Cave Dive Tattoo

I enjoyed the Cave diving so much and was so pleased to finish my course so I decided to have a tattoo to remember it by. I went for a black and grey grim reaper with a cave line which has been broken and cave arrows on it. The grim reaper is on a lot of the signs that 'guard' caves warning you not to enter without cave training.

Cave diving in Nohah Noch Chich Cenote

Wow 2 fantastic dives with Jason again today, did another hour and a half under the caves, just back from a lovely meal with Jason his partner Fiona, Nando and his wife, stuffed!!!

spider monkey

a few more pics

Fri 13th of August first days fun diving :)

So the plan today was to go and do 2 dives with Jason and then back to do the theory that was still outstanding, but Nando had to come in and cover Rosalla as she has got Dengue!!! Bloody mozzies! So theory on cave formations then accident analysis, its fri the 13th today and I get a lecture on all the different ways to die! I almost told Jason to forget the fun dives :)

Off to Dos Palmos which turns out to be a lovely Cenote there are a few houses there but not too much else, however there was a collection of animals the normal dogs, cats and chickens but also a spider monkey that was having great fun swinging from tree to tree, it was so cute, I'll try and upload the video I took tomorrow.

As we were walking down to look at the Cenote a huge iguana was just sat on the wall looking at us, when we got down there it was amazing there were bats flying around and nesting, birds flying back and forward and even turtles in the water!

We kit up and get ready for the first dive, no reels today as the line is already set, Jasons leading and off we go, we start going against the flow of the river and its not too bad but noticeable compared with before, its a great cave very low with quite small restrictions, nothing that I couldnt do though we turned the dive when I got to my sixths and just came back almost not finning with the flow, when we finally saw the cavern area we both turned our lights of and slowly moved forward into the light, we could see bats flying above us through the water quite amazing!! It was like the largest aquarium I've ever been in.

Back up to the van and a nice lunch and plan the second dive, this time we're going with the flow, Jason says its not as small as the last cave with less restrictions, we go back to the water kit up do our briefings and spend a minute visualising the dive. We're off and into the cave almost immediately it gets smaller and lower than the previous one I'm guessing Jason was winding me up :) we just float along and I'm really enjoying it, we get to 24 minutes in and it kind of hits me mmmmmm we're a long way in and I'm using no effort at all this means it could be hard work on the way back and its a long way, then I think actually its a very long way. I do my notes and we turn back and yes the flow is against me, I know I have plenty of air but even so I decide to make an effort to get back a bit quicker than we got there, so I start to fin quite vigorously, I'm not panicking and am controlling my breathing, trim and buoyancy but will be happy to see the light at the end of the tunnel :) I keep looking from left to right to keep my mind off of the distance back and recognise landmarks along the way, everything goes well and I'm back on the surface all safe and sound. I explain to Jason how I was feeling and he's fine with it and could see that I was anxious but in control. We checked my air and I had only used the same as on the way in and had taken the same time to exit. Guess it was that Fri 13th feeling :)

All told I did around 90 minutes under the caves on half my air so quite pleased with the day and how it all went.

Thank god its over!!! :)

Thats it no more training dives, yee haa!! It did seem to go on forever but now I'm only doing 'fun' cave dives :-)

So how did today go I hear you ask, woke up this morning got as far as the terrace and Mandy txt me to stay in bed as she was off out for dinner, so no chat this morning :( Oh well up any way and had a nice chat with me Mum :) Spent an hour visualising the dives today, now this is a technique thats supposed to make you more confident, haha well it doesn't always work! I was feeling a bit 'apprehensive' by the end of it so a large bottle of Gatorade and a doughnut later I was ready :)

We eventually went to Chac Mall again which by the way is called that because the owner once saw a tiger there???

