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

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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!!!