Cavern and cave

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gehadoski

Contributor
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Location
Cairo, Egypt, Egypt
# of dives
500 - 999
Dear all

I don't know the whats is cavern diving, I know what is the meaning of cave diving, But I don't get the difference between them.
 
As far as I understand it cavern is when natural sunlight is always your primary light source - your torch is only secondary. i.e. you can always see natural light to exit to. Cave is where you penetrate beyond the reach of natural light so have a chance to get lost. They are both an overhead environment though - so should not be done without the proper training. I only have a cavern cert though (IANTD Overhead Environment) so if someone who knows better wishes to correct me - please do!!!
 
I think that the place that we us the sunlight as natural light (mian source of light)and tourches as a secondry source of light. I think that this called canyons, I don't know if canyons = cavern or they are different.
 
KimLeece:
As far as I understand it cavern is when natural sunlight is always your primary light source - your torch is only secondary. i.e. you can always see natural light to exit to. Cave is where you penetrate beyond the reach of natural light so have a chance to get lost. They are both an overhead environment though - so should not be done without the proper training. I only have a cavern cert though (IANTD Overhead Environment) so if someone who knows better wishes to correct me - please do!!!
Click to expand...

The distinction gets even muddier.. a dive site that is a CAVERN dive in the day becomes a CAVE dive at night..

Also many cavern certs limits the total linear distance to the surface (depth plus penetration distance)
 
padiscubapro:
a dive site that is a CAVERN dive in the day becomes a CAVE dive at night..
Click to expand...
Presumably because there is no sunlight to act as the primary light source?
 
gehadoski:
I don't know if canyons = cavern or they are different.
Click to expand...
They are different - a canyon is still open water (above your head you can ascend in a direct line to the surface) - a cavern is an enclosed area where you have normally rock above your head (so you cannot make a direct ascent). Like this a cavern is a cave where you can see the entrance - due to the light outside. As padiscubapro said - at night you can't see the entrance - so it's a cave dive because of the extra risk of losing your way back to the exit even though you might be less than 10 meters away from it.
 
KimLeece:
Presumably because there is no sunlight to act as the primary light source?
Click to expand...
yes,
the exit/entrance can not bee seen without the aid of a divelight..
 
gehadoski:
Dear all

I don't know the whats is cavern diving, I know what is the meaning of cave diving, But I don't get the difference between them.
Click to expand...

Cavern and cave in the differences are really simply certifications with specific limitations. Limits of cavern vary somewhat, but are essentially a limit of about 200' (60m) linear distance to surface and a depth limit of 100' (30m). 3 lights are necessary for cave/cavern diving, but the sun is considered one of the lights for cavern diving, hence only 2 required lights. (Thus, no sun, no cavern dive.)

The rule that most people forget and that is often bent/violated is the line of sight to the SURFACE. If you can't see the surface ripples, you are technically in violation of cavern diving limits. You don't have to see the surface where you will exit, but you have to be able to see the open surface somewhere, even if it's the far end of the opening 500' away.
 
Corey- would you like to share where you got that? I am an NACD Cavern Instructor, and I've been cave diving for almost 10 years- I've never heard that one. The limitations for a cavern dive are as follows (per NACD):

area of a cave which is illuminated by natural daylight

no more than 200 linear feet from the surface

no restricted areas too small to allow 2 divers to pass through swimming side by side.
 
here are the limits of a cavern diver certification according to the NSS-CDS instructor manual. I guess it defines the limits of a Cavern as well as the cavern diver.



A daylight and emergency ascent zone of the cavern within sight of the surface entrance

b 130 feet linear from the surface

c 70 feet maximum depth

d 40 minimum starting visibility

e no decompression diving

f no restrictions (areas too small for two divers to pass together)

G No original exploration

Sorry Corey, I couldnt find anything about surface ripples.
 
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