Rich,
Who *is* going to teach them these things?  They are indeed idiots if they
take these things for granted. 

After spending two years learning how to cave dive at Wakulla on open
circuit including 30+ mixed gas dives at Wakulla and dozens more dives in
Leon Sinks, it was finally determined that I might be ready to start
thinking about rebreathers.  I had become fairly competant with the depth,
decompression, temperature considerations, task loading of as many as 3
scooters and 5 stages etc. 

I spent 20 days over 3 trips to Ft. Lauderdale to learn how to do what the
usdct says they will be doing.  I had in water instruction (in the
ocean...not the pool, not the basin at Madison) instruction from George
Irvine who probably has more experience on RB's in caves than anybody in
the world, Robert Carmichael, owner of the RB company, Errol Kalayci, the
actual instructor of record,  and Brent Scarabin, Jarrod Jablonski and Bill
Mee, any one of whom has more time on RB's in caves than the entire usdct
combined.  I had to get the blessing of each and every
one of these guys just to take an RB out of Ft. Lauderdale.  Then, I had to
repeat the process in caves.

I am telling you and anybody who will listen.  If these guys try this, they
will kill someone.  I have been there, done that and it ain't as easy as it
looks.

Jess Armantrout
WKPP Rebreather Mixed Gas Exploration Diver and all around neat guy


----------
> From: Richard Pyle <deepreef@bi*.bi*.ha*.or*>
> To: cavers <cavers@co*.ci*.uf*.ed*>; TechDiver
<techdiver@aquanaut.com>
> Subject: Re: They are indeed smarter than you give them credit for...
> Date: Thursday, September 03, 1998 9:04 PM
> 
> 
> 
> 4) To Frank:  I am going to tell them nothing about thermal protection. I
am
> going to tell them nothing about long "bottom" times (although I will
tell
> them about long in-water times). I'm going to tell them nothing about sat
> diving.  I'm going to tell them nothing about cave diving.  I am going to
> tell them nothing about scooter diving. They are all far more qualified
than
> I am on those points. I am only going to tell them about what I happen to
be
> very qualified to tell them, which is how to use the various tools on the
> Cis-Lunar MK-5 in ways that will allow them to survive an entire platoon
of
> Murphys. Also, you are wrong - I have been to Wakulla. 
> 
> 
> Aloha,
> Rich
> 
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