Why do divers Cave dive ?

[ccx2]

I'm curious why someone would want to cave dive,what draws them to a cave dive. I imagine an underwater cave would be somewhat like one above ground but without Bats. From pictures I've seen they didn't show any growth or fish ,just dark walls and danger and from T S&M's Thread a bunch of reasons one shouldn't go into a cave. I personaly have no present desire to go into a cave, what am I missing ?

[JamesK]

It is the same reason someone would want to go in to a dry cave. To me they are beautiful. Seeing things that not many people will ever get a chance to see. The chance that I might see something no one has ever seen. The beautiful clay banks in Florida, the amazing formations in Mexico. It is something that has to be seen to appreciate.

[chrpai]

I personally haven't felt the call of the wild, but I can imagine that if one ever did it'd be pretty addicting.

[OldNSalty]

I don't cave dive but I suspect those who go into caves do it for the same reasons I dive. I love it, I like seeing these things (wrecks, reefs, the marines life) but other people have zero interest in it and would never strap on a mask. Its all fine. Why would someone take ball room dancing or watch people sing on TV? I suppose they like it.

[chrpai]

Why would someone take ball room dancing or watch people sing on TV? I suppose they like it.

Or their wives make them...

[Divejones]

Have you seen Sanctum and the documentary on Blue Holes, will give my right arm to just help out the divers. places where the water has rise through the sub terranean holes and have preserved history of millennia, remains of some birds and animals never known to man kind have been neatly preserved in those places, they are see to believe it places

[Karen Cleveland]

The caves are amazingly beautiful...the formations from stalagmites and stalagtites, to imbedded fossils, to the haloclines, to the glow of your light hitting the formations, to the prospect of seeing a ancient pot, bone or fire pit , and the exit on seeing the natural light. Then there is the allure of seeing all these things that few get to see. Added to that the zero gravity feeling of floating through the cave. There is big cave and there is small cave that takes some maneuvering to get through, there is scootering through the caves....so many different feelings and aspects to it.

For me, when you enter the cave, everything else gets left behind, you are living in the present, your mind is clear and the focus is all about the dive and the cave.

People don't have to understand it and it may not be the same for everyone....but cave diving is one of the things that makes me happy.

Karen

[Cave Diver]

From a previous thread on this same topic:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cave-diving/332057-how-i-started-why-i-continue-cave-dive.html


This is a spin off from another thread where I made mention of my response to the "Why do you cave dive?" question. Several years ago I was asked this by a friend and this is the response that I gave to her then. It's just as true for me today.



My question regarding cave diving is.....what do you really see that's so amazing that draws you back into the hole? Is it merely the adventure? You aren't going to see a shark! http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/images/smilies/Standard%20Smiles/04.gif (I still enjoy shark hunting! http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/images/smilies/More%20Smiles/rolleyes.gif )



A quote that I've seen attributed to Tom Mount seems to sum it up best. "Either you're one of us and you get it, or you're not and you don't."

As far as what I see, well, you wont see any sharks, but I still like it anyway. There are beautiful rock formations. Sculpted and etched out over time by a restless artist. Nooks and crannies that beg for exploration, tempting you with the promise of new passages that no living soul has ever seen. Contrasts of light and dark in the different layers of rocks. Fossils from hundreds, thousands, maybe millions of years ago, frozen in time. Its the wondering what you will find just around the next corner, and so much more...

And yes, it is the adventure. I like the challenge, the concentration necessary. The planning, the checking, the knowing that it's up to me to make sure the dive goes flawlessly. Knowing that failure or sloppiness is not an option. It makes the senses keenly aware, it heightens the experience. It's the tension, the anticipation and the relief when you come back into the cavern zone and you know that you had a good plan, a good dive and everything is okay.



Another analogy that I use is when people ask me why I dive is the Grand Canyon. It's a different experience to everyone that visits it.

Some people walk to the edge, look down and say "Big deal, it's just a big hole in the ground."

Some people walk up and catch their breath from the stunning view, the wonder of nature and the power of water that caused water to carve out such a huge chasm.

Some people are enthralled with the different layers of exposed rock on the face of the cliff. Moments from the history of our planet captured and preserved by the varying veins and sediments that make us seem small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

And then, there are those people who don't think the trip is complete until they climb on the back of a donkey and take the perilous trip down the steep and winding rocky path so they can reach the bottom and stand at the shore of the Colorado river.

That is what cave diving is like for me. Strangely enough, I didn't start out to become one. As a fairly new diver with AOW, Rescue and Nitrox under my belt I was tired of long trips out in the Gulf to spearfish on the rigs and the local lakes with 5' of vis on a good day. My instructor, who also became a good friend, kept telling me we needed to take a road trip to Florida and dive the clear water in the springs, so we decided to go Vortex Springs.

While we were planning the trip, I found out there was a cave there and I thought it would be cool if I could take a cavern course while there. Several fruitless phone calls to them failed to locate someone who could do Cavern instruction while I was planning to be there. So I turned to the web and found several instructors in cave country. After talking with one, I decided to stay an extra day and to the 3 day cavern/intro course instead of just the two day cavern.

