OW going beyond the sign in Dominican rep.

[stairman]

As long as nothing goes wrong these caverns are safe for OW divers and thousands have dove them succesfully. They cant swim straight up but have to swim at an angle to exit. Vortex, Ginnie, Blue Grotto to name a few allow entry and I think the safety record is acceptable. The cave zone is an entirely different matter silt or not and you can bet well be reading about a fatality before long.

[w ripley]

I don't have the answer, but I strongly believe that when we, as divers, see a problem that it is our responsibility to find a solution.

Maybe we, as divers, should routinely post on ScubaBoard, and on the other threads that attract new divers, just why diving in caves is so dangerous without training. (I know, it's 100% safe when we're trained, etc. - don't give me a hard time on this one.) Actually, I'm going there after this post to do that.

I meet a number of newer OW divers who just don't see what's so bad about going in a cave. Somebody says you can't so they want to go in that much more. Let's help these guys out and start taking about how much fun cave diving is and how you can die if you don't know how the caves work.

Sure, a combined front that includes the cert agencies is a must, but a single prong attach isn't going to make it happen, or at least it hasn't so far. The next time you're with an OW instructor share your concerns and suggest they stress WHY overhead environments can get their students into trouble. You know the routine.

We've got to get inside the heads of the newer divers and help them go in the right direction. They should want to stay out because they know why it might kill them, not simply because somebody says they have to.

[w ripley]

OK, so here's what I posted. Why not do the same?

"Thought About Cave Diving?

For those of you who haven't started thinking about cave diving I thought I might tell you how much fun you are missing.

Everyone I know who does it can't live without it. I hear people say that they could never make themselves go into such confined spaces, but most caves are pretty open inside, the water is warm, the vis is crystal clear, and you never get "blown out." Sure, you can go in smaller caves as you progress with your skills, but mostly it's just fun. The down side: there are no lobsters!

You already know how important your training was when you got your OW card, and cave diving is the same. With proper training you will learn how to safely enter a cave, how to safely read all of the markings provided inside for you and, most importanty, what to do when things go wrong. Just like open water, you can lose your life in a cave if you go in unprepared. But, knowing that didn't stop you from getting certified and it will be the same way with caving.

I took up cave diving to learn how to run reels in wrecks. I got the bug and have never been able to shake it. It's just that much fun and you meet a lot of good divers. You will also be impressed with how much better you are with your buoyancy and trim, and with your confidence in general when under water.

Maybe you would like to subscribe to the Cave Diving Forum and lurk around there for a while. It's a good source to find out about instructors who can walk you thru your training requirements and where you can go to start on this great adventure. Take a look at the cave diving videos on the net, especially the ones in Mexico as those caves are really pretty.

One last thing. You wouldn't jump off a boat without first knowing how to use your gear and what to do in an emergency. It's the same thing with cave diving, if not more so. Do yourself and your family a favor and learn the skills you need to survive before you decide to take up this exciting sport."

[phillip1]

I agree, but here we have tried everything, I always take the time to talk to any OW diver or person about the dangers involved.
I think the problem is that in many caves it just does not look dangerous, wide open clear water, it just does not seem dangerous.
I don't think anyone would try skydiving without training because skydiving looks dangerous.
sure if you show someone a cave like La Jeringa or some silty SM cave like the tree cave they would cringe, but show them El Chicho with wide beautiful cristal white stalactites and it just does not look like a big deal.
That is at the heart of the problem most of the time most caves do not look dangerous until it's too late.

[phillip1]

just posted on the Scubaboard and added this link which should be required OW material.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVmqK5YZuxM

[w ripley]

just posted on the Scubaboard and added this link which should be required OW material.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVmqK5YZuxM

That was an excellent follow-up post. Showed divers WHY training is needed and still kept the sizzle in the pan about cave diving, so to speak.

I see chatter on the thread, so hope we can keep it going and positive for a while. Would be nice to start posting about once a month to keep the topic fresh and to pick up the divers who have just subscribed. Would be nice if someone would start a thread on the other forums, too.

[Parolles]

The Rescue 911 episode might be effective, too. And it has Woody Jasper .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkALlYZYfrc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzDL-rSAD3A

[phillip1]

Good idea

[RN]

As long as nothing goes wrong these caverns are safe for OW divers and thousands have dove them succesfully. They cant swim straight up but have to swim at an angle to exit. Vortex, Ginnie, Blue Grotto to name a few allow entry and I think the safety record is acceptable. The cave zone is an entirely different matter silt or not and you can bet well be reading about a fatality before long.

Have you been to Vortex? There is very little cavern zone there. Less than 50' into the overhead and you lose sight of natural daylight. The gate is about 300' back.

[stairman]

I have not been there so I would leave that one out of being safe for OW divers. I know you have to hold a cavern card to dive Madison and I think thats a good thing since daylight is lost when you hang that left and theres alot of silt that someone could easily get clustered in. Rabbithole is there but pretty faint on cloudy days especially.