What exactly makes cave diving so risky, even if you have experience or are with a guide?
In: Other
Watch the movie [Sanctum](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0881320/) and it’ll show/explain all the potential dangers described in the comments
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.
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Easy to get turned around. Lots fine silt that will cloud the water and reduce visibility to zero.
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.
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.
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