At this point I was more interested in wreck diving than I was in learning to cave dive, but thought the skills would be useful for that. This ended up prompting me to go ahead and just take the full 7 day cave class. Yes, I took the "Zero to Hero" course and after the first two days my instructor made it clear that it was questionable whether I was going to make it or not. But I dug in, showed drastic improvement in the cavern/intro portion and was allowed to continue on with the full cave training. Believe it or not, people can learn to cave dive this way.

It was one of the most physically and mentally demanding things I've ever done diving. But at the end, I was hooked. I eventually ended up getting two other friends to take a cavern class at Vortex from another instructor, while I sat in and audited the class. One of them went on to take full cave from my original instructor and I tagged along as his buddy. Another friend took the cavern and intro class from this same instructor and I tagged along with him as well, so I've actually gone through cavern and intro 3 times and full cave twice.

Since that time almost 10 years ago now, I've done a lot of different dives in a lot of different places. But it's caves that always draw me back as my first choice of places to go.

Either you're one of and you get it, or you're not and you don't.

[JamesK]

For me, when you enter the cave, everything else gets left behind, you are living in the present, your mind is clear and the focus is all about the dive and the cave.


Very true Karen. To me it is the ultimate in relaxation and exhiliration at the same time.

[Spd 135]

There are as many reasons to dive caves as anything else. We all have our personal "demons". I will dive in caves, breach doors with real bad guys on the other side, raise sunken boats and vehicles in strong currents and zero vis...........but I won't ride a motorcycle. That's too dangerous. Funny huh? The risk vs benefit analysis is different for all of us. So, as far as the dangers, we all have our likes and limits.

As far as the good stuff..........That dry cave (with the bats and all) is really cool. Up in the far right hand corner is something that draws our attention. Even with binoculars it can be hard to see it. I cave diving, I can swim right over and take a close look. Florida caves were formed wet (mostly). Mexico caves were formed dry and have stalactites and such. There are caves elsewhere, but these seem to be the two main types that most dive. There are also mines of different types that are dived.

In Florida caves the water is cool (65-75 degrees) and are made of limestone. In this limestone are lots of fossils. Sand Dollars, sea biscuits, sharks teeth, tube worms, shells, etc. There have been indian artifacts found in sink holes that can date back 15-25,000 years. That means the water was fresh. When was this covered by the sea? There are geological growths such as geothite (gerthite) and such. The different make up of each portion of caves and the beautiful clay banks is also an incredible sight. You have as many reasons to dive caves as you do to stay out.

The main thing is if it has an appeal, get cave training and some real experience diving in general. Personally, if I had an inclination to dive caves, and was newly certified, I would look for cave divers and use them as a mentor as soon as possible. Learning good habits, and practicing them, will make a better diver skill-wise. I would also, me personally, try to get that cave training asap too, if cave diving is what I am ultimately wanting to do. Again, learning and practicing good habits just makes sense. There are limits as to when you can get cavern and cave certified, but that would be my goal. The sooner the better as poor practice only makes learning good skills harder.

Because recreational diving has to be able to cover the masses who dive a few times a year, a lot of skills have to be covered fast. In the big picture it dumbs things down. In the small picture, it has done a great job in creating many divers and few injuries per-capita. It works. But, the skills you learn in cavern / intro to cave make sense once you see them, but are not in the recreational norm. Even if you don't want to dive in caves, a cavern / intro to cave diving class will, still, benefit all divers. The skills and awareness that is taught are both fun and eye opening. The equipment and equipment configuration, as well as your attitude in the water (buoyancy and your trim) will be greatly improved for any style of diving.

Cave diving is not for everyone. But, it is for some, and can be done safely and can be very satisfying if done with the proper training and when divers let their training and experience guide them.

This is not an all inclusive answer, but it is mine, from my perspective. Maybe it's a start for an answer to your question. Mark

[ffdiver]

the same reason I became a firefighter or learned to play guitar or shower... Chicks dig it.

[NWGratefulDiver]

I'm curious why someone would want to cave dive,what draws them to a cave dive. I imagine an underwater cave would be somewhat like one above ground but without Bats. From pictures I've seen they didn't show any growth or fish ,just dark walls and danger and from T S&M's Thread a bunch of reasons one shouldn't go into a cave. I personaly have no present desire to go into a cave, what am I missing ?

If you're not attracted to the notion of going into a cave, then you're not missing anything. But not everyone dives for the same reason ... whether it's on a reef, in a quarry, or inside a cave. Some folks are attracted to marine life ... while others couldn't care less about it. Some folks just love blowing bubbles and feeling weightless, whether it's on a gorgeous tropical reef or at their local quarry. Some see diving as a thrill, and seek out ways to challenge themselves ... and those challenges can take many forms depending on what satisfies the individual's ego. I've even met people who got into diving because they were instinctively afraid of water, and decided it was a good way to overcome their fear (I don't agree with them, but that's another topic).

Often what attracts us to diving is what's available to us as divers ... whether it's quarrries, wrecks, caves, or reefs.

