How many cave divers said they would never be cave divers?

[DanLW]

Wow, very interesting indeed. It's looking like, as with many things, once one gains confidence and experience, they start pushing themselves to do things they never thought they would do.

For me, I could see myself considering cave/overhead diving after two conditions are met. First, both kids have moved out. Second, my wife is willing to dive caves with me. Since my youngest is just under 2 years old, that gives us 16 years to get experience under our belts... unless we have a 3rd kid.

 

[Quero]

I don't know that I said I would never become a cave diver, but I do know that I very seriously doubted I ever would. One of my sons is a geologist and has guided me through different caves and lava tubes. He enjoys these greatly, and while I make a good show of being interested, in fact I find them rather boring. So I figured I wouldn't find flooded caves much more interesting than ordinary ones. However, the actual techniques involved in cave diving became increasingly interesting to me, and I found I wanted to learn these techniques. So off I went into the caves of Florida!

 

[Tortuga68]

I'm another "not a cave diver, said I would never do it" that is now very interested in doing it one day. Frankly the videos I saw of cavers diving tight restrictions deep (way back) in caves scared the s*** out of me. I'm still scared by some of the 'no-mount' videos but definitely keen to try something more open and no concerns at all in general (following approporiate training). I'm a little claustrophobic so that doesn't help when thinking about tight spaces, doing it is probably easier (for me) than dwelling on it, been through the New York engine room with no problems. I enjoy the mental challenge of maintaining calmness under pressure

As to what changed? I guess it was a gradual thing, just doing more dives, becoming a more confident diver, doing tech courses/dives, deeper dives with virtual overhead - and finally experiencing for the first time real "team diving" when I did advanced wreck, and later GUE-F. Further to that point, my buddy/team would be a critical factor for anythign serious; I don't do much penetration wreck diving because (apart from there not being a lot of wrecks where i usually dive), there just aren't many people that I know that I would trust in that role yet

 

[gekodivebali]

I'm not a cave diver, have always said I never will, but am eyeing the techniques and discipline a lot.

I also said I wouldn't be a sidemount diver.
I also said I wouldn't be a rebreather diver.
I also said I wouldn't be a technical diver.
I also said I wouldn't be an instructor diver.
I also said I wouldn't be a divemaster diver.
I also said I wouldn't be a scuba diver.

I used to be a freediver and loved it lots!

 

[BabyDuck]

totally not me! i knew that's what i wanted to do on post-cert dive #1, in the run between the eye & the ear.

but i'm saying 'never' to rebreathers.

 

[corvettejoe]

hahahah It's funny you ask this!

My instructor friends always remind me how I said I never wanted to go in caves.
Every time I moved one more step towards it, they reminded me of this. I of course refuse ever saying such silly words LOL
My one buddy just re-re-re-reminded me the other day how I never wanted to go in a cave as we came out of a nice long cave dive.



I only got wet because I wanted to see the fish, reefs, etc without having to come back up for air (free diving/snorkeling)

I really enjoyed night diving, all the lighting equipment, seeing stuff in the dark...so the dark didn't bother me.
I just had no interest in getting into small spaces.

I then got quite a few cavern tours from my instructor friends to give me a taste of it.
It was cool. But That was as far as I was going. I had no interest in getting into small spaces.
I was informed many cave systems were huge... side by side swimming, tunnels many feet in diameter, some you can drive a bus down it.
I think I was cool with this knowledge of not having to be in tight spaces.

Once I got cavern, I just HAD to see what was beyond the reaper sign

Once I got beyond the reaper sign, I just had to go farther past the intro/cave1 limits.

Full Cave later...

---------- Post added August 8th, 2013 at 03:41 PM ----------

What has only recently dawned on me, showing that I was not an economics major, is that typical cave diving is way cheaper than typical boat diving and especially deep decompression diving. This makes my trips much more affordable than I had expected them to be. I have therefore already been able to accumulate far more post certification cave dives than I ever thought would be possible, given my advanced age.

My poor neighbor is constantly asking me to go dive with him (he's not cave/cavern trained). I tell him I just simply cant because I can't afford the boat trip fees when I can go dive for free in the caves (I live in Central FL, its exactly the same drive time to both North and South FL). I'm trying to get him to get cavern certified so I can at least show him all the state parks I get to visit all the time.

---------- Post added August 8th, 2013 at 03:45 PM ----------

Came out thinking it was a bit pointless. No fish, no colour. Actually nothing but rock.

Everyone asks us what we see down there. I always reply with "Dark wet rocks" and leave it at that LOL.

 

[Doc Harry]

There are numerous sports in which I now participate that I said I'd never do (whitewater kayaking, SCA fightng, etc.).

But cave diving is not one of them.

 

[Tortuga68]

but i'm saying 'never' to rebreathers

+1

I know I don't have the patience/inclination/attention to detail

 

[Superlyte27]

but i'm saying 'never' to rebreathers.

I said that too, but then someone explained them to me.
I'm starting the process of shopping for my second one now.

 

[BabyDuck]

oh, i believe in the chemistry! but it's like tortuga said, i'm just not that detail-y a person, and it's unfair for me to be drinking & talking & having fun while larry's detailing two breathers.