Dive planning
Cave Diving in the Era of COVID-19
With the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in the USA, you may wonder whether it’s safe to go cave diving. Well, that depends…
Gas matching in action
There are many ways to deal with dissimilar cylinder volumes. There is one method, however, which even if you don’t use it, you should at least understand.
Three more reasons diving metric is better
Using the metric system could make our life as divers — and cave divers in particular — easier. Here are three more reasons why.
Real cave divers, real behavior
Readers have been eagerly awaiting the results of the survey we launched last week on cave diver behavior. Here is the raw data.
The timely demise of the “Snap-n-Gap”
According to our recent survey, 90 percent of our readers have only been cave diving since the turn of the century. Most started cave diving in just the past ten years. This means most have no idea what cave diving was like a quarter century ago. Things were very different
Are you among the 300?
If you are among the 300 people who responded to our recent survey, you just made a valuable contribution to cave diving. And you didn’t have to die in a hail of arrows to do it.
Gas Consumption: Distance Trumps Time
When it comes to cave diving, how much gas you breathe in a minute isn’t as important as how far this gas takes you.
Something new at Devil’s Eye
The next time you dive Devil’s Eye, you may discover something very different from the last time you were there. All we can say is, “It’s about time.”
Sidemount gas matching: What you didn’t consider
Do sidemount divers need to worry about gas matching? It may depend on the situation.
Blame it on Jack Sparrow
Cave divers from outside the USA often wonder why we cling to an arcane and often bizarre system of measurements. The blame may lie with Johnny Depp.
Four places to safely “give them a taste”
There are four popular dive sites in north-central Florida where any certified diver can experience a safe cavern dive. That is, as long as they follow the rules and use common sense.
New! SuperHiPerformance Cave Diving
Let’s face it: Cave diving has become boring. But don’t worry. We have a way to put the adrenaline back in. And all you have to do is risk your life.
Blinded by the slight
Remember that scene in Episode II where Obi-Wan tells Anakin, “This weapon is your life.” Well, in caves, the guideline is your life.
Gone and (nearly) forgotten
Several once-thriving businesses used to be the hub of cave diving in north-central Florida. Now they are gone with hardly a trace left behind. They deserve to be remembered.
Caught in a blind
Are you familiar with “blind” tees? They are one more way the cave is doing everything it can to make sure you don’t come out alive.
Cave diving after the flood
If this is your first opportunity to cave dive following a major flood, here are five things you need to know.
12 Tips for Coming Out Alive
Sometimes it helps to remember what it is you already know. Especially when doing so can save your life
Is it really “Enriched” Air?
Oxygen does absolutely nothing to “enrich” air. But the term “Potentially Toxic Air” is nowhere near as marketable, so…
The final jump
Is there ever a justification for not putting a jump reel in place? Depending on circumstances, there might be a very good one.
Where are you going to go, what are you going to do?
Planning on a cave diving over the holidays? A change of plans may be in order.
How many guidelines are too many?
There is a limit to how many temporary guidelines can be in place at a cave entrance or intersection before they stop adding to safety and start creating a hazard.