By Laura Bijnsdorp
Want to come cave diving with me?
“Put your left hand on your weight belt, and your right hand on your regulator and mask. Now jump!” said my dive-guide. I jumped into the cold, clear water and shakily rubbed my mask clean. I am always a bit nervous before a dive, but this time I was beyond nervous; not only was I diving, I was going to be cave-diving!
Cave diving, which originated in the United Kingdom, is underwater diving in water-filled caves. Compared to caving and scuba diving, there are relatively few practitioners of cave diving. This is due in part to the specialized equipment and skill sets required, and because of the high potential risks due to the specific environment. I was going to do a fairly easy dive, no deeper than 10 metres, so risks were minimal, yet the idea of not being able to swim up to reach air if I needed to, freaked me out!
My dive-guide had explained everything in detail before the dive. We did not have to worry too much about the depth of our dive, but he reminded me that if anything went wrong, I would need to remain calm, as we would have to possibly swim back through tunnels to get out. There also would be darker areas, where we would need flashlights, and I would have to keep my buoyancy (balance) under control not to hit any cave formations such as sharp stalagmites and stalactites.
Despite these risks, and my fear, I was determined to try a cave-dive or two. These water-filled caves attract people like myself to see unexplored nature and present divers with a technical diving challenge and see fauna and formations you see nowhere else.
Scuba diving, whether in caves or normally in open water such as oceans or lakes, is a great sport. Once you get used to the new sensations, it’s very enjoyable and relaxing. Whether you are a beginner recreational diver interested in seeing the beautiful reefs of the sea, or an experienced deep-sea diver who travels to depths seldom seen by the human eye, scuba diving can provide numerous benefits.
Swimming provides both a cardiovascular workout and a muscular workout with little to no strain on our joints. Your muscles also work harder underwater as you move against the resistance of the current and the water itself. With this, you strengthen your muscles as well as develop your flexibility and endurance. Like swimming, which builds up the muscles in your thighs and shoulders, diving can help tone your different muscle areas, consequently giving you better posture.
Related to exercising your circulatory system, diving can also help lower blood pressure. There are studies reporting that those who dive on a regular basis are less likely to be prone to strokes and heart attacks. Slow, deep breathing is important in scuba diving to optimize air consumption and bottom time. An added bonus is that deep, steady breathing promotes a calm attitude and reduces the risk of a lung-expansion injury.
Similar to breathing during meditation, breathing slowly and deeply while diving induces a calm, relaxed state while the diver focuses on the underwater environment rather than thinking about problems they may be experiencing in daily life. This helps to reduce stress and balance the nervous system. A relaxed, calm state of mind has been proven to promote a positive attitude and prevent depression.
We entered the dark tunnel of the cave-system and I definitely did not feel relaxed. But once I calmed myself down, and allowed myself to take in my surroundings, I was in awe! I was in a different world. I almost felt as if I were an astronaut swimming through an alien planet.
Blue light shone through occasional air holes and huge dramatic rock formations led us through large rooms and tight tunnels. The strangest sensation was probably diving past a wall of air pockets, that made it feel like the world was upside down and there was a lake above us. The only reminder that I was swimming in an earthly cave-system was the occasional blind cat-fish that swam past us.
Cave diving should be an item on everyone’s bucket list.
