I recently went to FL and got my cavern diving cert. Those caves really blew me away. I would like to go on and get my full cave, but I don't feel I should unless there are some places that I can dive locally. I can only go to FL once a year, and I don't feel I would be safe to myself or others cave diving 1 week a year. Does anyone know of any caves, or even mine shafts? They don't have to be super, just enough to be an overhead environment that I could keep my skills sharp, once I aquire them that is. Thanks in advance.
Talk to Rich from Scuba dive and travel. He takes students down to Florida at least once a year to do cave training. I was talking to him about this one day and asked him where the nearest cave that could be dove. I was thinking the closest would be in Missouri or Tennessee, but he said some people do it in Minnesota. The only problem is the caves are very confined where you need to dive with tanks side mounted not on your back.<br><br>I think you could apply techniques of cave diving to the wrecks in the Great Lakes. I may consider taking a cave course if I start doing deep penetration wreck dives.<br><br>Also, I am sure you could apply your cave diving techniques to ice diving. Instead of tethering yourself off from the surface, run a reel from a secure line anchored to the lake floor.<br><br><br>Derrick
I know how you feel, my wife and I did a cavern dive in Grand Bahama, also some dives in coral caves (swimthroughs). I love it. I was eager to get cave training, but figured it wouldn't be worth it (for the same reasons you mentioned)<br><br>There are lot's of "Steel Caves"(wrecks) in the Great Lakes. Many of the technics(sp) learned in caving can be helpful in wreck diving. I plan on training towards doing shipwreck penetration diving, I don't know if it'll be the same feeling I get in caves or caverns, but there is only one way to find out!
Unlike Florida, the Bahamas, Mexico, etc, which have hard overhead ceilings, with less chance of cave-ins; these areas dont tend to that kind of overhead environment. :'(<br><br>I would stick to the great variety of wrecks here. You'll gain some fun and valuable experience which you can apply when you go to a place with better caving conditions.<br>
My wife and I got Cavern Cert. from the NSS-CDS last November in Crystal River, FL. I had the same hang-ups about getting certified, where to dive besides Florida. However, the skills you learn in the Cavern Class carry over to many other areas of diving. We learned about gear failures, fin kicks to avoid stirring up the bottom and more about buddy breathing and buoyancy. All of these skills transfer over into "normal" open water diving, as well as wreck diving. We both felt that we learned more about diving from this class than any other we had previously taken. I would strongly encourage anyone to how has an Advanced Open Water or higher cert. to give this a try.
I've got to post here.. the highlight of my recent trip to Mexico was freediving to the "STOP HERE" sign at Casa Cenote (-36', approx 60-75' over).
EDIT - after downloading my profile I see that it was -26', not -36'.. hey it felt like -36' 
. This cenote had several caverns and it was very exciting to enter a dark hole and then my eyes would adjust and this huge room would began to come into focus. 'Course, I couldn't stay long but I did make several trips. I wonder if the "stop here unless certified cave diver" pertains to someone holding there breath?
I supposed it did so I stopped. I would have loved to have had a photo of me by the sign. Wild!
Fred
In response to the post down below on Rich@SD&T's Missouri cave diving experience; if you weren't able to make it to the recent GLSPS show and see Rich's presentation on sidemount configuration diving and footage of their exploration dives in Missouri, I'd highly recommend stopping by SD&T and asking Rich to run it for you. It's pretty intense stuff! Big kahunas indeed!
On a seperate note, I understand there are some dry caves over in S. Dakota that are pretty cool to explore. Anyone have any input/experience with any of these?
I've been to a few of them. I have mixed feelings on them. On the one hand, I had a good time and enjoyed seeing them. On the other hand, they were a little touristy, and you had to go with a group on a well guided and marked tour. I thought it was neat, but I didn't get the "I'm an explorer" feeling. Of course the stairs where much more conveinent than just hiking, and I see a few have elevavators. It's just an access improvement vs natural thing. I'm sure in a few years I'll be voting for 100% accessability though.
kinda of what I figured. Thanks for the feedback.
I had to put my 2 cents into this one. My goal is to someday dive this cave off of the southern coast of France. It's called Coscur, I don't think that's how it's spelled. (Koskur)
The entrance is in about 250' and the tunnel leading to it goes over 350' back into the embankment. The cave at the end of the tunnel is back up to about 100' - 150'. There are apparently cave paintings (hand prints and animals) and bones and such.
My current diving skills are nowhere close to what would be required of this dive, but I was wondering as long as the subject had been broached if anyone knew anything about it or had dove it, or knew anyone who had. I don't think it's restricted or anything.