So the answer of what attracts divers to caves really depends on the diver. Personally what got me into caves was that I dive a lot, and like variety. Cave diving was just another new thing to experience ... it's a nice change of pace from the type of diving I normally get to do ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[JamesK]

From a previous thread on this same topic:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cave-diving/332057-how-i-started-why-i-continue-cave-dive.html

Great post! I agree. Unlike you, I started diving with the sole purpose of cave diving. I did not care about the ocean. I was the opposite. Cave diving got me more in to diving and now I love any hole with water in it.

You can't imagine the feeling of crawling through some low bedding plane and having it open up in to some HUGE room that makes you feel like you are in some sports areans somewhere. Like walking out of the tunnel at the Georgia Dome in to the playing field. Amazing. I still remember my very first dive in to Peacock III. That is what it felt like to me.

[diversteve]

what am I missing ?well...there's this:

yefQb1y6uQg

[PfcAJ]

Cave dive Florida- Hole in the Wall - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxkhvEjIpjo&feature=relmfu)

Thats why :)

I enjoy all aspects of it, from the environment, the wonder of 'whats around the corner', the science/conservation side of it, executing the dive, even the equipment behind it is fun for me. There is something VERY special about being the first person to see something (which is getting harder and harder to do these days).

[Spd 135]

or this......... In the Realm of Fangorn Forest on Vimeo (http://www.vimeo.com/3528068)

[ianr33]

Quarries are boring and saltwater stings my eyes.

[mdax]

Cave diving forces me into the moment and allows me to experience environments that are unlike anything else in my day to day life.
It's an unbelievably addicting and fulfilling activity that can cause you to spend more money on training and equipment than you realized you had. Some of us get hooked so badly we up and move to north florida/mexico regardless of career paths/opportunities as diving caves every week pulls that strongly.
I love the times in the cave with my wife more than any other moments I experience and hope to be able to do it for as many years as possible before I die of old age.
I'd never encourage someone to do it, either it's for you or it's not

[wedivebc]

A cave is a living museum. Besides the preserved geological formations I have seen human skeletons dating from the last ice age. Bones from animals long extict from this planet such as Giant Ground Sloth and North American Camel, and Mastadon
There is an amazing sense of discovery when you see something only a few people have ever seen.

[TSandM]

Of all the videos out there, this one captures why I cave dive better than any other, I think: Reflections - Through a Mirror Darkly - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nddkGMsyJWo)

When I was a kid, I loved bouldering up streams . . . even though one rock is very like another, there was always the lure of "What's around the corner?" One might find a waterfall, or a stunning view . . . or it might be more rocks. Cave diving has a lot of that. What's around the corner? Mastodon bones? Huge rooms? A slope of intricately curved and woven travertine dams? There is a place in one of the cave systems in Mexico, where you have been swimming for 15 minutes through very decorated but very dark passage. The rock is tannin-stained, and the water has an eerie, greenish cast. Suddenly, you swim over a rock rib and down through the halocline. Once your vision clears, you are in an ENORMOUS hallway, maybe forty feet high and about the same wide. The vertical walls, ceiling and floor are pure white, and the water is a deep, cobalt blue. The walls are decorated with draperies of golden flowstone, and the floor is punctuated by elegant pillars. The sudden contrast makes you gasp, the first time you see it.

The ONLY thing in the movie Sanctum that was real, was the team coming through that restriction in the beginning, and bursting out into that amazing room.

When you add the very defined technical challenges of doing cave diving well, the romance of seeing places few people have or will ever see, and the camaraderie of people who cave dive, you add to the appeal.

But in the final analysis, it's what Karen said: Cave diving requires you be utterly present. Drenched in the moment, you are insulated from every other concern. That type of concentration is very addictive.

[kathydee]

Caves are mesmerizing indeed! My experience is limited to Mexico and the exquisitely decorated chambers. Kicking down into those inviting cave mouths is like slipping into a dream world, a still, tranquil meditation. Thoughts, emotions, and the clutter of life fall away as we glide into the ancient geologic sanctuary; entering a completely different realm. Unfathomable beauty, tranquility, adventure and a sense of wonder await.

Beyond the obvious water and rock – I’ll share some favorite places and unique moments: gliding in 30 minutes, then descending down into this small pit to find a huge unidentified ancient animal skeleton, watching small fresh water fish plunge down through the salty halocline layer to hunt salt water shrimp, translucent crystalline stalagmites deep in caves which glow a beautiful orange/yellow when illuminated by our lights, an other-worldly Halocline “waterfall” which is hard to describe. But imagine the visible boundary when oil pools on vinegar , an upside down gushing waterfall pooling in a mirror like pond on the ceiling.

Caves are not devoid of life, it is common to see many troglobites (cave dwelling critters), from blind fish & eels to isopods and crayfish. We also find focalized shells, sea urchins, and remnants of ancient civilizations (such as pottery, bits of charcoal, and hearths dating back 700- 10,000+ years).

Of course we pursue the sense of wonder: where does that tunnel lead, what’s beyond that next restriction or bend in the passage? How did that geologic feature form? And pursue adventure: Ok, do you think we can fit through that little hole? Do you want to peek into that little silty passage?

