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John I hope the following will answer your questions, concerning my personal approach to cave training. If a student has experience as a diver (100 + dives) I take them straight thro as I see no benefit in the multi level training especially with wreck divers etc.If one desires to be a cave diver and has experience in the water he/she should be able to do a cave course. I have taught one cavern course in my life and two intro courses all else has been cave.It is the only way I will train people. If I get a intro or apprentice cave diver I put them through the whole program likewise, I do not credit the other training as a step towards cave diver. If they are already good they just become even better cave divers. I find most of these folks still need a lot of work on technique and equipment management. All skills that would be included in a cavern and intro course are conducted in this program. all dives from dive one begin with diving the rule of thirds and all dives start with a fresh set of doubles(unless just dropping down to complete some skills on rare occassions). I require a minimum of dble 200 ft3 dble 15 liter and encourage 104' or larger cylindrs. As stated earlier my program is not intended for everyone and everyone is not accepted into the course. As a result of being selective on experience and attitude it is quite rare that a student does not pass the course and it is even more rare that they do not comeout as amuch more confident and skilled diver. I also do additional stress management exercises and other realility training drills. I take cave diving as a life and death serious event and train with that attitude towards it. As a result to date I have not had any former students in cave diving get killed in a cave. That is part luck but mostly a result of rigrious and demanding training. Some cave divers I have trained have had close calls just as any serious cave diver will have at some point in there career if they push themselves. This is done by a lot of other instructors as well. There are numerous cave instructors who have the same attitude on cave training. I think the majority of cave instructors are quite serious about the safety of their students. There is varying opnions about the best way to train students, this method works best for me. Straight through programs have always been a training option in all the agencies. For instance it is the same manner in which George was trained, the same as John rose, Bill Mee and hundereds of other cave divers by many instructors. Tom Mount You wrote: > >>I prefer to train people who are serious >>about their intentions to cave dive thus I do not train cavern or >>introductory cave divers.I think those programs are the core element >>for most who are curious about cave diving or who have less than 100 >>dives under their belt. > >Request for clarification, Tom. > >Does this mean you expect a prospective student to come to you with at >least Cavern and Intro already under his belt, or do you start ab initio >and go straight through the full program? > >--John >
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