I played Subnautica, went into a cave, got lost and died. Respawned in my pod and stayed out of the caves until I could make the biggest tank, a light, batteries and the dive reel. The fear and disorientation I felt playing a game was enough to make me realize how dangerous the real thing is!
That’s funny because of the amount of times I’ve died in a cave in subnautica. while watching this I was looking at it through the lens of that game and thinking I already did not know the way out
I feel the same way about Minecraft I get very scared if I am lost in a cave. I don’t think I will ever cave dive. I’m not a diver. Maybe I would try regular scuba diving 🤿 but not cave diving. I’ve skydived before but I’m saying nope to cave diving 😅
@@livyliv18 I always put torches on the left side going in, so if I'm trying to get out, I know if I see them on the right side, I'm going the right way. "Right, right." But yeah, they're pretty easy to get lost in.
I was a state police recovery diver for about a decade, a master diver with a bunch of certs including wreck, boat, deep, ice, drysuit, nitrox, mixed gas, archeology, night, rescue, altitude, drift, etc. I've seen and done some gnarly stuff on missions. But you can't get me within 10 feet of a cave opening underwater. No. Thank. You.
I was a PADI instructor for 3 decades. One of my former students called one day to ask if I wanted to go cave diving with him and a friend. I politely declined, telling him that I've had no real training in that. He laughed and said 'Me neither' Then I advised him that it wasnt a good idea without training. He got defensive, dismissed me, and died in a caving accident only 2 months later. - Silted out and lost his exit path. I dont say this to demean him. He was a great guy and very outgoing. I dont glorify myself either. I just know what I dont know. There's a unique skillset to cave diving that has been developed on the backs of hundreds of dead cave divers. With no quick access to the surface, even a well-trained cave diver probably faces a hundred times more danger than a regular open-water diver. Dont do it without the training!
Yeah. PADI certified class 2, I remember my instructor telling me two crucial things when I was learning: #1 you see a hole or a cave, DONT GO IN! and #2, all of the spectacles of diving are in the first 60 feet, past 100 feet, most of the spectacle is gone. No cool reefs or fishes down there, really. "its only cold and dark down there, not worth the risk of going deeper." he said. I will never forget those two rules. Being certified up to 100 feet as an open water diver is good enough for me.
@@tannerfernald5121 I saw on National Geographic some divers went 120m at opean sea during the night to record the Coelacanth. Amazing they got to go so deep in the water, it must be really scary to go down that depth. They did a 3 hours decompression and only had 15 minutes down there. ua-cam.com/video/4jl_txxYQEA/v-deo.html
Most I’ve gotten is up to PADI rescue diver, so I have my advanced O/W as well…You can see some cool things deeper but usually those are wrecks and if you don’t pay close attention they can become just as dangerous as a cave dive..I dive mainly in south Florida so most of it is drift diving the reef from 60-80 feet.
I trained as a combat diver, I would never in a million years go anywhere near cave diving, not ever! No matter how knowledgeable you think you maybe, cave diving is a whole other level of training. I found you guys channel through Mr.Ballen a fellow combat diver, no doubt your videos are saving lives!! My hats off to your highly educational videos!
I found you on accident. I am not a diver. I am terrified of deep water and caves. But it’s so fascinating. So you guys got a gift of drawing in non divers 😁
Me too, I lived 10-15 minutes from the ocean most of my life and whenever I was in a boat or even on land I always thought how scary it must be under the surface of the water.
If you’re videos make just 1 person think twice about doing something foolish, then you’re making a difference, and, probably saving someone’s life. Great video
Isn't it easier than ever before in history to prepare for something like this by watching videos and consuming articles and tutorial about all of the dangers rules and procedures, that we have access to online? Its like some people don't even think one bit about planning ahead at all.
@@l3lackoutsMedia In most cases I think that is what happens but sometimes it has the opposite effect. I'm not a cave diver but was heavily involved in another much lesser but still high risk activity before social media was such a big thing, knowledge about safety and locations was passed down in a way that kept new people safe. Before 2010ish there would be maybe one death or serious injury every few years, once it became popular online I'd hear about multiple serious accidents and usually at least one death every year. Now people can learn almost everything about anything online, they can get all the gear and probably pull it off for a while without any problems but then they don't recognise a dangerous situation until it's too late. No amount of research and planning can replace a grumpy old timer pulling you back and explaining how you nearly got yourself killed.
