2 replies to this topic

[tstormwarning]

Having just passed my full cave course a little over a month ago, I am chomping at the bit to start gaining experience (I look at my certification as a "learner's permit" to gain further experience within the confines of my training). Because of my crazy work schedule, 12hr swing shifts, I get lots of time off. I've been trying to get trips to FL (I'm 10hrs away) with the other cave divers at my LDS. When I first start planning, I get lots of "Yes! I want to go!", start setting things up & then the next thing I know, everyone starts backing out & I wind up having to cancel everything. I realize life throws curve balls & things happen, but this has happened twice now. Its getting a bit aggravating & disappointing. How do single technical/ cave divers go about finding buddies, if the diver's local supply of available buddies isn't interested? I realize that with technical/ cave diving, you don't just jump into the water with just anyone. The divers must be able to coalesce into a team. Just curious if many have or have had this problem. Yes, I know I am just beginning, I want to advance eventually, & to do that I must make the dives to gain the necessary experience. With my crazy work schedule, I can make 6- 8 trips to FL per year & I want to take advantage of it as much as I can.

[lv2dive70]

Congrats on your new certs! And yes, I've felt your pain, although mine is a slightly different flavor. On SD trips, I have met a lot of great people I'd be happy to buddy and/or work skills with on a regular basis, but it's kind of difficult when they aren't in the same. state (or side of the country even.

Point being, I'm having trouble finding local buddies in the first place! And even if I could, I don't know where to go to practice skills etc. So anyway, I *just* this past week went to a dive shop and signed up for some training bc I figured that would be a way to get to know some people in Atlanta with similar interests.

In general, for "single" divers (eg, you don't yet have a regular buddy/team) I think the oppotunities are much better iin areas where diving is easily accessible.

Well I'm typing this on An iPhone and it's getting tedious. :-). Net net, you are not alone! I may be looking for a different type of experience and having different challenges, but at the end of the day, it is just not always easy not having a regular buddy. (heck, it's why my diving slowed to a crawl for 7 years!)

[diverdeb]

What you need to do is take a class from someone that is in Central FL, then you will get to know those people and always have dive buddies there. I know 2 or 3 excellent cave instructors in that area and would be glad to hook you up with them. They dive all the time and are always bugging me about getting down there to dive. Contact Tracy Grubbs at Spruce Creek Scuba and be sure to tell him Debbie sent you!! He's a fantastic instructor and knows everybody in that area. But seriously, to establish a relationship with the divers down there, you just need to take a class from one of them. Good luck!