There is much adventure, many hikes in the jungle, jumps into cenotes in full equipment, moments where we ascend at the end of a line to find a remote cenote entrance filled with bats, or peer up into air domes to find beautiful underground rooms filled with delicate stalactites, etc.

There is so much natural exquisite beauty: Watching light refract off the halocline, floating in awe of the natural sunlight playing down through 200? ft of visibility in the cavern zone. And of course, all the delicate and intricate stalactite/stalagmite formations are stunningly beautiful - beyond description.

The cave environment, focus and training necessary to safely dive caves is not for everyone. But I'm certainly hooked.

[Scott]

The challenge, adventure and formations, that is what is drawing me to cave dive. While I have only experinced caverns/cenotes, it is like being in some of my states parks only underwater. I recently took a group to Cozumel and one day was spent at PDC diving the centoes. Most said it was fun but wouldn't do it again. I was looking at the formations and openings and wondering where they lead to.
I have spent a number of years diving ocean reefs and fresh water lakes and there comes a time when you want to see and do more in your diving. For some that may happen sooner than others.
The challenge comes from taking your training to the next level.

[JamesK]

128560




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO-JLXsd22k

drool....


This thread is making me emotional. :)

[Scott]

128560




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO-JLXsd22k

drool....


This thread is making me emotional. :)

Dam you!!!!!!!!!!

[koozemani]

I don't cave dive, nor do I plan to(in part because my dive buddy won't let me), but I can understand the allure. From the videos and pictures I've seen they look breathtaking. I am however, content to live vicariously through others.

[boulderjohn]

I hope the many very eloquent replies in this thread inspire open water divers to seek out the training needed to experience these wonders for themselves rather than going in to take a peek without that training.

[JamesK]

I hope the many very eloquent replies in this thread inspire open water divers to seek out the training needed to experience these wonders for themselves rather than going in to take a peek without that training.

Best post in this thread so far.

[ccx2]

Wow, beautiful video ,now I see why it is so alluring ,thanks for all the wonderful explanations. And I didn't see a single giant slimy underwater cave monster with 8" fangs.

[Lucas Cordina]

Well, even though most cave divers do it because they appreciate the beauty and the challenge, I have no doubt that the close proximity to danger makes it that much more enticing

Maybe someday I'll have the cojones to cave dive myself, but for now, I'm perfectly content with wrecks & night diving :)

Happy diving!

[Doc Harry]

I'm curious why someone would want to cave dive in Florida ,what draws them to a cave dive in Florida.

Fixed your question for ya.

[PfcAJ]

Fixed your question for ya.

Mexico caves are for pansies, thats why.

[JamesK]

Mexico caves are for pansies, thats why.

Now c'mon brother. You know the caves in Mexico are beautiful. I love heading down there. Of course, Florida is where I started so my local "mudholes" still have the biggest place in my heart.

[NWGratefulDiver]

Well, even though most cave divers do it because they appreciate the beauty and the challenge, I have no doubt that the close proximity to danger makes it that much more enticing

Maybe for some people ... but if I thought cave diving was all that dangerous, I wouldn't do it.



Maybe someday I'll have the cojones to cave dive myself, but for now, I'm perfectly content with wrecks & night diving :)

I think wrecks have way more hazards than caves do ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[Zieg]

The beauty of the cave? Paleeeeeeeeeeese. Admit guys, it's really because you get seasick.

[PfcAJ]

Now c'mon brother. You know the caves in Mexico are beautiful. I love heading down there. Of course, Florida is where I started so my local "mudholes" still have the biggest place in my heart.

Mmmmhmmm.... Suuuureeee

[JamesK]

Mmmmhmmm.... Suuuureeee

OK, now you are just making no sense. Are you saying you don't think the caves in Mexico are beautiful, or are you saying I don't love my home caves?

[PfcAJ]

I'm, sayin mexico caves are for weenies :)

How am I supposed to show Florida Cave Elitism if I don't trash talk some mexico caves (purposely not capitalized)?

[Hank49]

It's de evolutionary. The universe is expanding outward....and people want to crawl down in holes in the ground. It's almost like they really wish they'd never come out of the womb......:D Just kidding. I admire the challenge...but I love the sunshine.

[kathydee]

I think wrecks have way more hazards than caves do ... (Grateful Diver)

Agreed.

[cascas]

Why do divers Cave dive ? Because we can !

To me Cave diving is pure Zen... It relaxes me more than anything else.

Wet rocks beat wet steel any day of the week....

[w ripley]

I was a technical diver before I became a cave diver. Took the cave training just to learn how to run a reel - the right way - in a wreck. The problem is that once I got in the caves I was hooked. Actually I find that everyone who takes the training gets hooked, too.

I am claustrophobic on land, but not at all that way in caves or wrecks. I hear others say the same, so try cave diving before you pass up on it for that reason.

I love the Mexican caves, but I love the Florida caves, too. They are just different in how they were formed and what they look like.

I don't know many dive sites that I could spend between 5 & 7 hours at on single, solo dives, but the caves are the exception. They are exciting in that they change at every turn, and mentally tax you with the challenges they provide. They are warm during the dives, although the extended decos do require thermal thought, and often support from things like heated vests. Rebreathers are ideal for extended bottom times, so they make caves the perfect venue. My OC dives were surpassing 4 hours so going to a RB was a no brainer.

