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#785
 Cavern Dives
scubacub1 - 10/08/2007 1:30 PM
Category: General
Replies: 0
April 2003 By Michael Ange According to the old saying, "Curiosity killed the cat." The same holds true for open-water divers who swim into flooded caverns and caves beyond the limits of their gear and abilities. Some hazards are obvious: low or zero light, the maze-like passageways that require penetration lines to follow, the inability to surface in case of emergencies. But one of the less obvious hazards of cave and cavern diving is silt. It`s found in nearly every cave system. Whether composed of clay, decomposing vegetation or both, silt has the ability to eradicate visibility. One wrong fin kick or errant hand scull and the air-clear water becomes brown murk, and it can stay that way for days. The solution to this hazard is spot-on buoyancy control and modified finning techniques that are at the heart of cavern and cave training.