Thanks all,
I hope some scuba types do chime in, I'd like to hear their ideas.
I've thought about multiple lights, a hassle, but doable. Its a no-brainer for tank divers doing long penetrations, but is it really useful for freedivers? I guess that depends on how far we are going into blackness.
Most of the stuff most spring freedivers are interested in in Florlda are boils and caverns which are, by definition, exposed to at least some sunlight. Most, (all for me) have significant flow, so siltation is not an issue. Where it gets tricky are places which grade from caverns(light) into caves (dark). For example, in Blue Springs, its an open boil to 65 ft, a cavern to 110ft with no light after about 95, but the way out can't be missed. After 110, it enters another room where the way out might not always be clear, consider that a cave. Personally, I'm pretty leary of penetrating caves, but have no problem going slowly and exploring a short distance beyond light penetration in caverns. In Blue, there is a sign at 65 warning untrained divers to stop. But if you stop there, you miss the best part, most of which is quite safe. So, what are reasonable guidelines on where is safe to dive and where not?
I totally agree that freedivers entering any overhead environment, caverns or whatever, need to be educated to the special, and not so obvious, dangers of this type of diving. Breathing off air bubbles is one of the not so obvious ones. We also almost lost a diver in Blue Springs this year from that issue. It is very easy to exceed your skill and safety level, much more so than in open water.
Connor
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