In this article, we will give you guides for traveling cave divers, especially if you are new to visiting new spots and you have no diving experience in those places.
1. The Importance of Understanding the Local Area Before You Start Diving
Divers should learn as much as possible about the local area before exploring caverns.
The protocols vary as significantly as the caverns themselves.
Heavy polypropylene line is used to prevent the growth of marine life in sea caves, and divers may encounter this when exploring these locations.
Rather than using line arrows, other forms of navigational aid are employed since they are too large to be placed on this sort of line.
The tides may further complicate dive operations. Jumps or Ts are standard in Australia’s most visited location, Tank Cave; therefore, locals use clothespins to trace them.
Rather than generating jumps and gaps, colder climate locations typically “T” the line permanently.
Or maybe you’ve seen:
- Russia’s wire guideline
- Canada’s ski rope
- Bermuda’s line is encrusted in sponges
2. Don’t Ignore Advice From Local Cave Dive Guides And Consider Using Their Services
The traveling cave diver needs to be open to advise from locals or adjust their technique to fit the cave’s unique environment.
For example, utilizing the services of a guide may be quite beneficial while cave diving in unfamiliar environments like Ordinskaya Cave, located in the Ural Mountains of Russia.
They will be able to guide you in a distinct and unusual environment, which may involve potential risks like diving in icy water, gypsum silt, and visibility constraints.
Also, local guides could serve as experienced dive buddies, provide insider information on restricted areas, and assist you in getting to some of the more isolated spots.
So, to be sure that the local guides are adequately qualified and share equal care for safety as you do, it is necessary to verify their qualifications and history, just like you will with other dive buddies.
3. Always Put Safety First When Diving And Use Your Knowledge
You should always dive knowing that you, or your diving partner, may be required to perform a recovery, even if a guide accompanies you.
Just because you’re on vacation doesn’t mean you should get careless about safety.
Maybe you want to be an excellent cave diver; you love this activity and want to do it for the rest of your life.
But first, however, you must ensure that this is not your final day on earth.
A group of Mexican dive operators named the Asociacion de Prestadores de Servicios Acuaticos was established in response to a string of accidents and deaths in the Yucatan (APSA).
However, because this degree of structure for cave guides is still unavailable in many nations, you must be extremely careful when choosing a private guide.
4. Make Sure Your Guides are Experienced and Certified Divers
In certain places, persons who identify as cave diving guides can sometimes lack any professional certification in cave diving, even though this type of diving is considered risky.
The National Speleological Society and Cave Diving Section have devised a mentorship program to educate card-carrying Cave Supervisors.
This program is intended to equip proficient cave divers that have already earned their certification with further knowledge in dive leadership so that they may lead or supervise many qualified divers on cave dives.
The grade of Cave Diver Supervisor can be viewed as a lead or instructor-in-training position.
This program is intended to aid in the creation of a systematic guide training scheme for the many properties involving cave diving spots owned or administered by the NSS-CDS.
The program ensures uniformity regarding cave diving abilities, safety procedures, and practices.