Cave Damage at Little River!!!

[jupitermermaid]

Some people are "known disasters" and have a hard time finding others to dive with due to their inattention of their surroundings. I don't think it would be feasible to deny them access to the caves (or anywhere for that matter), because they have the card that allows them the access. Unfortunately, there are some people who just don't pay attention to what they're doing and aren't even aware of the damage they impart on the sites they dive. I know a few divers I won't dive with because of their lack of concern and/or inability to watch where they and their equipment are at all times. It's sad that there are people like this who dive. It would be nice if they'd hang up their regs and take up golf or some other land sport.

 

[Daedalus]

Thats not for me to decide, that is for the agencies to decide how to clean up their mess before the cave diving free for all that currently exists comes to a screeching halt.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Some people are "known disasters" and have a hard time finding others to dive with due to their inattention of their surroundings. I don't think it would be feasible to deny them access to the caves (or anywhere for that matter), because they have the card that allows them the access. Unfortunately, there are some people who just don't pay attention to what they're doing and aren't even aware of the damage they impart on the sites they dive. I know a few divers I won't dive with because of their lack of concern and/or inability to watch where they and their equipment are at all times. It's sad that there are people like this who dive. It would be nice if they'd hang up their regs and take up golf or some other land sport.

Given the highly disciplined nature of cave diving and the attention to detail that most cave divers exemplify, to read about such sloppy divers is concerning... Might these same slobs be the ones to end up as casualties? (Not wishing ill on anyone, please understand.) I'm just saying, the nature of cave diving doesn't seem to leave much room for inattentiveness and the lack of regard that certain elements are exhibiting...

 

[agilis]

Pretty much all human activity inflicts some level of damage in areas not normally inhabited by people. Even the most scrupulously careful diver or hiker has an effect, however slight. When the numbers of people visiting a formerly pristine reef or forest become significant, the degradation becomes more acute. Many of us have seen this clearly and often.

When human visitors compound the damage by being careless, or by using destructive devices like off-road vehicles, the results are catastrophic. I've seen old growth forest understory churned up by selfish fools who like to take their noisy mini-tractors into new places. Underwater caves and reefs are no different. Expecting people to act responsibly is unrealistic. The oblivious pigs are many, and constitute a majority in some activities.

Some of the outdoor activities we love are not consistent with preserving the environments that make them possible. The damage and degradation can only be slowed down, and even that only by strictly limiting access. It's unfortunate, but it's true. As the population grows, as things are flattened and crushed, pushed aside and paved over to accomodate a species (us) which has long ago exceed its sustainable population density, the pressures on the small areas and delicate places we love to visit will become unendurable. They will become nothing more than pictures in a book, interesting but irrelevant history to coming generations, who will have to content themselves with Disney theme park imitations of the wild and natural world. The process is well under way.

 

[jimdiverman]

Some of the outdoor activities we love are not consistent with preserving the environments that make them possible. The damage and degradation can only be slowed down, and even that only by strictly limiting access. It's unfortunate, but it's true. As the population grows, as things are flattened and crushed, pushed aside and paved over to accomodate a species (us) which has long ago exceed its sustainable population density, the pressures on the small areas and delicate places we love to visit will become unendurable. They will become nothing more than pictures in a book, interesting but irrelevant history to coming generations, who will have to content themselves with Disney theme park imitations of the wild and natural world. The process is well under way.

I, for one, refuse to accept this type of thinking. It is defeatist and negative. Throughout history, men in power have had the vision and foresight to preserve our natural resources for successive generations. We would not have parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite today were it not for their courage and strength in the face of other opposition that would seek to strip those resources.

In the case of caves, the resource is simply the natural beauty of the caves themselves. Here in this country, there is no reason why we should not be able to protect the caves in north Florida. I understand that there will always be some minimal amount of erosion due to a diver entering and exiting a cave system, but I refuse to believe that we must accept that there are going to be those who have no business inside of caves, and there is nothing we can do about it.

 

[agilis]

Yellowstone and Yosemite have both been badly damaged, particularly those areas open to human use. There were only about 80 million people in the US when Teddy was president. Land values and the price of oil, among many, many other things, have changed the situation a great deal.

There's a story sbout a man who fell off the Empire State Building. As he whizzed down past the 20th floor, he sang out "SO FAR SO GOOD!"

On the other hand, Peter and the kids brought Tinkerbell back to life by believing and wishing really, really hard.

 

[eandiver]

I, for one, refuse to accept this type of thinking. It is defeatist and negative.

Sounds realist. The earth is not getting larger but the population is and where are they going to go as they expand?

There are a finite number of caves. There is an ever growing number of cave divers.

 

[OneBrightGator]

Sounds easy on 'paper', but just how do you propose to do this? What criteria are you going to use to determine who the disasters are?

Report instructors to their agency, pull the divers aside and explain to them that what they don't know can hurt them and suggest they participate in one of the refreshers offered by another instructor, hell, if it's bad enough, I'd pay!

You'll know it when you see it.

 

[OneBrightGator]

Unfortunately, there are some people who just don't pay attention to what they're doing and aren't even aware of the damage they impart on the sites they dive. I know a few divers I won't dive with because of their lack of concern and/or inability to watch where they and their equipment are at all times. It's sad that there are people like this who dive. It would be nice if they'd hang up their regs and take up golf or some other land sport.

I hope that you have tried to take said divers aside and enlighten them, you can unclip your own SPG and let it dangle to show them, or offer them a bolt snap and show them how to properly secure a piece of equipment, they may not even know how! Ignoring them won't heal the damage they cause, it will just save you from seeing it inflicted.

 

[jeandiver]

Sounds realist. The earth is not getting larger but the population is and where are they going to go as they expand?

There are a finite number of caves. There is an ever growing number of cave divers.

AND a growing number of cave divers that just don't care anymore... (sigh)

For the most part , most of us ARE caring for the caves.

There is so much beauty down there. And there is no easy answer either to wilfull damage.

I do know one thing , THIS cave diver does her very best to keep the caves as pristine as possible. That's a start.

Da Beano