IRAP Administrator
08-03-2007, 09:33 PM
My first dive at Madison Blue was the 53 dive of my entire diving experience. I had been Cavern certified for about 6 months and felt very comfortable in the overhead environment...so far. I went in with another cavern diver. We did not run a line. There is a strong flow at Madison and it didn't seem like we needed a line. We dove to the first room with the airbell, explored a little, noticed all the silt on the bottom. Headed down to the main line. At the main line I looked back and noticed the light from what I thought was the entrance to the cave.
It was in fact the entrance known as the Rabbit hole. First time in so I had not seen this other entrance. After exploring up the main line a bit (I know, way past my certification at the time) We turned and headed out. I went straight for the opening that I thought was the exit. It wasn't. The closer I got to the hole, the smaller it looked. It seemed much smaller than I could ever fit through and I knew the main entrance was huge.
The silty floor just kept getting closer as we headed toward the light from the small opening. At this point I knew I did not want to get all the way to that hole only to find out that I could not fit through it. I kept thinking, damn, I just got my buddy killed. We can see light but we can't get through to open water.
My breathing rate shot up. I tried to focus and remember that I could not be too far away from an exit, just missed it somehow. Or did I go the wrong way. I hadn't seen this hole on the way in, where was I. Your mind really kicks into overdrive when you think you are lost. This is where I had to really concentrate.
I did not want to make the wrong decision and I did not want to panic my buddy by looking confused. (A lot of pressure there when you are the one leading the dive.)
Now, if you have been to Madison, you know that the cavern area and the Rabbit Hole is no big deal and the flow can make running a line a real task. But this day taught me a lesson for sure. I would not want to be there if another set of divers just like us had done the same thing only panicked and stirred the silt up in that big room.
I stopped and began to scan the surroundings very slowly. I saw a line on the wall that only went one way. A line, that's great, it's got to lead out. I followed it as it curved around and led to the main entrance. We were on our way out.
On subsequent dives I checked out the open water and found the Rabbit hole entrance and found that I could squeeze through it. No big deal once I knew the layout. The main point is, I did not know the system and I broke one of the main rules. No continuous guideline to the surface. If I had just run a line in with me I would have had no cause to worry. Could have bounced off the walls till we ran out of air, which wouldn't have taken long on a single AL 80, that's for sure.
It was in fact the entrance known as the Rabbit hole. First time in so I had not seen this other entrance. After exploring up the main line a bit (I know, way past my certification at the time) We turned and headed out. I went straight for the opening that I thought was the exit. It wasn't. The closer I got to the hole, the smaller it looked. It seemed much smaller than I could ever fit through and I knew the main entrance was huge.
The silty floor just kept getting closer as we headed toward the light from the small opening. At this point I knew I did not want to get all the way to that hole only to find out that I could not fit through it. I kept thinking, damn, I just got my buddy killed. We can see light but we can't get through to open water.
My breathing rate shot up. I tried to focus and remember that I could not be too far away from an exit, just missed it somehow. Or did I go the wrong way. I hadn't seen this hole on the way in, where was I. Your mind really kicks into overdrive when you think you are lost. This is where I had to really concentrate.
I did not want to make the wrong decision and I did not want to panic my buddy by looking confused. (A lot of pressure there when you are the one leading the dive.)
Now, if you have been to Madison, you know that the cavern area and the Rabbit Hole is no big deal and the flow can make running a line a real task. But this day taught me a lesson for sure. I would not want to be there if another set of divers just like us had done the same thing only panicked and stirred the silt up in that big room.
I stopped and began to scan the surroundings very slowly. I saw a line on the wall that only went one way. A line, that's great, it's got to lead out. I followed it as it curved around and led to the main entrance. We were on our way out.
On subsequent dives I checked out the open water and found the Rabbit hole entrance and found that I could squeeze through it. No big deal once I knew the layout. The main point is, I did not know the system and I broke one of the main rules. No continuous guideline to the surface. If I had just run a line in with me I would have had no cause to worry. Could have bounced off the walls till we ran out of air, which wouldn't have taken long on a single AL 80, that's for sure.