Firstly we did line drills for lost line and then lost diver, lots to learn and obviously both very important. So kit up and wait for Nando to play with his blackberry for a bit longer then into the water, normal routine of briefings reviews gear matching etc etc then the brief for the lost line drill.................... god so much to remember, any how off we go, I'm using a different reel today and at the first tie off the 'knob' fell off..... oh bugger, oh luckily I find it and crack on 4 tie offs later we're at the cave line and in we go, nice formations to see and start to enjoy it, still checking gauges for air, buoyancy and trim etc etc etc. Turn the dive and then.................. drill time, Nando signals lights off and takes my hand and leads me off to hell knows where!! Now all I have to do is find my way back to the line, so safety line out, find a rock to tie off on and I think the lines behind me somewhere so turn using my shoulders 90 degrees change arm position and another 90 degrees, I have let all the air out of my buoyancy device and am now crawling on the floor, I have to lift the reel place it in front of me then crawl forward whilst waving my arms around, keep doing this for 10 minutes and I find it :) all I need to do now is to tie into it with my reel but twice the double ender comes off, oh well third time lucky and I'm back to safety!! Hurrah drill over so nice easy return to the surface but oh no I manage to cock up the safety stop and end up weaving all over the place so pretty pissed with my self then Nando finds a tarantula under the water and shows it to me, and then kinda pushes it towards me and it makes me jump, much to the hilarity of Nando and Jason, so much for the ex commando :) the briefing was ok and I think I did well on the drills.

Next dive, mmmmm Nando says just a nice little fun dive describes it all with all the wonderful formations, stalactites, stalagmites etc etc its called the Cathedral room. Then he casually drops in that on the way back we will see what happens with a big grin on his face :)

Off we go all the normal stuff, and into the cave, lovely formations but I'm expecting something all the time, we turn the dive and 2 mins later Nando starts flashing his torch at me 'out of air' haha I guessed right so hand of my spare reg to him, get into position and oh fancy that both our lights have stopped working and we're 15 mins inside a cave so off I go, pushing Nando hard, but trying to keep my breathing easy, checking every tie off as we go. We're out and at the surface and YEH I have used only the same air as going in so we have SURVIVED!!! :) Last training dive over :)) It seemed to take forever but I'm happy now I can do cave dives with a buddy as long as I stay on the mainline and stick to sixths, back in February to do Full Cave which will allow me to do jumps and circuits, use thirds.

Back to the Hotel and I'm straight of out to celebrate with a Taco Loco from El Fogon and a beer then an Icecream from the Oxxo, as usual an early night as tomorrow I'm off cave diving :)

cant remember what day but its the penultimate day of the course :)

Today I woke up feeling a bit rough! had the runs for 24 hours and was dehydrated and feeling weak, but Nando was back so off went to Taj Mahal (not to India) It was bloody roasting and I started to feel even worse, but after a bit more kit fettling, moving weights around etc etc I had to get in the water to cool down!!

Normal procedure of bubble check, gear match, sequence of divers, air, depth, distance, duration and review!! then Safety drill when we get under the water, stow hoses and off we go with me in front. Primary tie off with the reel then secondary tie off then a third then tie into the 'gold' line. Now we are actually at the start of the cave!! check buoyancy, trim, make sure buddies are ok then we're off, nice and slowly follow the line checking your buoyancy and trim at all times, check that your doing frog kick correctly without dropping your thighs................ oh yeh check gauges, change regs, check on your Buddies............... look around and enjoy the cave :). Try and remember what Nando said about the drill, get to the 2 cave arrows facing back and forward go a few more feet and check gauges, yep reached sixths ok signal to buddies that we are turning.................. turn!! dont blind buddies, hover motionless at right angles to the line reach behind you and get pocket, open pocket and take out note book OMG...... write down how much air you have in both gauges.........dont move!!!.........write down depth and time.........dont move put notes away, put pocket back on rear D ring and signal that you're ready turn and start following the line to daylight its only 15 minutes away :)

OMG Nando is signalling he has a problem, mmmmm must be out of air, swap regs and get ready to donate my long hose, yep hes out of air, ok get into position and we get out of the cave as swiftly as possible sharing air BUT you cant use more air than you came in on or YOUR DEAD (only a drill but possible) We get back to the reel, I have to untie it and reel it up to the safety stop, then its stay still get notes out write up air pressures, time etc etc, finish safety stop carry on with the reel and finally its over and I have to debrief the dive before Jason gets a say then Nando. First dive over :)

Second dive exactly the same routine but a different entrance and this time we do the same but our lights dont work so its all in the PITCH Black!!!!