Entrapment in a wreck is a key issue and you have to be prepared to remove your gear if caught. The older wrecks are more hazardous IMO, as they have become deteriorated and have many sharp and dangling elements that can snag anything exposed on your gear. Caves are "cleaner" than wrecks for that reason, IMO. When I get "caught" in a small tunnel, I can usually wiggle my way out without removing my gear.

If you enjoy swimming in large tunnels or poking into very small ones, cave diving offers both and everything in between. The caves also provide the opportunity to apply everything you have learned about being safe, as well as how to get out of difficult situations when a piece of gear fails, for example. Or better yet, cave training helps you keep your thoughts about you in a total silt out, like you can get in either a wreck or a cave, because you have trained to know how to do just that.

I would personally encourage every avid diver to consider taking the cavern course, just to get exposure to the beauty of the caves as well as to pick up additional skills that you can apply to whatever type of diving you do.

But be careful, if you take the cavern course the odds are you will get hooked on cave diving, too.

[Lorenzoid]

I'm not a cave diver, but I can add to something a few others here have touched upon. A cave diver answered the question by emphasizing how much he enjoyed the technical challenges--selecting gear, redundant systems, tanks and valves and gases and computers and planning and such. He seemed to get as much satisfaction out of the specialized gear and the planning as anything else.

[boulderjohn]

I'm not a cave diver, but I can add to something a few others here have touched upon. A cave diver answered the question by emphasizing how much he enjoyed the technical challenges--selecting gear, redundant systems, tanks and valves and gases and computers and planning and such. He seemed to get as much satisfaction out of the specialized gear and the planning as anything else.

Cave Diver said something similar in post #8:

And yes, it is the adventure. I like the challenge, the concentration necessary. The planning, the checking, the knowing that it's up to me to make sure the dive goes flawlessly. Knowing that failure or sloppiness is not an option. It makes the senses keenly aware, it heightens the experience. It's the tension, the anticipation and the relief when you come back into the cavern zone and you know that you had a good plan, a good dive and everything is okay.

I fully agree.

During my training, one of my screw ups came when we were heading for the exit and I let my mind veg out for a few minutes while I thought about something else. It's the sort of bad habit I had gotten into in the last minutes of so many reef dives. At that point my instructor, who was in the lead, took a wrong turn into a side tunnel, and I just plain followed along like a sheep. We later had a discussion about how my inattention had "killed the team." It was a good lesson. There is never a time in a cave you can let your mind wander. Knowing that is in itself exhilarating.

[ianr33]

I'm curious why someone would want to cave dive,what draws them to a cave dive. I imagine an underwater cave would be somewhat like one above ground but without Bats.

That's not strictly true :D

[JamesK]

That's not strictly true :D

LOL! Nice.

[j2s]

It's all the things mentioned and more: Curiosity, 'what's around-the-next-corner', 'behind-that-closed-door', geologic history, fossil history, solitude, self-reliance, discipline, knowledge....Primal and visceral on one hand, highly cerebral on the other...... I can't wait to get in and really dislike having to leave.....It puts you in a 'place' unlike anything else.......

[Kevrumbo]

I'm curious why someone would want to cave dive,what draws them to a cave dive. I imagine an underwater cave would be somewhat like one above ground but without Bats. From pictures I've seen they didn't show any growth or fish ,just dark walls and danger and from T S&M's Thread a bunch of reasons one shouldn't go into a cave. I personaly have no present desire to go into a cave, what am I missing ?I'd rather experience colorful coral & marine life and historically significant shipwrecks in sunny 28deg C waters of the many tropical nations on this Globe --not just going thru a maze of rocks, pushing out and off the mainline, looking at the same limestone formations & stalactites/stalagmites, farther & further back in a dark and relatively cold & lifeless eco system, year-after-year-after-year. . . (GUE stands for Global Underwater Explorers --"global" for some of this agency's overhead divers here in Scubaboard means life & the world only revolves around the Caves of Yucatan Mexico, or Florida). . .

Much of the beauty, inspiration, wonder & diversity of Marine Life are on the coral reefs of this planet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_Triangle) between the surface and 18 meters --as novice open water divers, go see them first and as many times as you can before they disappear & die-off. (Only after then, try Cave Diving. . .).

[TSandM]

I love reef diving. I just spent a week in the Sea of Cortez, marvelling at the biodiversity and the sheer density of life there. I have gone to God's Pocket, on the north end of Vancouver Island, where sheer walls are so densely covered in brilliantly colored life that things are growing on top of other things. I have dived the Bunaken walls, and the Lembeh straits. I have been to the South Pacific, and drifted over the Rangiroa reefs, where you feel as though you need to take your hands to part the fish, in order to swim. I have sailed the huge reefs of Cozumel, and been buzzed by a whale off Lanai. I have spent hours admiring the beautiful soft corals of the Red Sea. I have watched the shafts of sunlight pouring down through the kelp forests of Southern California.

And, as my old teacher Joe Talavera told me, if I had to pick one kind of diving that was all I would be allowed to do for the rest of my diving career, it would be the caves in Mexico. It may not be for anyone, but it is definitely for me.