@@lubtp7133 I agree completely. Especially small mistakes and missing knowledge about things that don't affect you 99% of the time can lead to your demise in the right situation. Germans call this "Gefährliches Halbwissen" (dangerous half-knowledge).
This one in particular gave me crazy anxiety. It helped me realize just how easy it is to get lost in these caves. You pass 3 corners that had 2 paths each, turn around and have ZERO idea of your orientation.
When I'm searching tunnels (video games, not real life) I always stick to the right. If you have to u turn just keep the wall to your left. If you need to search the next tunnel, it'll just be another right. When you turn around just skip one opening to the left. If you've done it twice skip two openings. Still can get lost but a mental framework and method can help alot. Cave diving is insane tho, like Russian roulette.
Honestly this video might save lives. They should put this on training videos for cave diving, just to show people how serious it is and why you should do certain things when you go diving. I'm very glad he survived this is one of the most intense videos I've ever watched.
I know nothing about cave diving and I'm sitting here like "wait, you're not leaving a rope to guide you back to the surface?!" That's shits instilled in our minds when we're kids through fairytale, breadcrumb trail in Hansel and Gretel.
Yeah. I mean...you think all those rocks aren't gonna look exactly the same in the dark? He never even turned around to memorize the hole he came through from the inside...complete lunatic. Only alive through pure luck.
@@penguin12902 the rocks don’t look anything alike going the other way. It looks completely different and thats from caving in the air - just crawling around
This is total speculation but my interpretation is that he probably didn’t even know how badly he messed up and how much danger he put himself in. He probably posted it proudly then took it down when he realized how badly he messed up, maybe embarrassed or just how terrible of an example this is to set for others.
YUP. Sometimes I think experienced divers that trash talk noobs can be kind of condescending… but in this case, these 2 guys with headsets in the video are completely right, completely reasonable, and being chill about it. The guy in the video was insane! How do you go that deep in a cave with 1 tank, NO LINE, no cave training (or even cave diving knowledge), and only 1 light?! The no line part is the worst IMO, but you should never violate ANY of the 5 rules of cave diving…
Honestly, I don't believe for a second that he does not know that what he does is so insanely dangerous that people will call him stupid. It is not the first time he does that and he is an OW instructor. Some people like to live dangerously and do things where death is a very likely outcome like climbers without ropes. We haven't seen him kicking so unlike the two commentators, I would not be positive that he is flutter kicking. No one knows how many torches he has, if he was narced (with Nitrox, oxygen toxicity was the biggest threat at 150m) and at no time we did have a look at his air gauge.
I watched this with my partner who doesn't dive, and I have 10 years of cave diving experience. All I could say throughout this one was how monumentally stupid and lucky this guy was for getting out. Thank you for covering this
Someone pretty much actually did this in May 1933. Only he wasn't even a hiking guide. His name was Maurice Wilson and he bought a plane, taught himself how to fly it, flew to Nepal, and attempted to be the first man to climb Everest, and he'd do it by himself. It went about as you'd expect.. You can learn more of the wild details by searching here on YT: The Strange and Lonely Death of Maurice Wilson
Before learning SCUBA and when I was much younger, I used to spelunk in dry caves and got myself turned around a few times in caves I was very familiar with. Things just look way/completely different when you turn around. My level of anxiety watching this was high to start with and I actually took a break at one point. I know what it feels like to be 'lost' in a cave. But underwater as well? No. Just no.
@@scambaitspidey3470 no, she means turn around at several points as you go in so you could recognize those points when you come back out. Especially landmark areas.
Former caver here, too. You’re spot-on about getting turned around. We had a momentary scare like that many years ago in a tight cave in Kentucky. Afterward, I made a habit of turning around and looking back so it would be somewhat familiar when returning. Now I’m older and the thought of confined spaces gives me the creeps.
This is absolutely terrifying to watch. The thoughts that are going through his mind, lost underwater, twists and turns, silt everywhere, with little air. I am breathing hard just watching. Vicarious diver and adventurer through you. Love you guys.
I have another question, since you mentioned "the thoughts that are going through his mind". I really wonder what the !@#$ he was thinking as he kept going deeper and deeper. I mean it's basically a miracle that he managed to get out. If a person with his (in)experience tried that 1000 times MAYBE they would manage to get out of it once!
I'm not a diver but I stumbled on your videos and They fit my interests PERFECT. you guys pause the videos at the right time and explain the right things but you don't pause for toooo long or over explain. you show us beefy stories that keep me wondering and full of suspense. great content, great commentary- keep up the great work to the both of you! your commentary bounces of eachother great!