Both dives were Ok, I have improved no end since the start but will still need loads more practice.

Back to the dive centre and an hour of theory, all the hazards of cave diving, I am tired out but its interesting and I stay awake :) Nando gave me 10 mins to ring Mandy which was nice, I've become a huge fan of Skype!

Of to bed really early now as I've got a big day tomorrow, lost diver drills and the dreaded lost line drill ............... then more theory and finally the exam and I will hopefully have 3 days to do some cave diving for fun :))))

day 7 Cave training (I Think!)

Today was a nice break, Nando was off sick so I got to do 2 'fun' cavern dives with Jason, we did these at Chuc Mal. It was great to actually do the dives and not have to turn your lights off or share air or tie in the reel etc etc etc, still had to concentrate on everything else though! Buoyancy still needs work as does staying still!!! Feeling like I'm slowly getting there ISH :)

Met a Brit today called Mark I new he was a brit straight away as he had a Landrover with UK plates on it, he is a cave diving videographer and he invited me out for a beer :) We went to a nice bar had a few beers then a thai curry it was great to catch up with him and have a good old natter :)

So after my late night out (20.00) we called it a day and I'm back in my room, shower end of manual and bed ready for Nando in the morning!!

Some pics

Location:4 Nte,Playa del Carmen,Mexico

Day 6 Cave course

I've just been and had a couple of beers with Jokka my ne Finnish mate, hes over here on the same course so its nice to have a drink with someone whos doing the same thing.

So what have we been doing today you ask? Well today my friends we have been out diving caves! Last night I was ready to quit and give up diving forever, but I had a long think and I woke up this morning in a slightly more positive mood, I wasnt going to let this beat me, I no I can dive reasonably well and its only a case of trying a bit harder so thats what I needed to do. I had also come to the decision that if today didnt go well then I was only going to try to finish intro to cave, this doesnt sound much but is everything on the full cave course except the complex navigation and refining techniques, I can come back and finish it later in the year or early next year.

I had a chat with Nando and Jason and explained how I was feeling, you have to be very honest at this level of diving, and they were great and very encouraging. We got kitted up and into the water at Ponderosa again, the first dive went well and I was pleasantly pleased. Even Nando seemed to think I was doing better.

Dive 2 was good as well, a few small problems but mainly OK. Unfortunately Nando wasnt feeling too good so we had to cut the day shorter, but I was feeling a lot more positive, maybe I can do it after all :)

Had a nice chat with Steve Martin, an instructor back home who has also done all of this and he cheered me up a bit more, then spoke to Sally and then got hold of Mandy who had been to see Spamalot with Hannah, it was my birthday present so I was feeling a bit guilty as Mandy didnt think it would be her thing, but they had excellent seats and thoroughly enjoyed it and she even said she'd go again with me when I get home :)

So just been to Pan Express and got myself a nice Ham and Cheese Croissant and a bun for my tea and now going to watch a film then early night, hopefully Bennett wont ring at 02.17 again!!

Night Night All.

Iguana at the dive site

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:4 Nte,Playa del Carmen,Mexico

Day 5 Cave course

Its Sunday, the day of rest.......... unless your on your Cave course :) Today we were back to Ponderosa to check out my latest rig and lighter fins. A few modifications and its back in the water, ten minutes buoyancy and trim checking and all seems well.

