HI gang

Rubis · June 8th, 2006, 08:39 AM

Hi gang,

I registered a while ago but did not have the time to post much, we are quite busy diving

I am caverkevin's buddy and wife.

So far I am DIR-F trained, I happened to take Fundies while I was living over in the US and I was getting trained in caves and trimix from other agencies.
Being over the Mecca of tech diving was great. Met great people over there and learned a lot. Dove quite a bit of interesting places, from the East Coast, the Great Lakes till the caves down in Northern Florida.

I came back to France a little bit more than 18 months ago and have been quite unhappy as there are no DIR people around here. I had to import my dive buddy from the US to get a like minded and exceptional good dive buddy

.

I love caves and we dive caves in France and Italy. We occasionally wreck dive as well, but the wrecks are not as nice as they are in the Great Lakes.
We occasionaly dive the Haven in Genoa or the wrecks in Cavalaire.
Three weeks ago we went to Scapa Flow and that was a treat for wreck diving. Hopefully we'll be back soon.

If you are planning to visit southern France drop me a PM and we can give you advice on locations and charters that can be DIR friendly (although don't expect to find "DIR" compliant spots here in France), or info about the caves.

OK back to lurk mode.

Cheers

Cris

caverkevin · June 8th, 2006, 09:06 AM

Since I have never formally introduced myself on this board, I figure I will tag along with the wife's.

"Hi, I am Kevin!"

Bit about my back ground. I started diving when I was 13 years old. At 14 I found myself on summer family vactions with no buddies to dive with. That started me down the evil path of solo diving. Since then I trained to the levels of full cave diver and advanced trimix instructor. In 1999 I found myself living and working at Ginnie Springs in Florida. This is where I met a lot of great divers and instuctors. This experience has changed the way I dive forever. Since 1997 my focus of diving as been both wrecks and caves.

One and a half years ago I met Rubis at a film show in Ohio. Where I sold her a DVD with the sale pitch of "buy this one, I am in it". Then one thing lead to another and WOW! I am not in Michigan any more. Now I am here in France with a great dive buddy, friend and wife.

One of my biggest issues is that I have more dives as a solo diver than a buddy diver. Now I doing nothing but buddy diving. So now looking at taking GUE courses to help me acquire good buddy diving habits.

OK, I am going back to random offerings of strange advice mode

Cheers!!!

Kevin

*Clare Gledhill* · June 8th, 2006, 09:46 AM

Welcome Rubis

(and belated welcome to Kevin - purveyor of dodgy advice to anyone who will listen

)

Rubis · June 8th, 2006, 09:49 AM

He's harsh with himself. He is a good dive buddy and great mentor actually.
I'm still learning a lot.

And not that much of a solo diver. Actually he saved me a couple of times lately ...

Like this week-end when I found myself wedged in a restriction ...

*Clare Gledhill* · June 8th, 2006, 10:00 AM

He has already made some great contributions ot the board too....

Sometimes I think how good it would be if my husband dived....

Then I go away for a weekend with my team and stay in a room with their undersuits. Then I am thankful that my husband doesn't dive

Sterny · June 8th, 2006, 10:05 AM

Welcome to both of you! Glad to have you here

tanto · June 8th, 2006, 02:45 PM

Quote: (Originally Posted by Rubis)

Actually he saved me a couple of times lately ...

Like this week-end when I found myself wedged in a restriction ...

which restriction?

caverkevin · June 8th, 2006, 03:18 PM

Quote: (Originally Posted by tanto)

which restriction?

Last one going down in Fonta before reaching the big flat rock. She was having a hard time getting around the pointy, horn like rock that sticks out from the right as you look down. She got past it and turned in the right direction. In her struggles she manages herself into a position that had enough forward force to keep her manifold pinned against a lip of rock.

She singled for a little help. So I dropped down and got a good look at how she got herself stuck. Have to say she did a great job of getting stuck. One of the better ones I have seen. I had to brace myself against the walls of the shaft to get enough leverage to free her. Would say equivalent to 10 ~ 15kg of force to pull her back, push her down and free.

We all called our dives short of the plans. There were light failures and too many little things not going right. One of those day where you hear the cave in the back ground going "leave, leave now!"

Ciao!!

Kevin

***ericfine50*** · June 8th, 2006, 06:37 PM

Welcome Guys!

Take Care

***Bob Cooper*** · June 8th, 2006, 10:09 PM

Welcome Kevin and Rubis

Kevin, I'm sure we have met once at Ginnie Springs?

Are you the guy who came down from somewhere in the North for the Berman memorial? and did a dive with my buddy Howard at Ginnie?

I was there that day but not diving as I had to catch my flight home that afternoon.

Was that you?

