What line do you prefer follow?

[CaveBuddy95]

Hi all,
a quick question that probably has been asked already but I am curious to know people's preferences.

What type of line do you prefer to dive along?

1-Gold Line
2-White Line
3-telephone cable
4-don't follow the line

Thanks for your participation and see you on the other side.

Jason

[Ben M]

I don't mind what it is made of or colored as long as it is functional. Odd "line" I've come across in a cave was weedeater cord. Very surprised to find and follow that.

[CaveBuddy95]

It is as you are a seasoned cave diver I guess.

I'd be curious to know what the casual cave divers or not regular cave diver likes

[Dark Eternal]

The type of line doesn't matter, its where it takes you that does. I tend to explore the first 2k or so of gold line of a new system (if it has it) before going off and exploring the jumps but this is just my pattern of exploring, only reason I could come up with was that more often than not the gold line is run in the most central passage which is a good starting point.

[Greenwood_60]

You forgot:
5-DSL
6-Cable
7-Fiber/FiOS

[JamesK]

I really don't care what the color is, but I put gold. Only because white is boring, and telephone wire is so dial up 56k. I think they should all be pink. Nice hi vis. Oh or maybe rope light or Christmas lights. Lol.

[LCF]

I really don't care, so long as the line is in good repair and well run. I get a little nervous when it's frayed or otherwise seems as though if you had to follow it in zero viz, it might not survive the experience. Remember some of the line in the jumps in Dos Palmas? THAT kind of line . . .

[FW]

Jason, you left out some important choices. The most important has been covered by other posters: #5 I don't care, as long as it is good line. #6 I would prefer to run my own line in virgin cave.

However, since I see why you posted the thread, I will add something. The whole point of gold line is so "tourist" divers don't accidentally get into a side tunnel that is beyond their comfort level. Gold line was first installed because of an accident in Florida, where a group was in a side tunnel, and didn't realize they were off the main line.

FWIW, I have seen seen wire used for cave line

[CaveBuddy95]

thanks for your participation.
The state of the line is an important factor. Diving along a line that present obvious damages/repair can put some stress on divers.

I am aware of the origins of the gold line. But wanted to test the psychological approach to a cave regarding what line is there. If we are at explorer level, thin white line is what matters but if we are beginner diver, a thick, strong and visible line is reassuring.
Could it be that it create a false sense of safety? I heard of divers doing visual jumps from the GL to side shoots with #18 and justifying by saying 'don't need, it is pretty obvious where I come from'

In some caves in France you still find the phone cable that was installed to have communication in far sump sections. It is not DSL or Fiber/FiOS !!

I don't intend to do a political topic out of that. It is really pure curiosity.

I call to the beginner divers maybe more.

Cheers

J

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I find that the more pristine caves lack goldline.




As for the line itself, outside factors not-withstanding, I really don't give a **** what its made of...