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Not all divers will enjoy cave and cavern diving. Generally, a cavern is defined as being the first part of the cave, where you are able to turn around and see the exit still. The cave begins once you swim around the bend and you are unable to see daylight from any direction. I will be referring to both of these kinds of diving in this article as “cave diving,” since cavern diving is where it all starts for divers drawn down inside the earth – to places that not many people ever get the chance to see.
A big part of the attraction is finning along a less trodden path. However, there are many other reasons why divers may want to explore caves. Without any sunlight for sustaining bacteria or water movement for suspending silt, visibility can reach incredible distances – in some cases it can reach up to 200 feet. In huge chambers, divers might be able to see other divers as well as their lights from clear over to the other side, with water so clear that it is invisible – literally – like you are floating in space.
There are some caves that look like the moon’s surface with white pale limestone that is carved into unearthly, strange shapes. There are other caves where the water moves rapidly, with divers swimming against the flow of the water that goes into the cave. Also, if the passages are big enough, divers can fly along with the flow as it heads out. These types of dives are incredible experiences. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the water sometimes flows inward from the cave’s entrance and divers must be extra careful to turn around and have enough gas remaining for swimming against the flow while still making it out with enough gas still in reserve for safety purposes.
To the well-trained eye, cave offer just as much variety as different reefs or different shipwrecks. Some caves have dark walls, some have white walls, and some even have stripes that are the result of alternating seasons that send either clean water into a cave to flush it out or dark water in. Since caves are made commonly out of limestone, many of them have gorgeous fossils embedded into their walls.
There are also strange animals living inside some of these caves. Over centuries they have adapted to living in a cave environment. They might appear pale white and lack in pigmentation. Many are blind and have feelers that are extra long to be able to detect food in total darkness.
Just like ocean divers frequently develop a wealth of knowledge over time, cave divers do also, and the conversations before and after divers are just as animated as the ones that take place on dive boats. Briefly put, cave diving provides the chance to explore unique environments with plenty of adventure for those in a dive group who share this passion.
