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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why don't you teach deep-air?
Deep air diving, beyond 130 feet, introduces unacceptably high risks
from nitrogen narcosis. It also causes subtle, irreversible damage
to the diver's microcirculatory system. Lastly it detracts from
the enjoyment of the dive.
It's a commonly accepted myth that deep air
divers can develop an adaptation to the narcotic effect of
nitrogen. Abundant and mounting experimental evidence clearly
shows that this adaptation is slight and occurs only in saturation
divers exposed to high nitrogen partial pressures continuously for
days.
Itinerant divers do not adapt to nitrogen narcosis, not even
slightly. While divers do over-learn some skills such that they
can perform them relatively unencumbered by narcosis, emergencies
usually require divers to improvise rather than execute over-learned
skills by. The inability to think clearly and the loss of
fine motor function while impaired by narcosis has lead to many
unnecessary deaths. Technical diving is already a risk-laden
sport. Adding to the risk by diving air when trimix is readily
available, is illogical and foolhardy.
There's is evidence that when divers are exposed to
high partial-pressures of nitrogen, a stiffening of the red blood cells
(RBC) occurs. Normal RBCs have to deform to pass through the
smallest capillaries. Rigid RBCs cause damage to the
microcirculation when they can't properly deform, ripping capillaries or
being destroyed (haemolysis) as they pass. This anemia-like condition
and an immune response is what causes deep air divers to feel tired and
worn-out after a dive.
When diving deep-air, divers usually have limited
memory of the dive. Colors are more muted and the dive isn't as
much fun as it would have been on trimix. Air divers tend to feel
worse after dives than trimix divers do. Often flu-like symptoms
develop after deep-air diving which may be an immune response to the
microcirculatory system damage described above.
Isn't trimix expensive compared to air?
Yes, it is, but ask yourself this question:
"Do I really want to buy my life-support system from the lowest
bidder?"
Why don't you teach 'Wreck Diver' classes?
Cave divers usually make good wreck divers, but the
reverse usually isn't true. This is because the cave environment
demands the diver develop very precise buoyancy control, greater
awareness, and better buddy/teaming skills than the wreck
environment.. I feel a diver trained at the Cavern Diver or higher
level is far better prepared to deal with any overhead environment,
including a wreck, than a diver trained to the Wreck Diver level..
What is included in your class prices?
The class prices cover the instruction, and the cost of your C-card. Books, gas, lodging,
food, boat fees, etc. are not included.
What forms of payment to you accept?
Visa, MasterCard, American Express, checks and
cash. A 50% deposit is required when you sign up for a
class. This allows me to schedule boats and make other commitments,
stock up on oxygen and helium, and purchase and mail you your books.
Why don't you have a fixed schedule of classes?
I don't teach for a living so I have relatively
few classes throughout the year. To make classes economical for my
students, I try to aggregate at least two students for every
class. This requires that I schedule the classes around my
students' schedule. I also spend most of my weekends fun-diving
all over the place, so I schedule classes when I don't have a fun-dive
scheduled on a given weekend.
When I get a call from a potential student, I make a
note of the dates he/she would like to take the class, then I try to
match up students' schedules to form a class of two or more. The
farther in advance you let me know of your interests, the better the
chances that I'll be able to team you up with another student and reduce
your costs.
If you're in a hurry or if you prefer the personalized
attention of a private one-on-one class, that can be arranged too; just
let me know.
What boats do you use?
There are numerous boats all around south Florida
which I can charter for each class. The exact boat we end up on
depends on when you will be taking the class and what level of training
you'll be taking. All the boats I charter are comfortable and
modern with experienced crews.
Where do the cave dives take place?
Cave dives take place in an area northwest of Gainesville,
Florida commonly known as Cave Country. The cave systems there are
some of the most extensive and most beautiful in the world. We
will dive numerous different caves depending on local conditions at the
time of your class. These include Ginnie Springs, Devil's Eye,
Devil's Ear, Telford Springs, Cow Springs, Little River Springs, Peacock
Springs, and others.
There are also several deep caves up to 300+ feet near
the west-central coast of Florida. These include Diepolder,
Eagle's Nest, and others.
Where do the ocean dives take place?
The ocean dives are on the numerous southeast
Florida shipwrecks. Depths range from 40 feet to over 300 so this
is an ideal place for all levels of technical diver training. Some
of the more popular area wrecks include the Hydro Atlantic, Lowrance,
Ande, Skye Cliffe, Ronald B. Johnson / Corey N. Chris, Northern Light, Vitric, Ocean
Freeze, and many others.
What does it mean when you say "you must earn
your certification"?
The class fees pay only for my time to teach each class.
Each student must earn the certification by demonstrating proficiency in
the various required skills and by passing the written test. If at the
end of the class I don't think you're ready to do these dives without an
instructor, I will not issue your card. If I
did otherwise, I'd be doing both of us a disservice. I hope you
understand. Of course, you're free to sit in on and dive with my
other classes for free (as many as you'd like) until your skills and
knowledge meet the minimum requirements.
What dates are you available for instruction?
I generally teach only on weekends when I'm not
doing fun-dives. My schedule changes frequently so your best bet
is to let me know what class and what dates you'd like, and I'll do my
best to fit you in.
What kind of gear will I need for the class?
The specific requirements vary from class to
class, but generally you'll need your gear rigged in the Hogarthian
fashion.