Off into the cave! Nando leads and shows me how to do the reels and set up the lines and after pre dive checks and drills we're in ......... and its not too scary, but then again I am trying to think of a hundred things so didnt have time to worry! I managed to stay in a bit more control this time (by cave standards) and stayed closer to the line, I still have to 'crack' the backward finning this is so important and I cant seem to do it when I need to :( more practice is needed!!

We come out and I have to debrief the dive, you have to be very honest! Then Jason debriefs it, oh not as good as I was hoping, then Nando tears it apart :)

Next cave, I have to do the reel and line work, not tried this before and it doesnt look easy, but I managed to get us into the cave with the lines in the correct place but because I was using the same tanks and we are working on sixths at this stage I didnt get in too far before having to turn the dive. Then I went to pot on the way out buoyancy was rubbish and I was concentrating on the reel too much so went past Nando (a really bad thing!!) then almost forgot to do the safety stop!!

On surfacing I was debriefed and it wasnt great but I am learning every dive! It was now 3 oclock and I asked for the rest of the day off, I was knackered the jet lag and stress and concentration had got to me, I needed a couple of hours off, it also gave me the opportunity to have a half hour chat with Mandy on Skype! Skype is amazing I cant believe the video conferencing is so good and still free AMAZING!! I was falso feeling a bit happier as Nando and Jason both said I was doing ok and was looking so much better than a couple of days ago!

Back to the Hotel, did my Dhobi, read a bit of my manual the of to el Fogon for a nice grilled chicken with loads of extras and 2 beers all for £7 its certainly cheap to eat local :)

Now more manual then early night I have a feeling its gonna be a long day again tomorrow :)

Day 4 Cave Diving

Just a quick note tonight cos I'm knackered! A day of stress today, first dive plan theory, loads to learn lots of acronyms and procedures to try and memorise, the morning flew by. Then Nando decided that he couldn't live with my wing and changed it out for a dive rite venture wing, then of to Chiken Ha Cenote to do our first 'extended' cavern dive, I was feeling a bit apprehensive because I was a bit overloaded on theory :) we arrived and did some more dry line drills then Nando decided that the venture wing was too high profile and that I might as well try his 'protype' wing (top secret) this is tiny and was a bit of an 'add on' .

Into the water and practice all the theory I learnt in the morning, luckily Nando talked me through it all so not too bad but need to learn it as I'll be doing it every day! then down to the cave. I had so much to think about so I didnt really have time to get scared! The Halocline was different to how I expected it, there was no viz when you were in it and I couldnt see my air guages, this was a worry as I needed to turn around when I got to a sixth of my air. I actually turned the dive before I needed I think but I had to get my notes out and write down how much air I had how much time I'd been and what depth we were at all while staying in the same position, I must say I wasnt great, my buoyancy was very iffy (by cave standards)

Back out of the cave and Nando debriefs me, and yes it wasnt good. he then explains my weights are in the wrong place and my fins are too heavy!! So since I have arrived I have 'lost' my wing, my regs werent suitable, my bungy was too thick, my bands were in the wrong pace, my fins are too heavy, my guages needed to be in psi OMG!! :) But I'm learning loads although it all seems very frustrating at the mo!

So a Saturday night in the party town of Playa and I'm sat in my room with another 2 litres of water and my manual to keep me company :( Oh yeh and covered in bloody mozzie bites, I have been to the Farmacia and mimed that I was covered in bites much to the amazement of the shop assistants but I have some nice cream which is a bit soothing and some industrial strength repellant for tomorrow :)

Jason showing me how to play the guitar on your fins (hes french so that explains it)My tanks set up and ready to go
This says it all!!!

Day three of Cave diving training

Ola every one, so what have I been up to this sunny day in Mexico I hear you ask? Today we have been to the Crystal Cenote and very beautiful it was too! First of all Nando had me doing line drills around the carpark, first you do it with your eyes open so its not too bad, then you do it with your eyes shut, also not to bad until you find out that Jason has been timing you and in fact you are now dead because it took too long to get back. Nando then got me to do it as fast as I could with my eyes shut, I thought I was doing it quite well, turns out I was dead again :( This time we did it again with eyes shut but with Nando in 'touch' contact behind me, we practically ran around which is a bit alarming but we survived!!