One more emphasis on something that Woody has mentioned briefly: the fact that this guy posted his "adventure" video on UA-cam is a probable sign that he didn't get these lessons (but, after the fear has faded away, he's probably proud about it and his "resourcefulness"). Even deleting it after a while was probably due to the other cave divers' reactions and not because he realized what he has done. So, I think he needs to hear from you about all the stupid mistakes that he did.
i live in ohio and suffer from crippling anxiety/claustrophobia. therefor, never will dive. but somehow i'm fixated on this content lately, almost like weird exposure therapy. you two narrating and breaking things down is perfect. bless up my dudes.
You could actually enjoy diving in clear water. I don't feel claustrophobic in Caribbean waters with 200 feet of visibility, but diving a wall that drops to 2000 feet let's you stare into the abyss, a whole other phobia.
I have no interest in any kind of diving. It's just nice to listen to passionate, knowledgable people share what they know. I also like videos on reptile care and I don't have reptiles lol. Just means they're good entertainers!
This was intense to watch. Thank you for your commentary on high risk videos videos like this. I know it’s anxiety provoking, but you’re saving lives with your knowledge. Thank you 🙏
I loved watching this because it demonstrated that even a skilled (although not cave-trained) diver broke the rules, dived beyond their capacity, silted out a cave, clearly began breathing more rapidly, and despite the odds, somehow made it out alive. I'm glad they shared it, even if they did unshare it quickly because of the heat they got. It's one of the rare "I went to a cave, had an "Oh crap" moment and survived."
That guy won the lottery that day ... I could feel my anxiety climbing trying to remember the way he went and couldn’t remember and I re watched his descent 3 times lol can’t imagine that feeling being at the bottom in no viz and have no clue how to get out ... worst fear ... awesome video as always
Fascinating channel. As a new diver, I am learning a ton of useful tips. More importantly for me, you do a fantastic job of exploring the human factors that can lead to tragedy.
You guys are addictive to listen to. I'll never be able to dive since I have glaucoma but it's awesome to live vicariously through you and hear about these crazy stories.
I'm an eye doctor and not aware of glaucoma and not being able to dive. Have you talked to a DAN recommended eye doctor? The flow of fluids within the eye are an "open loop system" and I just can't figure why there would be restrictions.
From that brief look at his computer, it does appear that he turned the dive at around 2,000 PSI, which would be in line with the rule of thirds if he was doing it wrong and planning on draining the entire tank. But let's indulge him on this and assume he started counting that first third from the second his dive started, meaning his first third includes the descent and is at a much shallower average depth than where he's most likely to (and did) experience issues. If that first third took him 11:30, which I believe I read on the computer, he's got like 6 minutes of things going south at that depth before his second third is gone, *IF* he maintains his SAC rate. And let's not forget that he's way past his NDL at that point, so the ascent will take longer than the descent did, leaving him dead, bent, or somewhere in between. AND HE FILMED IT. Hopefully, I read his computer wrong.
Not a diver. Recently listened to a cave diver explain the many ways caves can be disorientating. Currents, multiple tunnels at different directions, 3 dimensional, blind chimneys, etc. Don’t recall who. This man got lucky, pure dumb luck. I enjoy hearing your explanations of the science & procedures behind the diving. In my work, have studied blood gases, partial pressures, and the lovely oxygen dissociation curve. Complex enough on land.
@@MegaCharns a lot of how people orient themselves and judge distance is based on your brain's reaction to familiar objects such as trees, the horizon, hills/mountains etc. None of these things are in a cave so you'll quickly find yourself unable to process where you really are. Same thing happened to Astronauts on the Moon. They set off towards what they thought as a boulder then after 10 minutes realised it was actually a mountain 100's of kilometers away.
I've been cave diving in orange Grove and just the upper is bad enough to find for a newby. My stomach was in my throat the entire time watching this. Needless to say you never silt up the cave. Wes skiles park has some beautiful cave systems. Stay safe guys.
I love the balance of informative, calm underwater vibes, plus the reality of death in your videos. For some reason it's just the right mix for me to watch while I do my daily things! Thank you for all you guys do, stay true to you, and keep teaching safety.
I think the "if you're not trained to do cave-diving, then don't do it", should also apply to a LOT of other activities/ "hobbies" than many people nowadays often practice to "find themselves" (very often on social media btw) or whatever they like to call it.
