Cave Diving...Wanna go?

 Photo Credit: NationalGeographic.com

Cave diving is a sport that you may not have ever heard of, especially if you’re not incredibly familiar with the wider world of scuba diving.

The term "scuba" is actually an acronym that stands for Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. The invention of this technology suddenly allowed people the opportunity to explore a whole new world beneath the surface. Whereas before we could only glimpse into this subterranean universe for mere seconds at a time, now underwater enthusiasts were able to spend up to an hour in their own undiscovered paradise. This sport is among the more elusive out there. Not only do not many people get involved in scuba diving, but even fewer have the gumption to venture deep into the underbelly of the earth.

Cave diving is so incredibly dangerous for several reasons.

• Divers generally take a line in with them to help them guide themselves back out. These lines are the only connection between the diver and their exit to the cave. When these lines snap or break they leave divers completely isolated in the cave, hunting for an exit until they finally die from lack of air.
• Stirring up sediment in the cave can also completely disorient the diver. Imagine a confined space with one source of light and a thin, clear line as your only guide back to safety. Now imagine the disarray caused by a kick of a flipper and the way that the space may turn pitch black with dust and debris. Without air or movement of water this sediment can completely blind and confuse the diver for up to an hour. One wrong move can kill when it comes to cave diving.

So, you may ask, with so many risks at hand, why do people continue practicing this one-of-a-kind sport.

Until you’ve experienced first-hand the magical world only discoverable by cave diving, it may be easy to dismiss this activity as unnecessarily dangerous. However, once you’ve explored the world below the waves, it makes perfect sense why people continue to risk life and limb just for a few minutes’ discovery.

All things considered, it’s undoubtedly necessary to use extreme caution when cave diving. Even if you’re a scuba diver, you’re not authorized to cave dive unless you have been specifically trained for the task. To be a daredevil and attempt a cave dive without every bit of recommended training, is to put your life in the water’s hands.

We absolutely recommend you look at pictures and read articles, but never begin a cave dive until professionals are absolutely certain that you can handle the challenges. After all, it’s widely known that we know more about outer space than about the world below our very feet.