Caving, Scuba Diving, and "The Final Frontier"|
Caving, Scuba Diving, and "The Final Frontier" |
Phillip A. Covington |
|
| Personal Web Site |
| The well-known phrase: "space, the final frontier," is probably true. But few of us will get to hitch a ride on the Space Shuttle! Did you know, though, that less is known about Earth than is known about the Moon? Thanks to numerous manned and unmanned missions, and the fact that most of the moons entire surface is exposed and can be easily surveyed, we know less about it than about our own planet. It is theorized that few, if any, "hidden" civilizations remain to be found in the world's jungles and forest. The world's highest peaks have been climbed. However, two "frontiers" here on Earth remained largely unexplored, and undiscovered: the Earth's oceans, and underground caves. Both are accessible to the average person. However, since scuba diving requires special equipment and training, let's start with caving. |
[Home]
This page last updated 20-Apr-2001 |
|
There are caves throughout the United States and the world, many of which have been opened to provide safe access to the general public. Such caves are called "show caves," and, appropriately enough, they do indeed provide a safe and convenient way to show the public the wonders of the underground world. New passages in existing caves, and entirely new caves, continue to be discovered. The people who participate in that kind of cave exploration are known as "spelunkers," derived from "speleology," the formal term for the study and exploration of caves. I'm focusing more here on show caves because touring them is an activity that is more accessible to the average individual, family, or group.
Speaking of groups, my first experience underground was when my elementary school class toured one of the several gypsum mines that are located under Grand Rapids, Michigan. Many "caves," like the mines in Grand Rapids, are now also used for the storage of valuable goods because of the ideal, constant year-around conditions underground. Incidentally, there are still gypsum companies in Grand Rapids today using it to make, among other things, the drywall that goes into almost every modern home or building.
While many caves are surely as yet undiscovered, those that have been are so numerous that you've almost certainly been near or driven by a show cave open to the public. If you're the kind of person that yawns at the thought of seeing the Grand Canyon, then you might not find caves interesting. But, if you, like many, consider such things awe-inspiring and fascinating, then I can assure you that the sights to be seen underground are equally magnificent, and even more so. In fact, there are literally canyons, rivers, waterfalls, cliffs, and even lakes, underground! And while most all of the caves are interesting, if you visit the right cave, or you visit enough of them, you'll see rock and crystal formations that are not only fascinating, but breathtakingly beautiful to look at. If you'd like to find out whether your next travel plans take your near a show cave, or whether a cave is already conveniently located nearby, one way to get started is by using the Internet. A number of caving links are provided below. However, even if for now you would only like to read about caves, an excellent resource is the "Gurnee Guide To American Caves," by Russell and Jeanne Gurnee. The Gurnee Guide is a comprehensive yet compact book that is not only sized to travel well, but contains almost 300 pages of perfectly balanced information about caves. There are numerous photographs (b&W), maps, and a description of each cave which strikes the ideal balance of not being short on the most important details, without being lengthy too. The Gurnee Guide is a great introduction to what awaits you underground, and is a great reference too. You also can't beat the price at under $10! Safety and Clothing Provisions for the comfort and safety of people visiting a show cave are similar to those for any other monument or public attraction; if anything, it is probably safer. (I know I'd sure rather be touring a cave than fighting the shopping crowd the day after Thanksgiving!) Some caves offer self-guided tours; at most caves, though, you will be escorted by a knowledgeable tour guide along a designated path, with guide rails where necessary. You should wear comfortable clothing and sturdy shoes, or walking/hiking boots. Some caves can be surprisingly warm. Most, however, tend to be a bit on the cool side, hovering somewhere between the fifties and sixties depending upon time of year and in which part of the country. Shirtsleeves are often fine, but a light jacket is definitely a good idea.