[Peter Guy]

Why do I cave dive? (That is assuming I am a "cave diver" by your definition as opposed to a "line following cave tourist" which is what I really am!)

I wanted to be an astronaut and this is the closest I'll ever be. In a cave I can float through a Cathedral and fly through rooms. I just can't do that anywhere else.

It is the frosting on the cake that the caves are decorated, beautiful and mystical.

Being a line following cave tourist is good enough.

[TracyN]

I was hooked the first time I dove in a cavern. I was amazed by the beauty of the cavern and I wanted to see the beauty beyond the Grim Reaper sign. Those dark holes were calling my name. :-) For me there is nothing more peaceful than gliding through the silent beauty of a cave. I love the fact that I am getting to see a part of the Earth that few people will ever see. When you see the size of some of these underwater passages it's a very humbling experience. Not many people give much thought to the beauty that lies beneath their feet.

[cascas]

(GUE stands for Global Underwater Explorers --"global" for some of this agency's overhead divers here in Scubaboard means life & the world only revolves around the Caves of Yucatan Mexico, or Florida). . .



You haven't been completely informed... you someone forgot to tell you about France, Croatia, Hungary, Ukraine, Sicily, Italy, UK, several places in Asia like China, Philipines, Thailand, and of course Australia and I bet a whole lot more. So the cave diving world actually really is a Global adventure...



Much of the beauty, inspiration, wonder & diversity of Marine Life are on the coral reefs of this planet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_Triangle) between the surface and 18 meters --as novice open water divers, go see them first and as many times as you can before they disappear & die-off. (Only after then, try Cave Diving. . .).

I completely disagree here... After OW, practice a bit, do a cave course and only then try coral diving. That may slow down the killing off of coral a great deal because in cavediving you really get to perfect your finkicks and buoyancy. :cool2:
And besides, looking at stalactities and stalagmites that took thousands of years to form is pretty awesome too...

[NWGratefulDiver]

I completely disagree here... After OW, practice a bit, do a cave course and only then try coral diving. That may slow down the killing off of coral a great deal because in cavediving you really get to perfect your finkicks and buoyancy. :cool2:

And besides, looking at stalactities and stalagmites that took thousands of years to form is pretty awesome too...

No ... I don't want people learning their fin kicks and buoyancy control in a cave. When you damage coral, it grows back. When you damage a stalactite or stalagmite in a cave, it ain't coming back until the next ice age ... when water levels drop and turn these into dry caves again ... and even then it'll take another millenia or two ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[DCBC]

For me it was a matter of employment; I was hired to assist in the exploration of the Andros Blue Holes in the early 70's. I suppose that the answer to your question depends upon the individual making the dive. For one it may be the challenge, another the increased risk, or to another the beauty of seeing something seldom or never seen before. Why do you SCUBA Dive? I suppose we each have our personal reasons.


I'm curious why someone would want to cave dive,what draws them to a cave dive. I imagine an underwater cave would be somewhat like one above ground but without Bats. From pictures I've seen they didn't show any growth or fish ,just dark walls and danger and from T S&M's Thread a bunch of reasons one shouldn't go into a cave. I personaly have no present desire to go into a cave, what am I missing ?

[cascas]

No ... I don't want people learning their fin kicks and buoyancy control in a cave. When you damage coral, it grows back. When you damage a stalactite or stalagmite in a cave, it ain't coming back until the next ice age ... when water levels drop and turn these into dry caves again ... and even then it'll take another millenia or two ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

In most cases doing a cave course requires buouyancy to be under control, that happens in the "after OW, practice a bit"...
Buoyancy is not something you learn IN a cave....

As for damaging coral. No one should be near coral their your buoyancy isn't up to standards. Yes it will ( or better, might) grow back but it takes a long time and it is not guaranteed that it will...

[CamG]

Greetings ccx2 and good thread to inspire many comments.
Why? Well to dive of coarse. Just that simple.
When I was first taking OW I thought night diving and deep diving were dangerous and far out of reach for divers like myself.
In my OW check out dives I learned that what limits are dives are our personal level of training and skill mastery.
Something about the allure of advanced training going deeper, longer safely managing the risks turned me on.

I enjoy wreck / cave diving the training is stellar and the awareness it promotes will make you a better diver in any arena.
It is not for everyone and I do not try to convince everyone but I guarantee if you are a avid wreck / deep diver the cave training will make you a better diver. Just my opinion but also my experience.
This past summer inside the hull of a wreck in Lake Huron a mist a twist of steel and cables it hit me cave diving is actually safer in terms of entanglement.
Wrecks are actually very dangerous inside and one should think very carefully / be trained to be in there.

The intensity of the Tech realm either overhead or deep require a very focused level of awareness that is like cocaine to some personalities.
It is rather soothing to be entirely absorbed in the dive plan while interacting as a team.
TSandM really tapped it those dive buddies are family.
Sure you have your adrenaline junkies but they usually kill themselves fairly quickly or wise up.
This realm is not known for its forgiveness for the unprepared even the elite are not exempt from risk.
Complacency is not rewarded.

