Chemical Light Society

[cmint]

OK,

What exactly is the chemical light society?

I hear you have to do a cave dive with just light stick(s), but is there a certain site, depth, duration, length of penetration, etc?

Are there any famous members? (JFK, Richard Nixon, etc?)

It sounds kind of different, and fun.

Or is it like fight club and we're not supposed to talk about it?

[FW]

OK,

What exactly is the chemical light society?

I hear you have to do a cave dive with just light stick(s), but is there a certain site, depth, duration, length of penetration, etc?

Are there any famous members? (JFK, Richard Nixon, etc?)

It sounds kind of different, and fun.

Or is it like fight club and we're not supposed to talk about it?

Any cave will do. The first foray was in Telford, and we just came out the last 500' or so to the second sinkhole. It is amazing how far you can see on a light stick, once your eyes adapt.

[Sludge]

A couple of us did the Horseshoe Circuit at Jackson Blue on chemlights. I'll do it again if someone wants to.

[Jay]

I found that once my eyes adjusted to the lighting I was holding the light as far as possible away from me and it still hurt my eyes if I looked at it.

[cmint]

This sounds fun. Maybe I'll do it new years eve at Devil's to coincide with the galaxy thing.

I might get froggy and do it before then too.

[Sludge]

This sounds fun. Maybe I'll do it new years eve at Devil's to coincide with the galaxy thing.

I think the Catacombs would be a good place.

[kensuf]

The 90s called and want their glowsticks and electronic dance music back.

[cmint]

I think the Catacombs would be a good place.

Nah, Big Room.

As long as we're doing low tech lights, might as well bring the low tech scooter:

[EGIB]

I've done several chem light dives and found them to be particularly enjoyable. I would consider it an advanced cave dive due to self imposed visibility restrictions, probably a good idea to have 100+ cave dives before doing it.

A few safety considerations:

As always, plan your dive, dive your plan.

The person in front will have trouble seeing because of the glare from their chem light. The buddy(ies) will have a more enjoyable dive and be able to see more. It might help to block the glare with a piece of plastic or something so the light casts out in front but the chem light itself doesn't blind you.

It is important to stay closer to the line than usual, it's much easier to get disoriented with less light. For example, while you may think you know the gallery like the back of your hand and be comfortable in the ceiling on a regular dive, you may take a wrong turn and end up somewhere you didn't expect.

Still carry a primary and the required number of back up lights with you. (Sounds obvious, but...)

Start the dive with the chem lights, don't start on your primary and switch to them. It will ruin your vision. Also, running into other teams will ruin your vision (and may be cause for alarm for them), best to do it on a non-busy day.

It can be fun at the end of the dive to turn the lights on for comparison. It's like a whole new world!

If there's any problem, turn on the real lights.

Buddy awareness is challenging. You will find yourself listening for breathing rather than the steadiness of a light. It really heightens your other senses.

[FW]

I've done several chem light dives and found them to be particularly enjoyable. I would consider it an advanced cave dive due to self imposed visibility restrictions, probably a good idea to have 100+ cave dives before doing it.

A few safety considerations:

As always, plan your dive, dive your plan.

The person in front will have trouble seeing because of the glare from their chem light. The buddy(ies) will have a more enjoyable dive and be able to see more. It might help to block the glare with a piece of plastic or something so the light casts out in front but the chem light itself doesn't blind you.

It is important to stay closer to the line than usual, it's much easier to get disoriented with less light. For example, while you may think you know the gallery like the back of your hand and be comfortable in the ceiling on a regular dive, you may take a wrong turn and end up somewhere you didn't expect.

Still carry a primary and the required number of back up lights with you. (Sounds obvious, but...)

Start the dive with the chem lights, don't start on your primary and switch to them. It will ruin your vision. Also, running into other teams will ruin your vision (and may be cause for alarm for them), best to do it on a non-busy day.

It can be fun at the end of the dive to turn the lights on for comparison. It's like a whole new world!

If there's any problem, turn on the real lights.

Buddy awareness is challenging. You will find yourself listening for breathing rather than the steadiness of a light. It really heightens your other senses.

All great advice, especially the part about carrying all required lights. I agree about the part about starting with chem lights, but it doesn't hurt to end the dive with chem lights, just so you get used to a primary light failure, and the need to dark adapt.