Confused, Why should cave divers not dive to an excessive depth?

[CamG]

Greetings Brian and good question.
As others have mentioned the differences in the environments dictate some rules to keep divers safe.
As Cave Diver has shared once you have received the training cavers can and do exceed the limits you have mentioned.
Not all mind you as TSandM has shared the navigational issues of narcosis at depth are decisions that every diver makes for them selves.

As is OW deep dives the END becomes a line that every diver will make a decision about.
IT CAN BE CRITICAL TO EXERCISE CONSERVATISM AND COMMON SENSE!
I have been cave diving for over a year now and it is VERY DIFFERENT than OW diving!
The level of awareness that must be developed to dive safely is key to planning, executing safe dives.
GAS MANAGEMENT is huge in overhead environment from calculating how much gas you will need to how much reserve to get you and your buddy out in case of an emergency!
How do you carry enough gas for these considerations comes into play.

The deeper the dives go the more gas to carry, the more contingencies to plan for, the more conservative to become!
Helium is a blessing and a curse it clears your head but slows your deco as well.
Is it worth it? Navigationally OH YEAH!
The last place I wish to be narced is at a T at the back of a cave system!

The Tech / advanced nature of the dives we are talking about require very serious planning and training.
They are not just hey lets jump in and see how far we go.
I am not saying anyone is saying that but making a point that dives on this level are far beyond BASIC.
Safe dives all and be sure to evaluate every dive to be sure you are being conservative enough.

CamG Keep Diving....Keep Training....Keep Learning!

 

[RonFrank]

If you have not figured it out caves are dangerous. Lots to go wrong, no quick access to the surface. Have you ever been in a cave? They are a bit over whelming and I'm taking Carlsbad caverns, not UW.

If you are interested in this type of diving don't worry, it takes years of training before you will be doing deep cave penetration. My thought, cave dark, cave scary, cave dangerous, avoid cave! I have no desire to dive caves even if some of my friends have this disease.

 

[ianr33]

It's a narcosis issue.

I will happily dive to 150 on air in the Caribbean, but once a cave gets deeper than about 110 feet I would MUCH prefer trimix.

If something goes wrong on a deep open water dive all you need do is ascend 60 feet or so where the narcosis will be reduced and you can sort out the problem

If something goes wrong on a deep cave dive you might be looking for a lost line in zero visibility, deciding which way to go when you do find the line etc.You can not go up as you have a million tons of rock above your head! I want a totally clear head to do that.

 

[Brian Pasic]

I appreciate the info. The lure of cave diving is strong but I understand now that it's not as simple as it looks and takes more consideration and planning than open water excursions. Maybe for now I'll just explore by the cave entrances. Thumbs up!

 

[DazedAndConfuzed]

If the cave divers aren't going very deep and have to constantly worry about their supply of air, shouldn't they just use a snuba system? Have a HP hose around the the thickness of cave lines and unreel it out as you go.

 

[BabyDuck]

we *are* going very deep, if we have the gas and training. the original rule was before trimix was readily available, so being very careful of depth was important. it still is important, but the rule should perhaps be amended to 'depth and gasses you're educated for'.

and no cave diver is going to have anything that can snag if any other option is possible, so no snuba ever.

 

[DeepSeaExplorer]

Cave divers follow the cave. You can't go deep if the cave doesn't go there. On the other hand, some caves are deep and you have to plan accordingly. Typically, you select the cave system based upon the type of dive you want to do. If you want an easy dive to go Peacock, a moderate dive go to Devil's or Little River, a trimix dive go to Alatchua, Hendle's Castle, etc. There are many systems to choose from.

I think most divers do more mid-grade stuff than anything else. A cave dive like that will typically involve a stage and a deco bottle, in addition to double steels. In places like Devil's and Little River which are close to the recreational limit, around 110 fsw, 2,000+ ft of penetration is the norm with up to 20 minutes on O2 for deco and up to 90 minutes total runtime for swimmers without scooters.

 

[PfcAJ]

Its more than just END. Gas goes a lot quicker at 200' than it does at 70'. You simply have less (potentially significantly less) time to deal with issues when you're deep.

 

[Frosty]

OP lots of really good feedback from people that really do know cave diving . BUT noone has actually answered the question.
Taking all the other stuff they are talking about out of the story then NO there isn't any difference between being in a cave at 20m (60 feet) or being out in the open ocean. Pressure is pressure/depth is depth.

OF COURSE in no way am I suggesting you disregard all the other conciderations. They are why you get training and equipment suitable to cave diving.

 

[Cave Diver]

OP lots of really good feedback from people that really do know cave diving . BUT noone has actually answered the question.
Taking all the other stuff they are talking about out of the story then NO there isn't any difference between being in a cave at 20m (60 feet) or being out in the open ocean. Pressure is pressure/depth is depth.

Read post #10.