Why is low viz in a cave so much more unnerving?

[RN]

I think it's all about what you're used to. Lynne, you're used to diving low visibility ocean because you do it several times a month. You only travel to the caves 2 or 3 times a year. It makes a big difference. Low visibility caves don't bother me. I've even scootered Hole in the Wall with about 10' of visibility (hoping it would clear up when I got to my destination and got off the main line). But like many of the others, get me in OW with low visibility and I'm much more careful. I don't have a continuous guideline to my exit in OW. In a cave, I know I have a continuous guideline and that is all I need to reassure me.

[Jay]

A lot of it depends on the familiarity and the size of the cave. Something like LR and Peacock right after they open up is not bad as these are familiar caves.

The few dives I have made in Cathedral have never been much over 10 foot. That is discerning for me because I know how big some of those sections are but I have never seen them so I stay close to the line. That is probably the one system I would have loved to have dove back in the day when Sheck Exley started diving it.

Manatee can have some days in the big sections where it is best to hover on the line.

I remember doing a dive with a state-permitted group in crappy vis and wondering how the heck they found all those leads and connections.

[stairman]

Low vis in a cave with a line no problem. Low vis in a river, lake or ocean? Im more edgey. Never know when its feedin time for somethin and albino crayfish have been deemed harmless.

[Angry Turtle]

I have yet to experience low vis in a cave as I am just cavern certified, but in OW low vis I just tell myself if I want out, all I have to do is go up.

In a cave, that is not an option. You could argue you have the line and can follow it out, but that does not seem to me (granted no experience) as simple as "go up" to the surface.

In OW, there would be less thinking, less decision making for someone who is uncomfortable in the situation.

[AMW]

In most case UK sump vis can be poor a few metres is reasonable although it is normally a case of passing a sump to more dry cave. Video below is Tucks rift in very good vis (training dive).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACmhV...4&feature=plcp

Andrew

[a64pilot]

OW, you only have to watch ascent rate if vis goes to zero, but you always know that safety is close, only a couple of minutes away, unless you have deco of course. But then I don't mind drift deco as long as I feel confident the boat is following our lift bags. Some people can't stand it as no matter where you look, there is nothing and of course after a short while, they start looking for Jaws
Zero vis in a cave worries me because if you get mis-orientated, bad things could happen, you can't just ascend to safety if it get's scary, you have to figure it out. Only good thing is there is no hurry, you have the rest of your life to find your way out

[fno]

For someone suceptible to vertigo as I am, having no reference for "up" can be quite unnerving whether it is in a cave or open water. I will say that I can handle low vis in a cave much better than open water these days. Not to mention the usually cold water that goes with it...

[LCF]

I'm another vertigo person, and the line is nice . . .

I remember leading into Ox Bel Ha, which is a dark cave and very large power tunnel. I felt as though I was swimming through endless darkness, following a tiny white line. About the third cenote we came to, I surfaced and told the team that somebody else had to lead, or I was turning the dive.

Today, I took a novice diver around a local dive site in less than ten feet of very murky viz, and I was completely fine. But I had landmarks (I have dived the site so many times, I'm on a first name basis with some of the fish) and I didn't care if I got totally lost, because depth contours will get me home.

I guess it is what you're used to. I have to say, it surprised me a lot to see so many people say they prefer low viz in a cave to low viz in OW!

[Richard Atyeo]

In open water with a 2.5 knot current up can have its own set of problems

[aquadog196]

I have many dive friends that love the low vis ambience of Peacock's P3 and consider it among their favorite dives.