why enter a cave

[Orlando Eric]

Here is a twist of the topic. Why do cave divers dive Caves? Many say to explore the unknown.. I say not so because they dive the same cave the same route over and over and over. Of course there are some amazing places with huge caverns but mostly they are habit trails and I think it is just them playing on the jungle gym with new toys and skills then sitting around and talking about it afterwards.

I still prefer the ocean and/or even wreck diving because literally anything could be in there. Wreck diving of course requires cave skills but much much more fun than wet rocks IMO --

 

[kathydee]

the point is what draws a certified diver that is not cave certified into a cave

I'm full cave certified now and have overhead training in wreck diving. Thinking back to about dive 36 or so when just a beginner -- I was clear overheads were off limits for our training level, read my OW book several times and was quite careful to follow all the procedures.

I protested when the dive master suggested we kick pretty far into a cavern and overhead. "Isn't this unsafe, we don't have the training". She assured me it was ok: she wouldn't take us into a dangerous zone, would keep daylight in sight, promised great adventure, and dismissed the warning sign we passed as a funny prop for tourists.

She was in authority, so we believed her to an extent. Two of us shared one tiny light, dove inches from the sandy bottom to have some sort of buoyancy reference and held hands to prevent separation as the dark passage was full of recreational divers. The exit retreated into the distance. Despite her persuasive argument, I knew what we were doing was wrong according to the scuba training manuals, but went along with the peer pressure.

In SE Asia we we were required to follow dive guides, and trained to be dependent divers. It took a little while to understand that instructors and dive masters are not Gods and to learn to trust my training over their authoritative judgement.

I would bet many who follow guides beyond the daylight zone are in similar situations.

 

[fred3798]

Given that the danger increases exponentially in a cave so that detailed training is necessary to get out alive (per DA Aquamaster above), what is it that is in there that makes going in and taking all the added risk worth the danger? Isn't it just common sense to keep out since even with detailed training, very dangerous situations will happen? Of course it is better to be trained for the dangers than not. But trained people in other pursuits know to avoid dangerous situations unless going in is necessary. Recreational diving is "recreational". Hence I repeat, what is so much better to see in caves that makes the risk worthwhile in a recreational activity?

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Different folks prefer different environments and different challenges. I don't think the reason why someone wants to enter a cave is relevent ... I think the reason why some folks want to enter a cave without appropriate training most definitely is.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[jmneill]

Removed

 

[Orlando Eric]

I think it is like Rock Climbing. They like the knots and the ropes and the gear and just achieving the summit with the rock climbing skills they learned. Rock climbers will say "for the awesome view from the summit" if that were entirely true they'd save money and time by hiring a helio to fly them there. IT has to be a factor for work and achievement.

 

[jmneill]

And that thinking got one person killed a few weeks ago and almost another yesterday.

This "thinking" has almost killed two people in the last three weeks? Are you sure there are no other factors you are omitting?

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Different folks prefer different environments and different challenges. I don't think the reason why someone wants to enter a cave is relevent ... I think the reason why some folks want to enter a cave without appropriate training most definitely is.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

I always figured cave diving was a great excuse to buy all sorts of new gear. Where else can you spend $700 on the coolest, brightest flash light and tell your wife its life support gear, and that's just the start

 

[kathydee]

I think it is like Rock Climbing. They like the knots and the ropes and the gear and just achieving the summit with the rock climbing skills they learned. Rock climbers will say "for the awesome view from the summit" if that were entirely true they'd save money and time by hiring a helio to fly them there. IT has to be a factor for work and achievement.

Well put, I also spent years on vertical cliffs - Both cave diving and technical rock climbing are all that you suggest - plus excitement, enjoyment and satisfaction gained from solving small challenges along the journey.

When you explore places few will ever see, there are many surprises, new discoveries and moments of well-earned spectacular beauty .

 

[RMAdventure]

Most people don't know what it is that they don't know.

Most people start by bending simple rules and have no issues, as they become more confident they push the envelope further and further. They may have entered a cave before and there wasn't much to it. So the next time they go a little farther in then they get confused about where the exit was. Without training they become lost and panic or run out of air.

This is similar to the "Boiling frog theory" that is often taught in ethics classes. The idea is that if you drop a frog in a pot of boiling water it will jump out, but if you put it in cool water and slowly heat the water to boiling, the frog will adjust to the temperature change until it is killed.

A lot of new divers wouldn't enter a cave at a depth of 200 feet using a single tank of air for their first dive after OW, but as TreyR mentioned, they may progressively more risks until they are in a situation that they cannot escape.