Bob

June 8th, 2006, 08:39 AM	#1 (permalink)
Rubis(Offline) cave deprived and Kissed Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Broadway, (lost in Central NC, USA far far way from Caves SIGH !!!) Posts: 275	HI gang Hi gang, I registered a while ago but did not have the time to post much, we are quite busy diving I am caverkevin's buddy and wife. So far I am DIR-F trained, I happened to take Fundies while I was living over in the US and I was getting trained in caves and trimix from other agencies. Being over the Mecca of tech diving was great. Met great people over there and learned a lot. Dove quite a bit of interesting places, from the East Coast, the Great Lakes till the caves down in Northern Florida. I came back to France a little bit more than 18 months ago and have been quite unhappy as there are no DIR people around here. I had to import my dive buddy from the US to get a like minded and exceptional good dive buddy . I love caves and we dive caves in France and Italy. We occasionally wreck dive as well, but the wrecks are not as nice as they are in the Great Lakes. We occasionaly dive the Haven in Genoa or the wrecks in Cavalaire. Three weeks ago we went to Scapa Flow and that was a treat for wreck diving. Hopefully we'll be back soon. If you are planning to visit southern France drop me a PM and we can give you advice on locations and charters that can be DIR friendly (although don't expect to find "DIR" compliant spots here in France), or info about the caves. OK back to lurk mode. Cheers Cris

June 8th, 2006, 09:06 AM	#2 (permalink)
caverkevin(Offline) Doing It Caverkevin Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: North Kackilackie Posts: 363	Since I have never formally introduced myself on this board, I figure I will tag along with the wife's. "Hi, I am Kevin!" Bit about my back ground. I started diving when I was 13 years old. At 14 I found myself on summer family vactions with no buddies to dive with. That started me down the evil path of solo diving. Since then I trained to the levels of full cave diver and advanced trimix instructor. In 1999 I found myself living and working at Ginnie Springs in Florida. This is where I met a lot of great divers and instuctors. This experience has changed the way I dive forever. Since 1997 my focus of diving as been both wrecks and caves. One and a half years ago I met Rubis at a film show in Ohio. Where I sold her a DVD with the sale pitch of "buy this one, I am in it". Then one thing lead to another and WOW! I am not in Michigan any more. Now I am here in France with a great dive buddy, friend and wife. One of my biggest issues is that I have more dives as a solo diver than a buddy diver. Now I doing nothing but buddy diving. So now looking at taking GUE courses to help me acquire good buddy diving habits. OK, I am going back to random offerings of strange advice mode Cheers!!! Kevin Last edited by caverkevin; June 8th, 2006 at 09:07 AM. Reason: too many f's

June 8th, 2006, 09:46 AM	#3 (permalink)
Clare Gledhill(Offline) GUE Instructor Site Admin Pacman Champion! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: UK Posts: 1,547	Welcome Rubis (and belated welcome to Kevin - purveyor of dodgy advice to anyone who will listen ) __________________ Clare . "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions....Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you too can become great." Interested in DIR dive training? Always happy to chat/answer questions so get in touch via PM or visit www.dirdiver.co.uk

June 8th, 2006, 10:00 AM	#5 (permalink)
Clare Gledhill(Offline) GUE Instructor Site Admin Pacman Champion! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: UK Posts: 1,547	He has already made some great contributions ot the board too.... Sometimes I think how good it would be if my husband dived.... Then I go away for a weekend with my team and stay in a room with their undersuits. Then I am thankful that my husband doesn't dive __________________ Clare . "Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions....Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you too can become great." Interested in DIR dive training? Always happy to chat/answer questions so get in touch via PM or visit www.dirdiver.co.uk

June 8th, 2006, 10:05 AM	#6 (permalink)
Sterny(Offline) New Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: The limpid tropical lagoons of Ealing, West London Posts: 550	Welcome to both of you! Glad to have you here __________________ "I thought I had a great idea today, but it never really took off. In fact, it didn't even get on the runway. I guess you could say it exploded in the hangar." - Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes

June 8th, 2006, 09:49 AM	#4 (permalink)
Rubis(Offline) cave deprived and Kissed Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Broadway, (lost in Central NC, USA far far way from Caves SIGH !!!) Posts: 275	He's harsh with himself. He is a good dive buddy and great mentor actually. I'm still learning a lot. And not that much of a solo diver. Actually he saved me a couple of times lately ... Like this week-end when I found myself wedged in a restriction ...

June 8th, 2006, 02:45 PM	#7 (permalink)
tanto(Offline) New Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: italy Posts: 63	Quote: (Originally Posted by Rubis) Actually he saved me a couple of times lately ... Like this week-end when I found myself wedged in a restriction ... which restriction?

June 8th, 2006, 03:18 PM	#8 (permalink)
caverkevin(Offline) Doing It Caverkevin Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: North Kackilackie Posts: 363	Quote: (Originally Posted by tanto) which restriction? Last one going down in Fonta before reaching the big flat rock. She was having a hard time getting around the pointy, horn like rock that sticks out from the right as you look down. She got past it and turned in the right direction. In her struggles she manages herself into a position that had enough forward force to keep her manifold pinned against a lip of rock. She singled for a little help. So I dropped down and got a good look at how she got herself stuck. Have to say she did a great job of getting stuck. One of the better ones I have seen. I had to brace myself against the walls of the shaft to get enough leverage to free her. Would say equivalent to 10 ~ 15kg of force to pull her back, push her down and free. We all called our dives short of the plans. There were light failures and too many little things not going right. One of those day where you hear the cave in the back ground going "leave, leave now!" Ciao!! Kevin

June 8th, 2006, 06:37 PM	#9 (permalink)
*ericfine50*(Offline) Moderator Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: MA Posts: 622	Welcome Guys! Take Care

June 8th, 2006, 10:09 PM	#10 (permalink)
*Bob Cooper*(Offline) Moderator - "Don't stop me now!" Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: South East London, UK Posts: 684	Welcome Kevin and Rubis Kevin, I'm sure we have met once at Ginnie Springs? Are you the guy who came down from somewhere in the North for the Berman memorial? and did a dive with my buddy Howard at Ginnie? I was there that day but not diving as I had to catch my flight home that afternoon. Was that you? Bob