Underwater caves, with their deep, dark recesses, magnificent geological structures, and fantastic visibility, are irresistible to divers. If you’re considering becoming a cave diver or need a bit of a refresher, you’ll find that following these five basic rules will help keep you safe while allowing you to enjoy some truly remarkable cave diving experiences.
Treat Yourself to Training - Cave Diving Safety Tips
Do not even consider entering a cave unless you are properly trained to do so. About ninety percent of diving accidents involve a lack of formal training in proper methods for diving in a unique environment. Because of a lack of proper cave diving training, accident victims are often unaware of specific methods for remaining in control throughout the dive.
Furthermore, it’s vital that once you are trained as a cave diver, you always stick within the boundaries of your training and experience. Don’t push those limits.
Follow the Rule of Thirds Religiously - Cave Diving Safety Tips
Chances are good that you know the rule of thirds. The question is, do you observe it? Many cave diving fatalities involve people who either knew their way out of a cave or had a decent chance of finding their way out, but were not able to do so due to an insufficient amount of breathing gas.
The rule of thirds is in place not to limit your ability to explore, but to take unforeseen factors into account and provide a margin of safety. Use no more than one third of your gas to get into the cave, and preserve the other two thirds for egress. This highly increases your chances of living to dive another day.
Use a Continuous Guideline - Cave Diving Safety Tips
Many cave systems are maze-like. Know the way out by always maintaining a continuous guideline to the exit. Even if you’ve been in a specific cave system many times before and are familiar with “landmarks,” a silt-out or other problem could occur, preventing you from reaching the exit. Maintaining a guideline is non-negotiable.
Do Not Exceed the Operating Limits of Your Breathing Gas - Cave Diving Safety Tips
Even though only one of every ten cave diving deaths involves a certified cave or cavern diver, a full 90% of these fatalities involves exposure to equivalent narcotic depth (END) of 130 feet or greater, contributing to diver mortality. Oxygen toxicity and hypoxia have both been factors. Know the limits of your breathing gas and operate within them.
Carry Three Light Sources - Cave Diving Safety Tips
Caves are pitch black inside. Without light, your odds of survival are slim to none – even if you are in physical contact with a guideline, it will take you much longer to egress without a light than with one, potentially causing you to run out of air before you reach the exit. Carry not just one, but two backup lights and keep them equipped with fresh batteries. The odds that everyone in a team of cave divers will undergo triple-light failure are slim, so having everyone carry three lights is an important strategy.
Being conservative rather than pushing your limits and providing yourself with the training required to enter challenging subterranean environments will greatly reduce your odds of having a cave diving accident, and will reduce the likelihood that you will die while cave diving.