Is cave diving safer than Open Water

[freeflowigb]

Presumably that was with single tank, open water gear. I don't think you and the trained cave divers on this thread (I'm one) are talking about the same thing at all. Cave diving involves traveling thousands of feet back in underwater river systems with absolute darkness and complex navigation to return to the exit, and is always done with specialized gear and extensive, cave specific training.

You might very well feel comfortable in the confines of where you were diving and there is a certain stability to cavern and cave zones. But what you're talking about is very different than actual cave diving as defined by the various cave training agencies.

Single tank, OW gear, at the beginning of the dive. We left the cave and entered the open sea to admire the reef.

 

[Marie13]

The more I read these replies, the more I am liking the open sea. I have no interest in perishing in the guts of the earth, might as well play the torpedo and possibly earn a chamber ride if it comes to that

Generally nothing in the caves that can eat you. That’s a big plus for me!

 

[Robert H. Diver]

The more I read these replies, the more I am liking the open sea. I have no interest in perishing in the guts of the earth, might as well play the torpedo and possibly earn a chamber ride if it comes to that

Hey that dive could be totally safe with the proper training and equipment…if you’re interested in caves, go get the training. I just started my journey last month by taking a sidemount class. I plan on taking cavern and possibly intro to cave at the end of this year. I think you’re getting these certain reactions not because you went in a cave, but because you went in a cave without the proper training and equipment.

 

[Manatee Diver]

Just want to chime in that I also have always felt safer in caves than in open water. We must just be wired different.

I feel safer in caves, but I easily spend 75% of my time in caves. It is an environment that I know the variables, and most of the risks are ones that I have the most control over. Compared to OW where I have no idea what I am going to find when I arrive. I could be left adrift, run over my a boat, eaten by a Goliath Grouper... etc...

But I think this is more of a preference for what I am used to. I certainly didn't feel this way back when I was going all my dive in OW.

 

[tursiops]

Generally nothing in the caves that can eat you. That’s a big plus for me!

I'm more worried about other divers in the cave than about nondiver animals. The divers can screw up the viz, dislodge or break a guide line, block a passage, blind me with their lights, hit me with their scooters, pull my jump instead of theirs, etc.

 

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

For the OP...
You have been in an overhead environment and enjoyed it. Not sure if that was a wise choice but it worked out ok.
Taking a Cavern course from a reputable instructor would be your next step. Ask about gear for the course and gear for the next level of certification - Intro to cave - so you know how the gear changes - if it changes at all. What would you prefer long term - Back-mount Doubles or Sidemount?
Expect the course to be long days and at times perhaps stressful. A good instructor will teach you skills you most likely don't have and will expect you to be proficiant in those skills before the course ends. This course will change you as a diver. You will learn frog kick, backing up, helicopter turns and a few other kick styles for specific environments. I highly recommend the course. What you decide to do with those new skills will be completely up to you. Keep us posted if you can. Then others will learn from you.

 

[freeflowigb]

For the OP...
You have been in an overhead environment and enjoyed it. Not sure if that was a wise choice but it worked out ok.
Taking a Cavern course from a reputable instructor would be your next step. Ask about gear for the course and gear for the next level of certification - Intro to cave - so you know how the gear changes - if it changes at all. What would you prefer long term - Back-mount Doubles or Sidemount?
Expect the course to be long days and at times perhaps stressful. A good instructor will teach you skills you most likely don't have and will expect you to be proficiant in those skills before the course ends. This course will change you as a diver. You will learn frog kick, backing up, helicopter turns and a few other kick styles for specific environments. I highly recommend the course. What you decide to do with those new skills will be completely up to you. Keep us posted if you can. Then others will learn from you.

Sounds like a plan, appreciate the advice. I indeed feel I need a good diving training, I did not really learn anything practical between my OW and AOW except that tropical waters get unpleasantly chilly at 100 feet. And that my bubbles make a louder noise the deeper I go.

 

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

I'm more worried about other divers in the cave than about nondiver animals. The divers can screw up the viz, dislodge or break a guide line, block a passage, blind me with their lights, hit me with their scooters, pull my jump instead of theirs, etc.

Is your intent to scare the OP?
Is your mindset really this paranoid when starting a dive in a cave?
A cave diver gets trained for...
Zero vis - and will exit a number of times in zero vis until it becomes easy. I found it relaxing. I don't need to "look"at anything. It is all swimming lines and checking tie offs.
Lost line - trained for that also - a number of times and with zero vis a number of times.
Blocked passage???
Blind me with their light - a very temporary issue.
Hit me with their scooters - i suppose its possible but highly unlikely since you're in a cave with total darkness and any light for someone else approaching becomes easily seen.
Pull my jump instead of theirs - that would mean you didn't mark your gear/jump correctly Arrow/Cookie/REM. And again you get taught that and scrutinized many times.

 

[tursiops]

Is your intent to scare the OP?
Is your mindset really this paranoid when starting a dive in a cave?
A cave diver gets trained for...
Zero vis - and will exit a number of times in zero vis until it becomes easy. I found it relaxing. I don't need to "look"at anything. It is all swimming lines and checking tie offs.
Lost line - trained for that also - a number of times and with zero vis a number of times.
Blocked passage???
Blind me with their light - a very temporary issue.
Hit me with their scooters - i suppose its possible but highly unlikely since you're in a cave with total darkness and any light for someone else approaching becomes easily seen.
Pull my jump instead of theirs - that would mean you didn't mark your gear/jump correctly Arrow/Cookie/REM. And again you get taught that and scrutinized many times.

My intent was to respond to the comments about there being no animals in the cave to worry about.
Paranoid? No. Silly question, actually. I don't care about these things....I'm full cave plus additional courses, Abe Davis, Bronze Wakulla. But I do care about other divers screwing up, like taking my jump, or stirring up the silt. Surely you are not trying to argue that everyone in the cave is perfect, or even trained?

 

[Joneill]

Generally nothing in the caves that can eat you. That’s a big plus for me!

With rare exception, generally nothing in the ocean that wants to eat you!