There has been some recent discussion regarding ocean 'swim throughs' and 'caverns' in some areas. Where I live we have thousands ranging from a few metres to over 20 m.
Assuming:
- There is only one clear path and no chance of getting lost;
- The floor is course sand that won't silt even with a group of divers swimming through the cavern;
- It is so spacious that many divers can pass through at the same time;
- The cavern has multiple large entries and exits; and
- It is well illuminated.
What are the risks of diving in these "caverns"? What could go wrong?
You're between two people and the guy in front gets his mask and/or reg kicked out, now he's flailing and kicking and trying to turn around, silting up everything and causing panic up and down the line.
You're going through with your cute little single and bumping the ceiling and break an LP hose.
There is no such thing as a place that cannot be silted up . . .
You head in the 'tunnel' and come face to face with a Morey that is used to being fed by divers (he approaches you for a bite). Youout don't know how to back up, but you try, thus kicking the reg out of the guy behind you, who panics and comes for yours, forgetting about that octo thing, and you don't know where your octo is because the guy is all over you and the moray is wanting his bite. . .
Moron ahead of you doesn't know how to kick, so he smacks the coral just right and a cave-in occurs, leaving everything dark and feeling like a trap.
You're going through a swim-through and said cave-in happens, so you head down another tunnel, but this one dead-ends in a skinny area, and as you are pushing yourself backwards to get out, you roll off your valve and are OOA . . .
That enough?
---------- Post added February 2nd, 2014 at 09:44 AM ----------
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Oh, yeah . . . how to mitigate . . . :whatever:
Get the proper equipment, training, and experience to dive overhead safely.