What exactly makes cave diving so risky, even if you have experience or are with a guide?
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It takes as long to get back out as it took to get in. So if there are any problems you are hours from surfacing instead of open water where you go directly “up” and that’s the surface within some seconds.
Deep diving is similarly dangerous as cave diving as far as “time to surface” goes since you can’t shoot directly to the surface as that would cause nitrogen bubbles in your blood (on top of whatever emergency you already have). Deeper (as in vertical depth from sea level) caves could have this same issue requiring a few minutes hanging out at various stepped depths. THen you have to choose if your issue is more critical than having the bends which is at least terribly painful if not deadly itself.
Watch the movie [Sanctum](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0881320/) and it’ll show/explain all the potential dangers described in the comments
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Easy to get turned around. Lots fine silt that will cloud the water and reduce visibility to zero.
It’s dark, confined, and easy to get stuck or lost. If an emergency situation were to happen, rescue may be very difficult or even impossible.
Most people are mentioning the issues of visibility, but there’s a more pressing concern; air.
If you’re diving in the open ocean, and you scrape a rock or something that damages your air delivery system, you just surface and you’re fine.
If you’re diving in a cave, surrounded by solid rock, and something damages your air delivery system, you’re basically dead.
The main risk is that there is ***zero*** room for error.
Diving a cave is swimming through a series of complex tunnels, in pitch black (other than whatever light sources you bring) , on a timer (your air tanks).
It’s easy to get lost because it looks different when you’re coming back the other direction. The size of the tunnels can become small, making it easy to get stuck or damage your gear. If you get lost /have an emergency and run out of air, there’s no popping to the surface. You’re toast.
Cave divers sometimes trail a long spool of cord behind them, as a way to find their way back out.
You’re going into an enclosed space underwater. What more do you need to know?
Every part of your gear is mechanical. Mechanical devices occasionally fail. Malfunctioning regulator, leaking hose or fittings. Failing to manage air in tank. Plus risks of getting lost in the network of caves.
If you have an equipment malfunction during a regular dive, an emergency ascent is still an option (with its own risks) and soon you’ll be on the surface. In a cave that isn’t an option.
This description is the only thing you need to hear to not go cave diving. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=or92IMcLoIc
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