A spot of lunch then into the water for more buoyancy and trim and propulsion training, I think I spent 20 minutes or so just looking at a rock to make sure I stayed at the same depth and distance from it, sounds easy but isnt!!! The good thing was we did this actually under the overhead, so not exactly in a cave but much closer than I'd been before :)

Then for the fun bit, line drills under the water, Nando laid a course and firstly we went around it together in touch contact eyes open, nice and fairly easy even kept most of my buoyancy, then I have to do it myself on my own with no mask and my eyes shut! actually I felt ok and it went ok. next I had to do it with Nando me leading as fast as possible with an out of air drill as well, I didnt realise we could go so fast! then I had to follow Nando and throw him an out of air drill, all done with no viz (eyes closed) This is a hugely important thing to learn, if you have an emergency you have to be able to leave the cave with possibly no viz as quickly as possible without panicking and only using the same air as you went in with or your dead!!

A great day and I'm sure it will be the easiest I will have for the next week, hopefully into a cave tomorrow :)

Day 2 Cave course

Nando with the scissors again!!My breakfast this morning I was very brave and bought it at the little stall on the street corner by the Hotel, my Spanish was rubbish but made the lady laugh :)

Just back from another day at the Cenotes, this was another trim buoyancy and propulsion day but more in the water today, more changes to my rig and yes a bit more cut off but only really to make it look prettier.

Nando explained today how he was going to be 'nasty' too me for the next week, unlike PADI course where everything is positively enforced with a 'high five' or a hand shake when you get something right. The Cave course they only bollock you when you do it wrong and make you keep doing it untill its right :) Bit like being in the Marines then!!

So trim is being level in the water, with your feet up from the knees so you dont move any sediment, Buoyancy is basically staying in the correct position in the water in the correct trim. Propulsion is learning the correct cave diving fin techniques, one of the hardest things to learn today has been going forward then stopping dead and then actually reversing which is something I didnt know was possible and it seemed impossible for the first 15 minutes!! its still not 'pretty' but I can do it (a bit) I am told I will be good at it by the end of the next twenty dives :)

Had a beer with Jason after we got back to the centre, he's a great guy and I'm hoping to do some dives with him after the course. Nando was telling us all about the Bull Sharks that visit in December, you can dive with 7 to 10 at a time, which sounds amazing, he also told us the story of his trimix dive where a 4 metre Tiger Shark kept them company for 45 minutes and came upto them 3 times so close he could see it breathing!! Very scary!!

Day 1 of the cave course

After a good nights sleep I got up had a coffee and doughnut for brekkie from the 'oxxo' across the road and stumbled the 10 foot to the dive centre from my room to meet up with Jason Renoux who has kindly organised my training over here and even picked me up from the airport along with Fiona his partner. Jason introduced me to my Instructor 'Nando' now Nando is a bit of a 'dive god' and is a technical cave diver instructor trainer!! basically if he says jump you just jump and wait til he says its ok to come down again :)

FirstlyI had to do the boring paperwork that accompanies every course you do in diving, this seems more serious though, mainly because I was sat next to a large plaque saying ' do not enter without training! over 300 people have died in caves like this one, including scuba instructors!!"

Next it was time to 'show' Nando my equipment :) He wasnt quite as impressed as I was though, it seems my almost new Hollis sidemount BCD wasnt quite streamlined enough for cave diving. So after lots of 'fettling' we went of to 'Ponderosa Cenote' this was a beautiful spot out in the jungle, we got out of the van and almost immediately I was set upon by mozzies and biting ants, liberal amounts of industrial strength insecticide kept them at bay for a while.

