interested in cave diving. He also managed to combine his training with a relaxed vacation together with is girlfriend in a romantic hide away hotel right on the beach.

The first day we met with all the gear at Cenote Carwash (Aktun Ha) to start of with paperwork, some theory and gear configuration. It was also the first opportunity to chat about different point of views on CCR diving, Bail out Strategies and Dive planning. After agreeing on important points and trimming and streamlining the gear as much as possible it was time for the first splash. Checking if all the gear works and getting comfortable in the configuration and the new environment. Carwash is really a perfect place for that with its easy entrance and exit possibilities. The first session was only focused on buoyancy, trim, and fining techniques to create a stable platform from which we would be able to perform more complex tasks. At 6pm we left the water and it was time to pack up and head home.

Next day we were back in the same place, this time though less talking and more action. The day was split in two water sessions and a brake with some theory and dry line drills. First up we were working on the CCR related skills. Now most divers when they enter the course have a good understanding on the principles of the ccr skills but never tried to do lets say a diluent flush while staying in a horizontal trim and within an arms reach from the guideline. You also cannot lose your depth control while performing the exercise since that would mean crushing into the sediment covered floor or ceiling which could result in loss of visibility and the danger of damaging a vital part of your equipment. So the main goal of this session is to “cave modify” the already learned skills.
In the afternoon we were working on the cave related skills which added new things while still perfecting what was learned before. The exercises are dealing with zero visibility scenarios and are meant as well to teach the student to deal with task loading in stress full situations. Always with the eyes closed to train other senses and the means to navigate underwater in total darkness.

The next day, after some more line drills, we where finally ready, to depart on our first tour in the overhead environment. The first dive is always a demo dive where the student is walked through the pre dive checks and later shown how to use the reel and how to install the guideline. Being second gives the opportunity to observe and focus on buoyancy, trim, and propulsion techniques.
After surfacing and debriefing we stayed in the water to drop back down and run once more through the CCR skills while maintaining our position in regards to the line, the floor, and our team. Most accidents don’t happen because of a single problem but an accumulation. A key element in avoiding accidents is to cut the chain of errors as fast as possible before it gets out of hand.
After hours in the water we left, tired but happy and satisfied!

The fourth day of our training was here and we were off to a dive site south of Tulum which to cave divers is known as Naharon. A very dark but beautiful place just perfect for conducting training dives.
First dive of the day and the first time for Enzo to be the team leader. On the way out we simulated a zero visibility situation and exited using touch contact and touch and go communication. All in all a good success which just confirmed that all the time we had invested training in the open water was not wasted.
On the second dive we ran through some CCR skills, same as the day before, just this time in the cave in darkness. Bailing out gave us the first chance to confirm our calculations with real numbers from a simulated emergency.

After a day brake we were back at the Cenote for some more fun. On the first dive we repeated the bail out scenario and changed donor during the exit and then continued into a zero visibility simulation to further the complexity of the exercises and to simulate worst case scenario.
Second dive we introduced the lost line scenario after practicing it on the surface. Not on the first try but after conducting a systematic search Enzo found the line and I could here his enthusiastic scream into the mouthpiece.

We continued our training in Jardin Del Eden aka Ponderosa so that Enzo would have the opportunity to see a different type of cave. I generally do at least one dive in Tulum when I am teaching around Playa Del Carmen and Vis Versa.
This day we started complex navigation introducing Jumps, Gaps and Ts as well as techniques to negotiate restrictions with and without visibility. To round the whole thing up we had lost diver scenarios and CCR failures.

The last days we were back down in Tulum diving in Zazil Ha and Grand Cenote to further complex navigation, restriction training and completed an entire dive flying the unit manual amongst other things.

All in all a great course, fun time and awesome dives.

After that Enzo also booked some guided CCR cave dives to enjoy the caves without being hassled by an instructor all the time =) and to simply use the learned in real life.