Ins and outs of cave diving

Cave-diving is one of the most complicated and dangerous types of diving. It is described as extreme swimming in underwater caves and caverns. Not everyone is capable of participating in this sport as it requires a lot of experience.

Objects

According to the most popular classification, there are many objects of exploration in terms of cave-diving.

• Coral caves that are formed by corals of different length and depth. They are mostly situated in the Red Sea.
• Ice caves formed as a result of melting of icebergs are unique in their shape and are considered to be the most beautiful. However, they are the most dangerous at the same time.
• Sea caves were formed under the influence of tides and currents. They are not as deep as coral and ice caves, but they are incredibly beautiful. They are mostly located in the Dominican Republic.
• Karst caves are ranked first due to their accessibility and popularity. The most well-known caves of this kind are situated in Florida. In addition, this type of caves includes flooded mines.
• Lava caves were formed by lava flows. They can be found all over the world.

Difficulties

Why is it so dangerous?

• In case of emergency it is important to swim up quickly which is not always possible because of the structure of caves.
• The amount of oxygen is limited, while the number of different passages and caverns is endless so it is easy to get lost.
• Visibility in caves is not as good as in the sea itself, so it is hard to see different boundaries and obstacles in advance.

Due to all the reasons mentioned above cave-diving is an activity in which only experienced divers can take part. It is necessary to complete a special course to be able to do it.

Safety rules

To stay safe while diving in the caves, one needs to follow all the rules aimed for safety.

• Movements can be done in horizontal position of the body only.
• There mustn’t be any garments or parts of the equipment that can hook onto something.
• A knife is a must.
• In case something extraordinary happens, it is crucial not to panic.
• It is of primary importance to choose a reliable benchmark that will make it possible to swim up in case of emergency.
• One should follow the 1/3 rule: one-third of all the gas should be used for moving forward, one-third should be used for leaving the cave. One-third must be left for unexpected situations.
• It is important to have an extra source of light when diving in caves and caverns as the amount of light there is usually limited.

Levels of training

When it comes to cave diving, it is of paramount importance to attend special courses and go through a lasting process of training. There are several levels of difficulty.

1. Cavern diver is the first level. Only those who have a certificate in Advanced Open Water Diving are allowed to join this course.
2. Cave diver is the second level. Sportsmen who have this very certificate can go diving with an instructor in some ordinary caves that do not have any thin passages.
3. Finally, the third level is called ‘Full cave diver’ and it allows experienced divers to go diving on their own and explore the most remote and hard-to-rich placed.

Equipment

Cave diving requires the same equipment as ordinary diving. Sportsmen use scubas, buoyancy control systems, flippers and wet-suits. In addition, they have to bring extra lightning and knives with them.

To sum up, cave diving is one of the most dangerous types of diving that requires a high level of training and experience.