17 replies to this topic

[BradfordNC]

here is one of only four PADI Cave Instructor cards.

of the 4, the holder of this card is the only one still alive.

Attached Images

• 

[Cold_H2O]

I'm a bit confused. Are you telling us that PADI only has 1 living qualified cave instructor? And that they only ever certified 4 cave instructors?

[drdiver]

That looks like a really old card. Maybe they died of old age.

[Walter]

Several agencies used to have issue cave certifications. Few ever really gained acceptance in the cave diving community and most agencies have eliminated their programs.

[Diverbrian]

As it is, there are only a very few cave instructors between the agencies that are recognized to certify for cave diving (including most of the tech agencies like TDI, IANTD, GUE, NSS-NACD). Cave diving involves a difficult set of skills to master in and of itself.

To have that skill set down to the point where you can teach it is another level entirely. That is a very skilled diver and educator.

[BradfordNC]

I'm a bit confused. Are you telling us that PADI only has 1 living qualified cave instructor? And that they only ever certified 4 cave instructors?

yup, thats right, PADI only had 4 certified cave instructors. But PADI nixed their cave certs, sticking to recreational diving.

One of the card holders was the guy who wrote the program for the PADI cert.

Shek Exley, and he didn't die of old age.

[Cold_H2O]

So, How does one become a qualified, skilled cave diver? If no one is qualified to teach another diver the necessary skills? I can't imagine just heading off to a cave with a buddy and exploring. The special skills and knowledge needed to become a cave diver are much more than the regular dive skills.

[drdiver]

Shek Exley, and he didn't die of old age.

Nope, he sho' didn't. Interesting story. Good they pulled out when they did.

[BradfordNC]

So, How does one become a qualified, skilled cave diver? If no one is qualified to teach another diver the necessary skills? I can't imagine just heading off to a cave with a buddy and exploring. The special skills and knowledge needed to become a cave diver are much more than the regular dive skills.

certification in the US is through GUE, NSS-CDS, or NACD and i guess TDI and IANTD.

There are plenty of instructors out there, just check on the websites of any of the mentioned agencies. Not gonna say anything about any of them, cause there are a lot of very strong opinions out there. But in the end, none of the instructors from any of the cave diving community are going to let anyone buy a cert. If they don't think you can handle it, they will stop the training. I've personaly seen cave instructors give refunds after deeming an individual unfit for cave diving.

i'm sure everyone else here will agree, before even starting on the cave cert progression, you need to have mastered all the basic scuba skills.

[Walter]

One of the card holders was the guy who wrote the program for the PADI cert.

Shek Exley, and he didn't die of old age.

Having Exley was certainly a feather in PADI's cap. He is probably still the best known and most respected cave diver in history.

[drdiver]

Couldn't have been that long ago, either, he was only 45 when he died. Any ideas on dates?

[BradfordNC]

Couldn't have been that long ago, either, he was only 45 when he died. Any ideas on dates?

ummm i believe it was in the early to mid 90s.


its interesting, in the NSS-CDS and NACD cave diving manuals, with the latest editions around 2003, they still refer to him as if he was still alive.

[drdiver]

He died in 1994. I remember it very well. Jim Bowden lives here in Austin.

[bigblueplanet]

Sheck died in late 1994 in Mexico cave diving on the same day with Jim. They were not buddied up for the dive. Just happened to be diving the same place at the same time to share support. They never planned on being together for the bottom componet of the dive. Zacaton is where the dive was. Ann set the deep diving record recovering Sheck's body. Sheck seemed to know he was having trouble as he appeared to have wrapped himself in his down line. HE had has issues with HPNS on other deep dives. He was also on a hot mix, so we will never know what happened with him down there. They pulled up the downline and he was caught up below 560 I believe. So, Ann dived on him and recovered his body.

So, he has been dead for over ten years and he is still the most productive cave diver in the history of the sport. He is still referenced as if he was still here because in many ways he is. A great deal of the information taught in a cave course and in all technical diving courses can be credited to Sheck or related to work he did or helped others do. He wrote a text known as the Blueprint for Survival and it is still considered the foundational work for teaching mindset and rules for survival while cave diving. It is likely that much of the controversy in the cave community would not be going on right now if Sheck was still here. He did not have much patience for this type of thing.

The sad thing for the community is that we are still pointing to a hero that has been dead for over ten years. Not good for the sport. Also, clear that their has never been anyone that has stepped up to take his place. Well, no one that has not been self appointed anyway. LOL

Grant

[bigblueplanet]

That is cool picture of the card. I had not realized PADI actually issued some cave cards. Do you have any knowledge of the history of it at all?

I will have to ask Drew about it. Should make for an interesting story.

If you are interested in learning more about cave diving look at the NACD or NSSCDS. They are the orginal and oldest training agencies. they also are non profit, so tend to be less political. Well, at least some of the time.

Grant