Well when David Wallace posted that he had unexpected spaces on a Cave I course with JJ and David Rhea instructing, I very sensibly jumped at the opportunity to travel overseas and make a complete t*t of myself.... Only afterwards, did I sit back and wonder what exactly it was that I was letting myself in for. So, with 'proper planning etc.' I spoke with a professional (Clare) and booked a couple of days with her @ Stoney Cove. Mal also playing a small part in my downfall.... And with my newly honed skills, departed our wet island via Amsterdam and Detriot for the fun capital of Orlando. After a ‘difficult’ progression through the airport @ DTR, just made the flight with seconds to spare. How Gate 67 turned into Gate 17 in my head, I will never know......... The words situational awareness, will haunt me for a long time.
After a pleasant evening @ the Holiday Inn, I drove up the Panhandle to High Springs and checked in with the DIR mecca namely Extreme Exposure. Met the guys responsible for banter, gas & goodies namely Doug, Paul, Andrew and Bryce and after introductions all round set off to my new home, the Country Inn. Free gay porn in every bedside table – well I lie, only in mine
. Mid evening, David & Liisa arrive with Jay and we dine at Floyds Diner opposite.
Bryce @ EE -
a cool guy
Friday dawn in this strange yet pleasant town and we are off to enjoy the delights of a ‘wet run’ at the Blue Grotto, for weighting in our new & huge 104's. I was more than glad I had taken advice and brought my ali backplate. Also rented a 60lb wing as per instructions (phew). Met my new team mate, Karim, of Hollywood Divers L.A. After a few drills and skills, I was beginning to think that perhaps I had bitten off more than I could chew, however onwards and inwards (as cave-divers say
)
Back to the shop and met up with team member number 2 Dima, from Russia. Karim suggested the name, Team Misfit, I voted for Team Speak Slowly and within minutes, it was clear that this was going to be fun with a capital F.
The next day,Saturday, we met with JJ and David Rhea, and started the course proper with the hundreds of initials and signatures required to check that you are actually listening to instructions. Details and the first of the lectures were over and it was time for us to rush back into the shop and get stuff we had forgotten, lost or brokenor flooded the day before........ Liisa needed a new drysuit, wings were ordered, the double doubles filled and it was off home to the Country Inn via Gainsville to swap rental cars & stuff.
Sunday, off to Blue Grotto where we separated into two groups, one with JJ and the Misfits with David. Skills, drills, blind diver drills, line-laying, and a couple of minor failures, lunch, back in and more of the same. Lights went out all through the dive and minor failures continued. My desultory back kick was pointed out to me........ :frown:
Karim & Dima contemplate another action packed day........
Monday – Blue Grotto again – the cave system in Florida is currently flooded and the flow @ Ginny relatively high, so for safety reasons, we dived Blue Grotto again and things got a little better. The course builds in intensity so the first two days were difficult, but not impossible. Still more work on kicks required.
DCI staircase @ Blue Grotto......
Tuesday – Devil's Ear, Ginnie. What a beautiful place and so professionally run. As usual,we hit the ground running and having paid & displayed, we parked up on the banks of the river and kitted up. Dima in his ‘ballet’ outfit – not something I would recommend and after a brief demonstration of the ‘pas de doux’ it was kit up and down to business. Down the steps, drills and skills in 5 feet of water, with a current.. So far, so good. Briefing given and off we went. Now, for all of those interested in who did what to whom and how, I have to tell you that it all passed in a blur of flow, reel work, torch failures, darkness, bubbles, flow, kicking, crawling more flow and not a little swearing. Then exit the cave debrief and start all over again (after lunch). At no time was this dangerous as it was slowly built upon. Some of the stuff, we practiced on land. Including the lost line drill (done ‘blindfold’)
The three of us stumbled about individually, searching for the line and muffled titters were heard by the poor guy or gal on the receiving end and squirrels giggled in the trees. Dima found the line fairly quickly and was as usual, deafeningly exhuberant, cheering and punching the air. He let it go for a second while he found his cookie and David silently struck, lifting it up into the air, away from his reach, Dima groped expectantly but it was too late, the line was gone and he stumbled off towards the river :D My turn and I went towards the line, but I turned away from the line within about a foot. So set off on a long hesitant journey around the entire course (David changes it for every student) skilfully avoiding the river, stumps and bushes. The reel was a long way away. Then Karim’s turn and we held our breath as the ‘main line’ went taut against his thigh, but as he had his lovely Halcyon pockets in the way, he stumbled away from it and set off adjacent to it . Never mind, we were terrific doing it in the cave
Wednesday. 06.30 we are at the gym in Gainsville to do our swimtest, which goes fine. The two hunks from Team Misfit support me as David playfully adds an extra 7 metres to the underwater swimtest making it 25m. Oh goody.
And back to Ginnie for the final couple of dives & I know I am a bit behind the curve. Dima & Karim each pass, as they fully deserve to, I am thrown a lifeline and if I am confident I can meet the standards by Monday, David will re-eval me. I know what I have to address to achieve a pass, so it is up to me to get cracking over the next three days and dive, dive, dive. Karim treats us to dinner in a fab sushi restaurant in Gainsville and we discuss a plan - sadly Dima has to return to New York in the morning - he has a thirty page paper to hand in by Sunday and has to get cracking - he is the team's brainbox! I feel a little despondent as he is simply soooo funny - and so encouraging too.
I am so grateful to Karim who takes the opportunity to hone his instructional skills on me and we spend the next three days at the Blue Grotto where we dive, dive, dive. Which in itself is not without incident - and despite the trials of being falsley imprisoned (another story) and savagely attacted by an apparently benign and cute turtle (with a taste for human flesh) we get a lot of work done......
Karim demonstrating his bottle loading technique - the 104's weigh a ton...
All too soon, Monday looms and Paul from EE offers to buddy me and away we went. Well, reel work is probably not my finest skill, but it was sufficiently proficient and after tying into the main line we were off. I have given up on beating myself up on things I could have done better, things I had done better throughout the week went to ratshit and things that were harder suddenly turned a whole lot easier. At the end of the day, David judged me competent enough to dive in caves. Period. I shall have to practice the finess and strenghthen my kicks to become as good as I would like to be – but don’t we all.
Paul - after diving & surviving my Cave I eval.
In addition to the report of the what we did and where, I would like to publically thank the wonderful guys who I had the pleasure of diving with. To Dima, your easy manner, no problem attitude and sheer exhuberance bring a smile to my face as I think of you – Its all good. Karim, has the patience of a saint and he make a fine instructor for GUE – but he will brook no nonsense – he has his own unique phraseology and a wicked sense of humour..... Team Misfit will ride again and we are looking to come to a cave near YOU!
Oh, and if you ever see me wreck-diving without a reel in my hands, please feel free to hand yours over as practice makes perfect.......
Di