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No, Lee , you are missing the point - proper training shows you how to easily solve these problems, and in my time cave diving, that training has allowed me and my dive partners to handle these with ease - in fact, it IS CAVE DIVING. Rennaker is an idiot, plain and simple. Also, the attitude of a "stroke" is what you describe below. Lee, if this is so big, dark and scary - DON'T DO IT - take up golf. Lee Gibson and Lucy Bonilla wrote: > > I think some of you are missing the point of the "most important person" > concept. Mr. Rennaker is just being honest about basic human nature. > When things are the worst we all revert to our survival instincts > despite the best intentions. Recent case, the Jackson Blue incident > also detailed in the Journal (and let me emphasize that I am not sitting > in judgment of these divers), > three divers entered the system. At maximum penetration they had a silt > out and lost communication with each other...they became solo divers. > Two of them were able to regroup attempt a search and then exit...the > third was left behind. As the two exited their stress levels were > obviously elevated with self preservation being the priority. When they > reached their safety bottles, three full 80cf at 1000', neither diver > elected to pick up the bottles and go back in to search some more....the > thought of getting out was paramount and understandable. In all cases > self rescue is better than buddy rescue and should be taught in that > order. > As for solo diving, it should be made as a cognitive choice not as an > outcome of circumstance. The divers at Jackson had no intention of solo > diving, but for a time it occurred. Mr. Rennaker's article eludes to > these types of scenarios.....swimming or scootering too far apart, loss > of visibility > without touch contact, long one-man restrictions, stressed or task > overloaded diver....these scenarios are "solo dives" and should be > avoided if you are not prepared for them. The other type of solo diving > is intentional, even if a "buddy" is in the water. Small system > exploration being the best example. It requires special gear, training, > and mind set. Solo diving can and is being done safely on a routine > basis by a small number of experienced cave divers. They just don't > advertise or promote the activity...solo diving definitely is not for > everyone, but neither is cave diving for that matter. > Lee Gibson > Matt London wrote: > > > I was also appalled at this article and Mr. Rennarker and his > > insistence on his "most important person" concept. The lack of proper > > buddy system procedures, communication skills, equipment knowledge and > > configuration, dive planning and the basic diving skills that is so > > obvious in cave diving today is the direct responsibility of the > > instructors handing out the certifications. Many people today seem to > > be more interested in collecting "C" cards ASAP then learning the art > > of safe cave diving. With all due respect it is my opinion that Mr. > > Rennikers article is a prime example of what we don't want to teach > > our students. Best regards M> Thailand's deep cave exploration at - > > www.divefun.com/tcdp/
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