Be the best diver in the arena that you choose that simple.
Master your skills and train to maintain them.

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

[sgl308]

Why do I cave dive??? It's because of the peacefulness and tranquility I feel while on the dive. I enjoy seeing the formations that nature carved out that you won't see anywhere else. I enjoy the challenge of planning and carrying out that plan on the dive. It puts you in a mindset where you are thinking of everything about the dive; trim, buoyancy, where your buddy is, how much air I have left, ect.

When I started cave diving, I never had an interest to dive in a cave. I didn't care one way or another if I ever saw the inside of a cave. Once I moved to Florida and started diving the springs and caverns, I got hooked and wanted more. You have to go out and try it. Go to a cavern and dive it, after getting some training of course. One more thing, I have not seen a photo from a cave yet that will fully represent the beauty and the feeling you get when your in a cave. You have to just do it.

[Doc Harry]

Florida caves are not for pansies.

Fixed your statement for ya.

[Underground]

In my case I was caving long before I ever started diving. And I started diving with the intention of that as a means to start cave diving.

It's another exploration tool, like learning vertical.

[DA Aquamaster]

I did some dry caving and old mine exploration in college, but generally felt claustrophobic in them. Crawling several hundred feet in something only 2 ft tall and or going through contortions to negotiate a restriction was just not something that left me feeling comfortable.

Consequently, I took cavern and Intro just to improve my wreck skills and line techniques. I fully expected 4 days of non enjoyment, but in the first 10 minutes I was hooked. Oddly enough, in a gravity free environment feeling closed in just is not an issue and several hundred feet of snug and negotiating unusual restrictions don't bother me. Plus, wet rocks are lot prettier than wet wood or wet rust.

The big sell is that it is also a very controlled environment that with proper planning, equipment and execution leaves basically nothing to chance. I could never say that about wreck diving as conditions were always so unpredictable and wrecks were often unstable.

Then there is the seasick thing....

[Dive Bug Bit Me]

Why dive in caves? I don't know. On paper it even looks like a silly thing to do. I am not into geology or caves, I am not really adventurous.

Somehow it bites you and never lets go. I did it to see what all the fuss was about, and got hooked. Suddenly my lunch break is spent browsing cave diving sites, my wife rants about all the extra equipment I keep, my children miss me on weekends and I am wracking up air miles to get into cave country. It's driving me crazy and I can't explain why. All I can say is you have got to try it (under supervision of a cave instructor).

[Paladin]

I like to watch videos of other divers exploring underwater caves, but my claustrophobia is a limiting factor for me. I wasn't always this way. My claustrophobia was triggered by a single incident back in the late '70s. Since then, I have not been able to take tight places. Especially underwater.

I would like to try diving the Ballroom at Ginnie Springs, but I'm not sure I can take being in a confined space underwater.

I admire those who can go back into underwater caves. Unfortunately, I can never do it myself.

[Fish-R-Man]

To get to see places like this!

[Paladin]

To get to see places like this!

Oooohhh! Puuuurrrtyy!:D

[CamG]

When would you like to go Paladin?
Assuming you would be in FL while I was I would be happy to dive with you in the Ballroom at Ginnie.
There are pretty clear cut rules about going in there and we could make very sure you were ready pre dive.
Just an offer for you to ponder I go usually go down end of Oct./Nov. and in the spring as well with other trips in between.

I have dove with my wife and daughter OW divers only in the Ballroom it is a great place as well as several other sights open to OW divers in the area.
As others have mentioned after you visit you will know if it is for you or not.
Not all cave is tight or small in cave jargon but that is for an individual to determine!
The only environment I have found that feels like I am home, warm and fuzzy.
Like my favorite blanket! I am not afraid of the dark.

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

[JamesK]

Not all cave is tight or small in cave jargon but that is for an individual to determine!


Very true. It also gets more and more open as you dive more. I remember when I first went through the Peanut Tunnel. I thought that was tight!

When you come down, let me know. I will try to drive up if you want to get some easy simple fun dives in.

[Dive the World]

I would love to go cave diving - just because it seems so wonderful with what nature has managed to do over thousands of years.

But when I will eventually start cave diving, I am pretty sure I won't be the one that goes in miles at a time.

[Paladin]

CamG,
I'm having what I hope will be the last surgery on my neck on the 9th of August, followed by eight to ten, maybe twelve, weeks before I can do anything like diving again. Plus, I will be teaching college classes this fall. I am hoping to go to Florida with my boys either over the Thanksgiving break or the Christmas break. If you happen to be down there while we're there, I would be most happy to have you join us. I would like to try Ginnie, but if I suddenly head for the entrance, please have patience with me.

Here's why I say this:

This was posted on another thread.

It happened in the summer of 1978. The equipment consisted of a Healthways steel 72, Aqua-Lung Aquarius regulator, White Stag Deep SPG, USD Atlantis mask, USD Otarie fins, 5 pounds on a USD weight belt, USD diver's knife. I had just bought the Aquarius and this was my first dive with a single hose regulator

One year, when I was just a kid, my family went to Tennessee for vacation. While we were there, we visited Tuckaleechee (sp?) Caverns. From that time on, I was fascinated by caves. By the time I reached my early twenties, I had spent thousands of hours exploring underground and crawling through some pretty tight places. I even became a member of the Tri-State Search and Rescue Team, specializing in cave rescue.

