Sometimes it's hard to imagine life carrying on as normal while on a cave dive. Outside the sun might be shining, sheep are chewing the cud and people might be drinking pints of beer in a nearby village. A cave dive is an unreal experience, almost surreal, far from normality. We must stay calm, while one part of our brain is filled with terror. It's dark and cold and underwater. There is no quick way out. The underwater passage is complicated. We must concentrate hard to stay alive in a hostile environment. We must not loose the line or we will be lost. We must not pull on it or drag it into a narrow crack. We mustn't get caught up or tangled by the line or in rocks. We must go slowly and methodically, even though we might want to rush. We have a backup if our equipment fails, but we must be able to reach it quickly, even while squeezing through rocks. If something goes wrong there won't be much time to put it right. It's surprisingly hard to find a spare air regulator in the dark and gloom, even when it's tied round your neck. We can't make for the surface like a diver in the sea. Here we are, underwater in a dark cave, and up above life is normal. |
