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>Hi Scott,
>
>I teach in Yucatan and have not done much diving in Florida, but I find it
>almost inconceivable that any cave instructor for any agency would actually
>pass a cave student who wasn't fully capable of running a reel.
>
>Is that what you're saying?  Do you have any examples of this?

Yes, John Orlowski, current training director for the NACD, and a female 
student from Michigan.  I was there interning to become a cavern 
instructor, while she was in a one week full cave program.  The girl had 
never dove in doubles, until she took her cavern course, I personally thing 
that is hilarious, had 6 dives in a dry suit, did not own her own gear she 
had to rent it from Shellie, John's wife.  This girl did not possess the 
ability to tie her shoes and breath at the same time.  She was nice, but 
she did not possess the technical ability to participate in this 
sport.  She was only there because her fiance was already cave 
diving.  This girl could not deploy one of those cursed blue safety reels 
when needed, and was unable to run the primary reel.  John passed her from 
OW to full cave in one week.  NOW TO BE FAIR AND KEEP THE LAWYERS OFF OF MY 
ASS, I will say that the above is my opinion based on my personnel 
experience with the situation.  I suppose it is remotely possible that in 
the five days after I was gone she suddenly developed the skill to handle 
all of the gear safely and correctly, developed the mental and physical 
stamina to progress from 60' OW dives to 2000' penetration cave dives, but 
I will always remember her as the one that cried in the basin after the 
first dive.

>  To me this
>would be equivalent to giving a loaded gun with a hair trigger and the safety
>off, to a five year old and saying "Here, play with this!"

That is effectively what they are doing.  People have already died because 
of the attitude and training that is prevalent in cave diving and sadly 
there will be more.

>Take care and dive safe,

I do and I hope you do the same.
Scott Hunsucker

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