Most areas within show caves are reasonably well lighted. However, specific features will often be pointed out by your guide using a hand-held light. A compact, powerful flashlight can come in handy for getting a second look at those and other features. Lastly: humidity. Many caves are considerably dry; that's why (mainly man-made) caves and abandoned mines are used for storage. However, especially if you are planning to tour a cave that features a river, lake, waterfall, etc., women who are fussy about their hair might want to know ahead of time that the humidity definitely has the potential to cause a "bad hair day" if unprepared.
|
|
There wasn't room on the main menu to put the word "snorkeling." But snorkeling (also called skin diving) can be just as much fun as scuba, and, especially since you can start snorkeling as a kid, I've done more of it. The other great thing about snorkeling is that almost anyone can afford to buy the equipment, it requires minimal training, and since the gear doesn't take up much room you can easily pack it in your luggage on trips and vacations. Either way, if you've ever donned a mask and dived underwater, or peeked in, you probably noticed that what's under the water is easily more interesting than what's above it! That's why even since I was a kid I've spent more time under the water than on top. (Of course, the one drawback is that the above is seldom true if the water isn't clear.) If you haven't discovered yet how much fun going under the water can be, find a friend or instructor who is an experienced diver and ask him or her to introduce you to snorkeling. If you need equipment it can easily be rented very reasonably from a qualified dive shop in your area.
Just a word of caution about getting started in snorkeling. Yes, you can walk into any local department or sporting goods store and by skin diving equipment: mask, fins, snorkel, etc. However, even snorkeling (without scuba tanks) can be dangerous without proper knowledge and training. For instance, a powerboat can run over you because its driver can't see you just as easily as it might run over a scuba diver submerged just below the surface. That's why ALL divers, unless in a very protected area, should use a divers flag. There are other things you need to know as well, and that's why I've emphasized the importance of getting some training before you go under the water. Also, the equipment sold at department stores is seldom the quality of that you will find at a competent dive shop. Your local YMCA may also sponsor divers training, and may even rent basic equipment for use in their pool.
SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) was largely invented and popularized by the famous French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau. The word scuba is generally taken to mean all of the necessary equipment. However, technically, the "apparatus" part consists of the air tanks, regulators, etc. Many people still think scuba tanks hold oxygen, but they contain exactly the same air we breath on the surface, only HIGHLY compressed. As an example, the compressors such as used to fill car tires usually generate no more than several hundred PSI (Pounds Per Square Inch), while scuba tanks are filled to as much as 2,000 PSI or more! This is necessary both to fit enough air into the tank to give the diver time to explore underwater, and also because water is VERY heavy and the further down you dive the more pressure it takes to force air into your lungs to compensate against the pressure. The regulator is the part that contains the mouthpiece you breath through and it makes sure that you get just the right amount of air at the right pressure. The mask and fins you are probably already familiar with; although the ones used for scuba diving are of high quality, usually seal better against the face, and provide better underwater swimming ability on the feet, than cheaper equipment designed more for play. If diving in cooler waters, which is often the case, at least a short- if not full-length wet suit is necessary to maintain body temperature under water. Scuba divers, and often skin divers too, wear a weight belt containing adjustable and removable lead weights, without which they would float to the surface. This is especially true because some of the gear itself, most notably the wetsuit, contains air bubbles that act kind of like a life preserver, making you tend to float.
Various other gadgets are needed to make diving safe or more fun, including depth gauges, air gauges, etc., but about the only other important piece of equipment is the buoyancy compensation device (BCD, or BC for short). The BC can be a futuristic "hard-pack" device ranging from something that looks like those you've seen on Jacques Cousteu specials to an orange, yellow, or black version of something that looks like the backpacks used on space suits. More commonly, though, the BC is essentially a heavy-duty version of an inflatable life vest. If you've seen divers wearing them and thought that's what they were, you were partially right! The BC is and does act as a life vest. The difference is that a BC also has a regulator, which can let air into the BC from the scuba tank, or let air escape. When the diver lets air out, he or she sinks; let air in, and you rise.
Buoyancy, the tendency to sink or float, varies depending upon the individual. However, you may already have experienced one of the neatest things about diving: underwater weightlessness! A properly rigged diver is neutrally buoyant and neither sinks nor rises; you just stay suspended in a state of underwater weightlessness. That's why NASA astronauts train for space missions in huge underwater training pools. Being weightless in space and being weightless underwater are very similar. So, while at the outset I did make mention of the fact that most of us will never get to experience the real "final frontier," underwater diving at least comes in a close second! |
|
Return To Homepage Copyright © 1998 Phillip A. Covington |