Would you like cave diving as much if the caves were well lit?

[Red Hat Jef]

Diving this post-dema week in NFL has been a real experience - lots of divers in the popular caves. Turn a corner and find another set of cave divers with huge lights coming right at you. Had to find some side passages to get the "real cave" experience - dark and quiet (and not silty!)

This made me think - would cave diving be as good if the cave were well lit, so we wouldn't need lights at all?

[Dark Eternal]

I dive the caves to SEE what is there. More light equates to better sight seeing. I certainly don't mind the dark, it adds to the experience, but I also don't think that I would like it less if I could see things better. In fact, in trying out lights, I tend to feel the brighter the better - get to see more.

[MRTdiver]

This made me think - would cave diving be as good if the cave were well lit, so we wouldn't need lights at all?

So who wants to change the lyrics to The Cave Diver song? That's my theme song. How would that sound with other lyrics??

... get the "real cave" experience - dark and quiet

Yes!

[Rich]

I like being in the dark, I'm "shadowing" people a lot of the time anyways.... sometimes I'll just follow divers/teams around for fun and they don't even know I'm there, which is always entertaining....
My exception to the rule is big cave, Indian, Eagle's Nest, Diepolder, etc then I always want more light! Each to their own though....

Safe diving,

Rich

P.S. But it's always kinda fun to tell people that you're cave diving at night 'cause that's when they turn the lights off, "it's like creepy, ya know".....

[stairman]

I dont mind mine or my buddies light but am not enthused with big lights coming my way especially in my eyes.

[FW]

Those that voted "yes" should just stick with Vortex

[Kelly Jessop]

Those that voted "yes" should just stick with Vortex

or Blue Grotto, or Bonne Terre

[FW]

or Blue Grotto, or Bonne Terre

I wouldn't know, I have never been to a lighted underwater cave, including Vortex.

[OFG-1]

I guess it depends on the lighting. A strobe in the hill 400 tunnel might be interesting. A big disco ball in the Florida Room, that would be nice. Underwater speakers playing Coldplay, lava lamps in all sidemount tunnels, a Kodak Carousel slide projector showing pictures of the mountains, or coral reefs, something to enhance the scenery.

[phillip1]

I like the mystery of what may lie ahead and not seeing farther than say a 12W LED keeps that mystery alive and keeps me coming back for more, if I could see the whole cave then it would kill part of the mystery and atmosphere..