You'll need at least one deco bottle for staged
decompression; two deco bottles are required for some of the
dives. They should be aluminum 30s or 40s and have a good
regulator on them since you'll be breathing from these longer than your
other regulators. The deco stages must be marked with the
Maximum Operating Depth (MOD) in three-inch lettering in a way that
allows you, and more importantly, your buddy to clearly see and identify
the bottles to catch you if you make a mistake. You can get pre-fab
stickers from Extreme Exposure
that work well or for much less money you can buy three-inch mailbox
lettering at any hardware store. The oxygen bottle should be
marked "Oxygen 20" and the 50% bottle should be marked
"70". Remember, these are MODs, not oxygen
fractions. The MOD is the only number that counts underwater.
Your deco bottles should not have any metal-to-metal connections.
They should be rigged with snap-bolts and rope such that you can cut
them away if you are entangled or trapped.
A dive light, preferably a canister light, is very
useful because even in day open ocean dives it can sometimes be very
dark on the bottom. For cave dives, a canister light and at least
two backup lights are required. The lights made by Extreme
Exposure, for example, would serve you well.
At least one bottom timer, like the one made by Uwatec,
or a dive computer set to gauge mode is required. A good
liquid-filled compass like those made by Suunto
is very useful. Avoid consoles;
wrist-mounted instruments and a pressure gauge clipped to your left hip D-ring
work best. You'll also need
at least a small knife to cut fishing line which might snare you.
A pair of SeaSnips would be good too.
A backplate and harness with continuous (no
quick-releases) webbing and appropriately-sized wings. The Halcyon
aluminum backplate and harness with 55# wings would be a good choice for
most people. Dive-rite
also makes good wings. Stay away from bungee wings at all
costs!
Take a look at my Gear Configuration
Page for tips and suggestions on how to set things up.
Why can't I use bungee/bondage wings for the class?
There are lots of reasons for avoiding bungee
wings. While on first impression they seem like a good idea,
they're actually a fatality waiting to happen.
Bungee wings exert a constant squeezing pressure on
the bladder. The one advantage of this is that the diver can
generally dump gas while in any attitude, but this very same property
will also dump all your gas if one of the dump valves or the oral
inflation valve fails. Normal wings like those made by Dive-Rite,
or Halcyon
are a much better choice and with a little practice, any diver can learn
to easily dump gas while in almost any attitude.
Additionally, orally inflating bungee wings is very
difficult because of the counter-pressure. Bungee wings also have
the disadvantage that the convolutions caused by the bungee disturb the
otherwise laminar flow of water over them. This significantly
increases the drag you have to contend with.
To top it all off, they're expensive and have a lot of
parts to fail over time.
Bungee wings have been implicated in several diving injuries and
fatalities. I believe bungee wings are dangerous and I no longer
buddy with or teach divers wearing them.
If you're still not convinced, consider that now even OMS,
the preeminent bungee wing manufacturer, is offering a new conventional
style wing.
What are the prerequisites for:
General prerequisites are the correct equipment
and rigging for the type of diving the class will require. A DAN
membership is also required. DAN is far from perfect, but the
insurance protection they offer any technical diver is a bargain.
A single ride in a recompression chamber could easily cost more than a
lifetime of insurance premiums. They also cover loss of your gear
and other scenarios that make the coverage indispensable.
Cavern?
The student must be certified as Advanced Open
Water or equivalent with at least 10 logged dives. Most normal
open water dive gear with a backup regulator (octopus) is
acceptable, but a 5' or 7' primary hose is recommended. Each
team must have one primary guideline reel and each diver must have at
least one safety guideline reel.
Introductory Cave Diver (Intro)?
The student must be certified at the Cavern
level or equivalent with 25 logged dives. While this level of
training can be done using single tanks with a Y or H valve, I teach
it only with double tanks. I believe that at this level of
training, the student should make the commitment to purchasing the
gear required to minimize risk while diving in caves. Each
student must have two complete regulators, one primary and one
backup. A decompression stage bottle and regulator is also
needed since some of the dives at this level of training will require
extended times at depth with decompression obligations. At least
one safety guideline reel is required; an assortment of smaller
jump/gap reels is recommended.
Full Cave Diver?
The student must be certified at the Intro level
with 50 logged dives. If the student is taking the one week Full
Cave Diver course, the student must be certified at the Advanced Open
Water level or equivalent with 100 logged dives. The equipment
requirements are the same as for Intro. A drysuit is recommended
due to the longer dive durations.
Advanced Nitrox?
While this level of training can be done using
single tanks with a Y or H valve, I teach it only with double
tanks. I believe that at this level of training, the student
should make the commitment to purchasing the gear required to minimize
risk while diving in caves. Each student must have two complete
regulators, one primary and one backup. A decompression stage
bottle and regulator is also needed. At least one guideline reel
and one liftbag is required, two reels and liftbags are strongly
recommended.
Decompression Procedures?
The requirements are the same as for Advanced
Nitrox.
Entry Level Trimix (200 feet)?
The requirements are the same as for Advanced
Nitrox but a dive light rated to at least 200+ feet is required since
these depths can render the bottom environment quite dark.
Advanced Trimix (300 feet)?
The requirements are the same as for Advanced
Nitrox but a dive light rated to at least 300+ feet is required since
these depths can render the bottom environment quite dark.
Where can I stay during the class?
There are numerous places to stay in the
area. I have a list of local
accommodations on-line or you can check the various on on-line
search indexes for lodging in Pompano Beach, FL.
Copyright © 2001
Mike Rodriguez. All rights reserved.
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