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 :))))