Nando now decided t

he best way to make my kit more 'cave ' orientated was to customise it a fraction, OUT CAME THE SCISSORS!!

Pics of my room and the beach

Moms hotel Playa Del Carmen





-


Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:4 Nte,Playa del Carmen,Mexico

Mexico !!! :)

Just arrived in my hotel it's ok :) had a lovely chat with Mandy on Skype through my iPhone how wonderful is technology! It's 1600 here so gonna have a little wander down town get some water etc then a nice taco then off to bed


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:4 Nte,Playa del Carmen,Mexico

Day 1 tue morning

Well all checked in at Manchester airport the security is heavy but very organised for once and I was through in 15 mins. My baggage weighed 34 kilos that's one of the down sides of diving but luckily I had 30 kilo allowance and they let me through. Two hours to kill now before boarding I've got a premier upgrade let's see what monarch think that means :)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Manchester,United Kingdom

Number plate

Finally got round to changing my number plate on the car!! Shame I can't 'mispace' it any more, the nice policeman said he would take it away next time!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Fernhill Rd,Southport,United Kingdom

Sunday evening

Thats the weekend over with then! Had a great time down in Exmouth, it took us almost 7 hours to drive down but worth to see our friends and relations down there.

Had a great evening in the Maltsters Pub in Woodbury, thanks once again to bennett and Clare for putting us up and sorry again for breaking the bed, cant believe thats the third time we have broken it!!

Saturday was Guys 40th birthday BBQ, thanks mate great food, great company and a wonderful new house it looks like something out of 'Grand Designs'

It was good to catch up with Doc and Maz from JC Diving I'm hoping to get a few dives in with you later this year.

Up again this morning with a hangover, woken nice and early by Bennetts cock crowing, good party trick that mate :) I see why your neighbours complain.

Nice to catch up with Andy and Mary over in OSM too.

Busy day tomorrow packing for Mexico, cant wait but nervous too.

Sidemount Instructor details

I have to share with you all who my instructor is! He is Steve Martin a Padi Course Director and one of the nicest guys its been my pleasure to meet, he is also a fantastic instructor who manages to make you feel at ease even when you're doing new and difficult stuff.

Look up his web site here www.sidemountscubadiving.com If you ever want to dive with more than one tank you need to speak to Steve!!

sidemount training 4

Sidemount 3

sidemount training 2

Sidemount Training

Its Friday........... Hurrah

Its Friday!!! Only 4 days til Mexico, I think I have everything in hand now, all of my kit has arrived and all been tested except my replacement back up torch to replace the flooded one. May need a spare mask so will pop into JC Diving tomorrow and try out the Hollis one.

I have just been to see my Solicitor Tracy and made a will, Had to do this as Mandy told me too :) I'm hoping to come back, not so sure shes bothered now she gets the house etc etc :) If you're looking for a solicitor in Liverpool I cant recommend Tracy Thompson at Morecrofts highly enough, she has looked after me so well.

Off to Exmouth in a bit for a weekend with Bennett and for Guys 40th, a few quiet pints and then a few louder ones!

More Sidemount training

Nice new helmet :)



Through the cesna



Under the training platform


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

One week to go!!

So I'm off to Mexico Cave Diving!!

How did this happen you may ask, I'm kind of impulsive to put it mildly and after a business I was buying fell through after 6 months of negotiating I needed something to cheer me up. I had just done the sidemount course with Steve Martin and we had talked about cave diving so I emailed him and he gave me Jason Renouxs details over in Mexico. That was a week ago, I'm off to Mexico to do the cavern - full cave course (zero to hero) which should take me 7 - 8 days.

I have done around 300 dives and have done some wreck penetration and also some ice diving so I'm relatively experienced but this is an extreme course and should really test me. I'm looking forward to it but also a bit apprehensive.

I have had to buy some more equipment, which is always fun! Heres a picture of me in my new helmet, maybe cave diving isn't a good way to look 'cool'

Location:Warwick Rd,Southport,United Kingdom