So, when my friend, Fuzz, and I discovered a cave in the rock wall of a man-made lake where we were diving (I'm not going to say where because I don't want to tempt anyone), we decided to check it out.

Yeah, I know. We were young and stupid. I should've known better.

Anyway, Fuzz led the way and I followed him into the cave. The passage was tight and Fuzz kicked up the sediment to the point where I couldn't see squat. I groped along behind him, hands out in front, trying to keep up. Then, I suddenly found myself in clear water and Fuzz was nowhere in sight. I switched off my light to see if I could detect his light. Nada. Black as Hades. At that moment, I felt my tank grate against the ceiling for an instant, then come free.

I realized that I must have taken a side passage and was separated from Fuzz. I started to back out, but couldn't. I was stuck. My tank was lodged in a depression in the ceiling and I couldn't move. My first thought was to simply unbuckle my harness and slip out from under the tank, then pull it out of the cave after me, but the passage was too tight and I couldn't get my hand down to my waist to release the buckle. I thought about cutting the harness away at the shoulders but my knife was strapped to my leg, out reach.

Out of options, all I could do was watch the needle of my SPG as my air slowly ran out. I thought about my parents and my girlfriend. I thought about how stupid I was and I wondered how long it would be before someone found my body.

At 500 psi, my J valve started honking its audible warning. At 300 psi it would cut off and I couldn't reach the rod to turn on the reserve. Panic was about to set in when I felt something moving along my left leg. It moved up to my waist and I felt a tug at my harness buckle. Then, something grabbed my ankles and yanked me backward and free. I pulled my tank after me and followed Fuzz back out to open water. On the way, I had to open the reserve. I haven't been in a flooded cave since and I can't take tight places. I have to be sedated for an MRI.

[CamG]

Paladin thank you for posting your story.
I have had a come to Jesus moment while cave diving as well.
It is very difficult to get back on the horse so to speak and I will understand totally if you need to bail.
This is supposed to be fun and enjoyable not a torturers delight.

My incident was born out of a trust me dive gone bad!
If there are any divers of any level reading this trust me dives are a BAD idea!
If you are not adequately trained to do the dive DONT DO THE DIVE!
The 200' feet of swimming while seeing family members and making deals with God all the while wondering if I would make it to my stage bottle was the most intense dive I have been on.
I WILL NEVER AGAIN DO A DIVE LIKE THAT!

Now we outline our dives, go over the route, PLAN OUR GAS, determine if we all are comfortable to do it.
Talk about what ifs, and then if anything feels awry we start over from scratch.
What I have found is that some days dives are ok and other days they are not.
When it is a NOT OK day we alter the plan and do a simpler or nat as challenging dive.

Several of my most memorable "Enjoyed" dives have been on these simple dives.
While you dive relaxed, YOU SEE SO MUCH MORE!

Paladin I have had your dive in my dreams several times and it always ends the same.
You are wise to ease back into it but if you like it seek some more training.
I took a considerable amount of time to seek out the right instructor to finish my Cave training with.
It was so worth it he pushed me to master skills that would help keep issues from being fatal.
The most important one is follow the rules!

Message me when you make your dive dates and I will see what is going on.
Our second winter trip is not planned yet and pondering a New Years trip.
Safe dives all, please heed the words written in this post I was lucky and lived to tell other have not!

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

[ajduplessis]

Cave diving is a rather difficult thing to explain IMO. I think it’s a collective of various things that make it what it is. You really start to understand who you are as a person, what you are made of and how you perform and act in stressful situations.

The personal thoughts and feelings when you first learn the art of caving during the training is a humbling experience. During a lost line session in my training we where staggered (10m apart)on a primary line with all lights off. The instructor would then collect each diver in turn and take them away from the primary line in various directions, switch off his own light and let the diver start the process of finding the line in total darkness. It’s here waiting for your turn, all “alone” within a cave and in a darkness you never experienced before that you start to get to know yourself a lot better. Diving in a heavily silted out passage, exiting in zero vis….. It’s all extremely fulfilling to execute the required skills with other like-minded divers.

Cave diving relaxes me and especially clears the mind of every day stresses, problems and thoughts. I am generally a very stressed individual but the moment I start loading my kit in the car every else “disappears”. I totally “shut off” the moment I drop below the water and the focus and awareness of the environment around is just something you can’t explain.

As a technical individual that loves detail, I especially enjoy the planning, equipment consideration and risk analysis that needs to be performed to safely execute caving.

Diving and executing as a team (only 2 or 3 divers) is extremely fulfilling that builds friendships.

Lastly, the clear water and beauty of the caves are just something unique. Its all these thing and more that make cave diving very, very addictive and fulfilling.

[Superlyte27]

This might help to answer the question "why"

Cave Photos - Underwater Adventures Ultimate Cave Diving (http://www.ultimatecavediving.com/cave-photos1.html)

[Paladin]

"Message me when you make your dive dates and I will see what is going on."

Will do!