And until I feel comfortable that some jackass isn't going to move the beginning of the line to another cenote I'll be happy diving Florida caves.
From what I can garner, Mexican caves aren't too safe without a guide, which to me means they aren't safe.
The Grand Traverse in Peacock is a great example. The first leg is an 1800' swim to Challenge Sink. No flow, piece of cake to do on back gas. Peacock is arrow'ed every 100', so halfway in, the direction changes. It's an issue on the first half of your first dive, but once you make it to the surface in Challenge you've verified an exit. Even if there's an event on your way out, if you haven't made it more then halfway back you just turn around and get out at Challenge. You build your knowledge of the system so that when you finally do the whole thing, you already know all the cave.
It's a difference between Mexico caves and N. Florida caves. In N. Florida most of the caves have directionals every 100'. Then add in the double arrow jumps. Just in JB in the first 1000' you will pass about 15 directionals. Granted, they all point out, but in a cave like Peacock, that's a different story - 8 marker from P1 to midpoint passage to Olsen, then another 8 pointing towards Olsen. That would mean dropping 8 non-directionals in 700'! And with 3-4 teams!!! Just last Sunday I was in Madison - 4 other teams, all doing various jumps. In Mexico, however, directionals are fewer and farther in between. So the need to lay down any non-directionals isn't that big a deal. You basically have to adapt to your environment.
