Do you use a helmet when you cave dive

[Kelly Jessop]

What do you do?

[FW]

I wear a helmet when sump diving, or scootering smaller tunnels.

[speleocrone]

Yes.

In small passages I think they are a very good idea. Otherwise, they are a good place to put stuff.

And really, as a caver for several decades, I just don't feel comfortable underground without one.

[MORGAN]

I have always worn a helmet for dry caving. Cave diving I usually don't wear one unless I'm mounting a GoPro on it. The few times I've banged my head my neoprene hood has been sufficient to protect me from injury. But I'm just a tourist cave diver and am not sump diving or scootering small tunnels in low vis.

[Aotus]

I wear a helmet when I want to light what I'm doing with my hands, and/or to hold my gopro. In FL, when I'm training or diving for fun, I don't wear one.

[PeterVICEG]

I wear a helmet when sump diving, or scootering smaller tunnels.

As do I, but it is cave specific.

Last summer I worked on a cave project with what turned out to be a 400 ft shallow sump. Muddy and tight enough that passage in parts required turning ones head to get by. A helmet would have been a hindrance.

Then a few days latter I did a dive in another mountain resurgence and used my lid. After negotiating a smallish bit I pulled up my legs to be in some sort of trim as I descended a fissure. Dam line in a helmet mounted light holder. No matter what I did I could not get the line out. I had to take off the helmet to untangle my self! As I was diving small tanks this limited my time at depth.

I have since removed the large light holder as I rarely used it. This is the first time this has happened to me and I have been doing this for a while.

I like having a mask strap light for survey work in particular. The only problem I have had is that on longer dives I find it to be irritating. I have had to switch out to my backup mask on deco to deal with it.

Peter

[Aotus]

...few days latter I did a dive in another mountain resurgence and used my lid. After negotiating a smallish bit I pulled up my legs to be in some sort of trim as I descended a fissure. Dam line in a helmet mounted light holder. No matter what I did I could not get the line out. I had to take off the helmet to untangle my self! As I was diving small tanks this limited my time at depth.

I have since removed the large light holder as I rarely used it. This is the first time this has happened to me and I have been doing this for a while.
Peter

I've read similar reports a few times here. It's made me wary of attaching a mount to hold my primary light on my helmet. But, then I read/hear people tell me they think attaching a light to a mask strap is better...sure, it's lower profile, but doesn't that mean that if you do get really tangled, you'll have to remove your MASK to resolve it? That does NOT sound like a better option, even with a backup mask at the ready.

[tflaris]

Yes. Go pro mount and backup lights.


"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed that is the only thing that ever has."
- Margaret Mead, Anthropologist

[tbone1004]

well I guess you have to remove my No vote since I can't change it. Have been given one that looks like it is going to work for me. The LM ones aren't big enough for my head with a hood *shut up tony :-P* but I've been given a rather nice rock climbing helmet and will me fixing lights and gopro to it. Debating on what I'm doing with the lights for now, have to work a bit with Bobby now that he's up in my neck of the woods to figure out how best to mount ball mounts and arms on it for video.

[nakatomi]

well I guess you have to remove my No vote since I can't change it. Have been given one that looks like it is going to work for me. The LM ones aren't big enough for my head with a hood *shut up tony :-P* but I've been given a rather nice rock climbing helmet and will me fixing lights and gopro to it. Debating on what I'm doing with the lights for now, have to work a bit with Bobby now that he's up in my neck of the woods to figure out how best to mount ball mounts and arms on it for video.

I'll change your vote from NO to YES. Let me know once you ditch the helmet and I'll change it back