Cave Diving is without doubt one of the most exhilarating and rewarding actions you are able to do underwater. That being stated, it’s not for everybody. Not solely does it require the flexibility to be hyper-focused and arranged. You should even be blessed with a sure degree of psychological consolation, particularly in tight locations.
In case you are significantly claustrophobic or have nyctophobia (worry of darkish/darkish locations), then cave diving could possibly be your worst nightmare. If not, cave diving is an avenue to untold journey and exploration. If you happen to pursue cave diving and are lucky sufficient, you could be the primary human to find and have a look at part of our world, which is an unforgettable expertise.
What’s Cave Diving?
Cave diving is exploring caves that occur to be submerged underwater. Whereas cave diving is nearly a subset of technical diving nowadays, that has not at all times been the case. Traditionally, cave diving originated in caving, potholing, and spelunking. As these explorers drove deeper and deeper underground, they finally discovered their dry cave explorations blocked by water. What did these enterprising explorers do? Be taught to scuba dive to allow them to push on and discover what lies forward; thus, cave diving was born.
That’s the reason the oldest cave diving certification and coaching protocols don’t come from technical diving companies. As an alternative, Speleological (Cave science) societies just like the Nationwide Speleological Society developed most unique cave programs. These programs are and stay the gold commonplace for cave diving coaching.
Finally, cave diving is about exploration; exploring part of the planet that so few folks have seen is a thrill. When exploring the fun of including a number of hundred toes or meters of line to a cave is unparalleled, that feat shall be without end yours. The truth that cave diving is harmful, tough, and dangerous makes it extraordinarily rewarding.
Cave Diving Security and Coaching
In the case of cave diving security, the primary and most vital factor to recollect isn’t to try it with out the right coaching. In case you are on a daily dive, and also you see a gap of a cave, look away and preserve swimming. Caves are one in every of the simplest methods for divers with out the right coaching and tools to kill themselves.
Cave diving could be so dangerous that a number of totally educated and outfitted divers perish in accidents yearly. Any diver getting into a cave or overhead atmosphere with out the right coaching and tools asks for hassle. In the event that they do it as soon as and get away with it, it’s luck as an alternative of ability.
So, in the event you nonetheless need to cave dive, how do you begin your journey? Over time, the programs on provide have developed. Nevertheless, now, the curriculums are broadly standardized throughout many coaching companies.
Broadly talking, cave diving coaching is break up into three totally different ranges. First comes Cavern Diving. This preliminary certification serves as an introduction and solely permits minimal penetration. Cavern diving means staying inside the gentle zone space on the mouth of the cave or cavern.
Secondly comes the Introduction to Cave Diving. That is your basis for cave diving and normally solely permits restricted penetration and limits on decompression, fuel use, staging, and many others. The precise requirements fluctuate barely from one coaching company to a different.
Lastly, after getting accomplished each these programs, you may undertake the total cave diver course. Right here, you be taught all that you must do to discover caves, and there are minimal restrictions or limits. As soon as licensed, you may penetrate as deep as your expertise will permit you to take action safely. However on the finish of the day, you make the judgment.
Nevertheless, the educational by no means ends, and you may nonetheless undertake further programs, equivalent to utilizing Diver Propulsion Automobiles DPVs, Rebreather cave diving, and a lot extra.
Important Cave Diving Tools
Relying on the kind of cave you’re diving, the listing of cave diving tools could be limitless. Nevertheless, one precept holds throughout all cave dives, and that’s redundancy. When cave diving, you’ll at all times carry a number of backups since, as a result of overhead atmosphere, you can not abort your dive and go to the floor; it’s essential to flip again and exit.
As such, cave divers will at all times carry a minimal of two lights, a main, and at the very least one backup torch. Nevertheless, many divers carry extra since nobody desires to be caught at the hours of darkness deep in a cave.
Cave divers may also have a minimal of two cylinders with two separate regulators. This configuration is the entry-level naked minimal, and correct planning implies that even in the event you suffered a catastrophic fuel loss, you’d nonetheless have ample reserve to get to the exit safely. Because the depth and penetration distance improve, the variety of cylinders will increase alarmingly. Massive-scale expeditions can contain tons of of cylinders being staged for the divers.
Different tools distinctive to cave diving is line arrows and cookies, which give directional data to divers, assist groups talk, and account for all group members on a dive.
Unsurprisingly, cave diving makes use of many strains. These are positioned within the cave to offer the divers a path to return to the exit and mark the extent of the cave’s exploration. Some strains are designed to be the first guideline, and others are designed so divers can T-off the principle line and head off exploring a facet alley they see.
Prime Cave Diving Locations
There are various cave diving locations around the globe. In reality, some locations are solely well-known for cave diving since they’re landlocked and do not need common scuba diving.
By far, the world’s most well-known cave diving vacation spot is Mexico. Dwelling to the Yucatan and the legendary cenote. Mexico’s cenotes are distinctive in that they’re huge, and a few are so well-explored and lit that you are able to do some exploration dives without having full cave coaching.
That is primarily as a result of a lot of them have small cracks and openings within the ceilings, providing you with a direct ascent to the floor. Whether or not you need a cave diving taster or a full-blooded technical course exploring the darker recesses of a cave, you can not go flawed packing your bag and heading out to the cenotes in Mexico.
Remember the fact that there are a lot of locations with an lively and vibrant cave scene. The UK, France, Germany, and Spain all have a giant cave diving scene. A few of Jap Europe’s extra thrilling and deep caves, with the Hranice Abyss, Europe’s deepest cave within the Czech Republic.
In case you are in North America, you can not go flawed heading to Florida. The state has a number of world-famous cave diving websites, together with the legendary Ginnie Springs. Different famend cave diving spots in Florida embody the Satan’s Den and Leon Sinks Geological Space. To not point out the legendary Woodville Karst Plain Mission, the place many GUE concepts and ideas had been born.
Cave Diving Conservation and Ethics
Each time you enter a cave, you create a small disturbance to a really fragile ecosystem, whether or not on land or within the water. When cave diving, that you must be further cautious to not negatively influence the cave system.
For sure, your buoyancy and propulsion expertise should be second to none since a rogue fin kick could be extremely damaging. Additionally, be sure you go away nothing behind and that once you lay strains, you’re further cautious that they won’t influence any of the cave’s resident life types.
From an moral standpoint, it’s essential to additionally respect the rules and markers positioned within the cave by different divers. Even in the event you disagree with the location of a line, you need to by no means contact or intervene with pointers. Doing so can have catastrophic outcomes and result in a lack of life.
