How Long?

[rchrds]

so for those beyond 5-years, what is it that keeps you diving? How many still do most of their dives in Florida gold-line caves? And if so, how many are doing the charted jumps, circuits, etc.? what I'm wondering is if the group that keeps on going has indeed found "something more" in cave diving...

-skip

Survey and exploration for me- I try very hard not to go back to the Florida tourist caves (i haven't been in Ginnie in over 10 years) and I honestly didn't enjoy diving the tourist caves in Q-Roo with no purpose other than touristing around. I really like working dives- and nothing beats laying line. Fortunately that happens a lot around here. I also find that when I get in a mood where I don't feel like cave diving, i can go dry caving hard for a few months, and then I tend to flip back to cave diving. Not sure why. Chrissy (the wife) is the other way around- I think she uses cave diving to center her dry caving.

Jason

[RN]

The poll so far seems to show fewer divers in the 6-10 year range than the up to 5 and beyond 10. some support for the idea that 5 years is a turning point.

so for those beyond 5-years, what is it that keeps you diving? How many still do most of their dives in Florida gold-line caves? And if so, how many are doing the charted jumps, circuits, etc.? what I'm wondering is if the group that keeps on going has indeed found "something more" in cave diving...instructor? exploring virgin caves? move to exotic places for different kinds of caves? taking it slow and learning every little piece of florida caves (maybe adding new line, repairing old line, scootering for longer dives further in)?

-skip

The only time I dive gold line passage anymore is when I teach or to get to the passage I really want to dive. A lot of the diving I do is in passage that's not on any of the public maps. I'm sure there are some people who have at least rough maps of some of these passages, but I haven't seen them. And I really don't want to see them. A big part of it for me is exploring these areas and producing my own map. I have also put line in virgin passage. Not as much as some others, but it's just a start. There's a lot more to come because there's still a lot more virgin passage out there.

Uh, never mind, no there isn't...

[FW]

Uh, never mind, no there isn't...

Don't worry, 97% of today's cave divers wouldn't even go into a virgin passage

And no Cindy, I am NOT talking about you!

[cmalinowski]

That's just how I feel. I've been full cave for 3.5 years, and see no end to it as long as my health and finances will allow.

I do know quite a few people who are subject to enthusiasms - doing something fairly seriously for a short time and then moving on to the next new thing. I tend to stick with things. Diving is my most recent and short-term endeavor - only been doing that for 10 years.

Mike

I think that's the ADD in ADHD. People will go hard at something they like with great focus, but once they feel there isn't really any dramatic challenge left they'll get bored with it.

If you put that in the scuba diving realm, people will move up through the classes and focus on the technicalities of diving and naturally more advanced diving. But at some point they don't feel there is enough juice (learning) resulting from the squeeze (time, effort, cost) and will move on.

At least that's my theory. I don't think it's a bad thing at all and didn't mean it if it sounded that way.

Chris

[sskasser]

Just at 3 years in cave diving, and 200+ cave dives post-training, and there are still SO many different caves, different sections of caves, different cave buddies, different configurations, and different dive objectives, that I can't see running out of "stuff" to do in caves in the next hundred years, even if I hit the lottery tomorrow and get to start diving every day! Throw in my love for wreck diving, teaching, spearfishing, and my new GEM, and I'll be waterlogged for life.

[ssmdive]

Funniest thing is no one really ever plans on quitting. It just happens.

I know people that SWORE they would never quit skydiving.... Yet I have not seen them in years at the DZ. And I'd bet the long time divers could produce a significant list of ex-cave divers.

And there is almost no way to know who will quit or stay.... Except time.

[Webmaster]

It isn't true, I have been cavediving for over 40 years

I think the key phrase there may be "unless they find something more to do than "simply" dive the known florida caves"

[Webmaster]

I think that's the ADD in ADHD. People will go hard at something they like with great focus, but once they feel there isn't really any dramatic challenge left they'll get bored with it.

If you put that in the scuba diving realm, people will move up through the classes and focus on the technicalities of diving and naturally more advanced diving. But at some point they don't feel there is enough juice (learning) resulting from the squeeze (time, effort, cost) and will move on.

At least that's my theory. I don't think it's a bad thing at all and didn't mean it if it sounded that way.

Chris

We all get burned out on certain things at times. This is why it's good to have a number of different interests. When you feel one is becoming 'not so fun', let it fade back a little and concentrate on something else for a while.

Chances are, if you really love it, at some point you'll find a renewed interest and want to go all gung ho again.

Even within a sport like caving, there are many different areas of interest. Sometimes you just have to say WTH and try something different.

[FW]

I think the key phrase there may be "unless they find something more to do than "simply" dive the known florida caves"

If you change "known" to "popular" I would agree. There are a *LOT* of known FL caves that nobody ever visits. Many of them have potential for expansion, but the people that only dive the popular ones don't even go look.

[DA Aquamaster]

If you change "known" to "popular" I would agree. There are a *LOT* of known FL caves that nobody ever visits. Many of them have potential for expansion, but the people that only dive the popular ones don't even go look.

Personally, I take every opportunity to dive somewhere new. However, many "known" caves are not "known" to the general cave diving population.

Marci and I will be down in N FL April 3-9 and would welcome any opportunity to be introduced to less known and less visited caves.