What surprised you?

[TSandM]

As I'm looking at azzcadman's beautiful photographs, I'm thinking about the number of pictures and videos I've seen of caves over the last six months or so. And I know that the video lights and strobes create a picture which is different from the experience of the people who were there, and I'm quite sure that no amount of watching videos or looking at pictures is really going to be like the actual experience of cave diving.

So I thought I would ask: What surprised you when you first dove in a cave? What was different from what you expected? Better? Worse? Just different?

 

[do it easy]

The first time I went into the cavern, there must have been thousands of fish just shining in the water like the stars in the sky. It was probably the most fish that I have ever seen in freshwater.

The cave around here looks nothing like any pictures of caves that I have ever seen. The vis is 30' at best, the water usually has a slight haze and there are no stalactites or stalagmites since the cave has always been flooded.

 

[dlndavid]

The vis in the cenotes can be unlimited practically (crystal clear) so you have a weird feeling of being suspended in air.

 

[KazInAz]

I was/and still am amazed at the crystal clarity of the water. Even when the cenote is topped with algae or runoff, once you get below the top 4 feet its unlimited viz.
Sometimes during long dives (longest to date is 3hr,12min + 2 stages) I forget that I'm surrounded by water have almost wondered why I'm breathing from a reg. I'd like to just stand up and walk along the tunnels. The wonder of knowing that a small number of people have been in those caves since their were flooded over 18000 years ago is amazing.
The mexico caves are beautiful and azcaddman's pics http://malone-az.com/pix/v/Scuba/Mexico/ak-06b/ (and others) just dont do the caves justice at all. They are better in person.
We just got back last week and are currently planning/booking our next trip at the beg. of may 07. We go 2x a year and it doesnt seem enough. My first dive was better than expected. It was also scary when I realized that it was just me and my buddy and no instructor hanging out in the dark above us to bail us when something went wrong. That feeling still sneaks up on me from time to time (and I think its a healthly feeling) when I'm in a new section of cave. It reminds to never become complacment in an a beautiful but very unforgiving enviroment.

Kaz

 

[Midnight Star]

I've never been into a cave, just a big cavern. At first it didn't seem like much ... a big hole spewing out tons of water (It was the one at Morrison Springs, Fl), and I couldn't really see inside. So I swam away from it, descended, hugged the bottom on approach to miss the upwelling of water, grabbed the top part of the opening to keep from bumping my head, inverted and pulled myself in. I was in awe...

I was alone, and floating in a huge room. It was silent and peaceful, not at all spooky. It seemed, there was 10-20' above me, and about the same below, crystal clear. My light was shineing on the inside of the walls, as if it was just being discovered for the first time. The surrounding rocks and structure was lit well enough, but cast a strange shadow across the indentations. I was flying. I swam down, following the rope/line that was leading to the cave entrace ... and stopped, still hovering a few feet from the floor. If i'd wanted to, I couldv'e easily jetted straight to the ceiling without the need of a ladder, rope, like a superhuman explorer, moving from one wonder to the next, taking it in, piece by piece ... I had wings. I swam around then decided to head back to the entrace ... following the rope back up, the entrace was somehow gone! Somehow the debris that i'd stirred up on entry, and the angle at which I was approaching it, hid the entrance ... my light was reflecting back on debris. I hung there for a moment and thought ... this is still so peaceful, a room completely filled with water, me in it, and no apparent way out. There was no panic or anxiety, just a thought of how peaceful it is, just floating, seeming like the air would never run out. It seemed that no sooner had I arrived, it was time to leave ... there in the muck that was so cleverly hiding the opening, was the dive light from one of my diving buddies, marking the exit for me. Up and out I went. I was hooked.

I also dove the cavern at Vortex where I was staying next ... I couldnt resist. Now, I can't wait to dive them again ... this time turning out my light, and experience other such "wonderous" feelings.

-----

Mike.

 

[azcaddman]

The quiet is what surprises me at times, compared to the constant cliking etc of the reef, all you hear is your breathing, your buddies breathing, and occasionaly, what sounds like a truck passing by overhead.... which is almost always your bubbles, expanding as they find a way up thru the cracks in the ceiling.

 

[xiSkiGuy]

I swam around then decided to head back to the entrace ... following the rope back up, the entrace was somehow gone! Somehow the debris that i'd stirred up on entry, and the angle at which I was approaching it, hid the entrance ... my light was reflecting back on debris.

A good reason to get some Cavern/Cave training before venturing into those places.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Where could one even start? It was better than I expected and not all the caves I dove always have great vis either.

That said, for Midnight Star, learn how to run a line in and not silt things up. BTW, lots of divers have died in Vortex.

 

[TSandM]

Oh, believe me, I'm getting the training. Already started with a wreck workshop and an introduction to line running. And everybody knows I've taken (and passed -- hooray!) DIR-F, so with any luck I'm not silting anything out any more, at least under normal circumstances. Possibly doing cavern in March of 07, and hoping for Cave 1 in the fall.

 

[xiSkiGuy]

So I thought I would ask: What surprised you when you first dove in a cave? What was different from what you expected? Better? Worse? Just different?

I was surprised how much I liked it. I took the Cavern course for the skills more than the burning desire to be a cave diver. But our last dive of the Cavern class was in Devil's Ear and I could hear the cave calling me to come in further. I was pleasantly surprised that once I did my Basic Cave class that the cave was every bit as cool as I'd hoped.

I was surprised how each cave is unique and has it's own personality.

I was surprised how quickly your penetration volume goes when you are in high flow and too green to know how to stay out of the flow (I was surprised how much further you can go when you do figure it out)!

I was surprised how much better I am running the reel and much better my form is when there isn't an instructor watching me!