Restrictions - Major , Minor or Dont Even Think About It ?

[Herbie]

Restriction = Areas too small for two divers to pass through together. Further classified as either Major (R) and Minor (r) .
First let me say that its been exciting to follow along and see recent/current exploration reward the crews pushing it. Even more so at spots that are heavily dived daily and for years. The passages being mapped and then available to all is the icing on a very fat cake. Congratulations and THANK YOU for sharing your adventures and fortune.

When are restrictions too small or tight that they are considered unpassable? Is it worth pushing through knowing you would definitely cause some cave scars ?

[sskasser]

I'm guessing you're going to get different answers from almost everyone. What's impassable to me is nothing to someone like Ag or Joe, who apparently have the spine of a cat and collapsible rib cages. And then, what's nice and big to me, might scare the bejebus out of someone who prefers wide tunnel he can't touch with both hands.

As to causing damage in the name of exploration....SSSHHHHHH!!!!!! I'd heard you were a trouble maker!!

[Sludge]

someone who prefers wide tunnel he can't touch with both hands.

Leave me out of this!


(Actually, I prefer wide tunnels where my light can't reach from wall to wall!)

[sskasser]

Leave me out of this!


(Actually, I prefer wide tunnels where my light can't reach from wall to wall!)

LOL, and I feel a bit antsy in passage that big! Like Bubba says..."Son, if'n we all liked the same the thing, everybody'd be after yer granmaw"

[fixxervi6]

Leave me out of this!


(Actually, I prefer wide tunnels where my light can't reach from wall to wall!)

see I don't like that, to me it doesn't feel like I'm in a cave anymore when its like that, its like I'm swimming through a void.

[skip]

I like em all. Eagle's Nest looking around from the top of the debris pile, those skinny vertical cracks at telford, the wormholes too small for sidemount, viz at 200 feet and viz at 2 feet, swiss cheese passages, catacombs, some of those not-on-the-map side twisties in Little River....but it's hard to beat Cannonball in MO for the pure beauty, snapping crayfish, and deep darkness. and don't even get me going on our own little guy james 15 minutes down the road....

-skip

[BobK]

One of my favorite caves is Lafayette Blue. There's something cool about following a line in a void when you can't see the floor, ceiling, or any walls.

[Webmaster]

One of my favorite caves is Lafayette Blue. There's something cool about following a line in a void when you can't see the floor, ceiling, or any walls.

It's even more interesting laying line when you have no point of reference.

[battles2a5]

I have mixed feelings about this. I certainly do not have as accomplished a resume as the folks pushing these caves, but I think as long as we take reasonable care to conserve the caves (e.g. using sidemount where BM would do major damage, etc.) some scars are worth exposing the beauty of the cave that lies beyond and the priviledge of being the first human to see it. If cave conservation were the #1 priority of cave divers, we would never go in the caves to begin with.

On the other hand, there is no excuse for blatant/lazy/careless cave damage. I don't get too excited seeing a couple of scrape marks through a passage that I would hesitate to go in otherwise vs. hand and knee prints in wide open passage.

[Tegg]

Herbie... the answer to your question all depends on what can be seen or guessed about what lays beyond the restriction. This would determine the amount of "effort" put forth to pass it.