u/qualifiedretard

I feel the need to share this because many don’t seem to know the difference between diving in a cave vs cave diving.

Diving in a cave, is just diving in a cave.

Cave diving however, is a discipline with five core rules:

1. Seek proper training. You have to complete three courses before you can become a FULL cave diver. That does not include pre-requisites, such as your advanced open water and sidemount/doubles training (using of two tanks instead of one).

2. Maintain guideline to open water. You have to maintain a line from open water to where you are in the cave. If a cave has no line, you have to lay line. This is your way out if you lose visibility, or get lost.

3. Proper gas management. 1/3 to penetrate. 1/3 to exit. 1/3 as reserves. Because caves are only considered caves when it is pitch black (meaning sunlight cannot be seen anymore), cave diving during the day means you have to swim quite a bit to properly enter the cave. In most cases, accounting for depth, a single tank is not enough. And unsafe because that single tank can fail and you will have no air.

4. Observe depth. We cannot dive deeper than our certification or incur deco obligations without first being trained to do so. We need to be Trimix certified to dive much deeper (50m+) to ensure that we are not impaired, or risk oxygen toxicity.

5. Utilise proper equipment. Aside from having two tanks, we also have three lights. Most also carry two computers, two line cutters, two safety spools, two masks and potentially more.

Essentially, these rules are in place so that we can cave dive safely.

Diving in a cave without considering any of these five rules is putting yourself and others in danger.

Military, SAR, scuba instructors NEED to have cave training in order to do cave diving. No matter their level of experience, no matter their accomplishments. There are many cases where non cave trained divers died diving in caves because any of the five rules were not adhered. This also includes cave divers who have become complacent.