Absolutely! We say ridiculous things while spending WAY TOO much time on social media. We should always think before we act. We're so used to instant gratification in our lives we dont want to wait for anything.That was a very wise observation you made- more people should take it into consideration before doing something irreversible.😊❤
No clue how i got to this corner of youtube but my heart started beating out of my chest immedaitely after you guys cut to the video. Even with correct safety precautions this seems like the most insane hobby one could have props to you guys
For those that don't know the 5 rules of cave diving: 1. Never dive with more then ONE tank (any more will be too heavy) 2. ALWAYS go on your own (other people will slow your descent) 3. NEVER bring a light (once you're under for a few minutes your eyes will adjust) 4. NO decompression stops (what are you, a pussy boy afraid of the bends?) 5. NO guidelines or maps (a real man finds his own way around and doesn't need a rope to do it for him!) Enjoy your diving and look forward to seeing being reacted to on the channel!
Oh, @11:00 I think I see cave crawdads! The white things on the bottom, one appears to be missing a claw, and is seen to move along the bottom. There's another, unless I'm trippin', just to the left of the cursor on the screen. Woody and Gus! You need to do a "Dive Talk: Nature Edition" and show us the many lifeforms you guys, and others, encounter inside an overhead environment like these caves! I promise to "Like Button" the hell out of it!
I was squirming and on edge that entire time!! Seeing it from his POV actually helps to understand how absolutely terrifying that must be on all the Mr. Ballen cave death stories
This made me feel an intense state of anxiety watching this guy getting lost... It’s cool to see actual cave divers giving insight on these stories. Pure miracle he found his way out given all that silt getting kicked out everywhere.
I was about to have a heart attack watching this guy- the thought of drowning a hundred feet underground is highly disturbing, at best. I hope he got out safe. Thank you for your excellent show, guys❤
Hi, My name is Adrian I’m an SSI advance Instructor and instructor in all specialties and also I am the service technician, factory train from every company! I watch your show every day while I’m working on equipments and I love it! I am not a cave diver but I did some Cenotes with a dive guide, simple dives nothing crazy, I love it ! Thanks for sharing your knowledge! Maybe one day I get a chance to dive with you guys
I'm not a diver at all, but it seems to me that not only is it incredibly easy to get lost in a cave, but it's probably very hard NOT to get lost. This guy is just in a giant maze where everything looks the same. He is beyond lucky. I sure would love to try it with an extremely experienced instructor though. Seems magical down there.
My Dad was a diver in his youth, mainly shipwrecks and ancient sites. His stories growing up made me have a huge fear of the Ocean, so this channel is both fascinating and terrifying. Keep up the awesome work!
Just discovered your channel today and have been binge watching your videos for hours now 😂. I am an introvert who never goes out except when going to the office or buying groceries, but I have always been into reading and watching content on explorations and adventures of different places, from archeology all the way to outer space. It's like I'm living vicariously through people like you who venture out to see and experience places that only a few people could. Thank you for all the things that you divers do. A new subscriber here!
Been diving for 24 years. Worked 10 years as a Insturctor all around the world and the stupidity never ends. Taking risks is a huge problem in the diving community.
It would be really interesting to get his reaction to this video + an interview with him (blur out his face if he wants to stay anonymous) as a follow up to get the answers to some questions that spring to mind like what made him do it, did he know how dangerous it was when he decided to explore this cave, how did he feel at various stages of that dive, was he scared, did real panic set in at any point, how does he feel about it in hindsight etc. I know this guy may want to keep lowkey because of the heat he’s getting but can pixelate his face, plus if you post something online you need to be ready for criticism, especially if you post something controversial.
Wouldnt even need a camera on him just Gus and Woody talking to him and doing a walk through with him asking questions while he walks them through the video.
Idk why I’m watching these, but I’m kind of hooked! My dad used to scuba dive and brag about swimming with sharks and how docile they were. I’m terrified of a lot of things, including (but not limited to) relying on a machine to breath, flipping backwards off a boat, riptides, etc. My dad wasn’t! He was a huge thrill seeker. He would take me to the springs and dive down into a ‘cave’ or something, a giant hole just underneath me. I’d see him disappear and watch the bubbles. He also took me far, far out into the ocean once on his shoulders when the tide was ridiculously low (high? Idk how else could he walk so far?) Anyways, fascinating listening to you guys comment on all these stories. I think my dad would’ve gotten into this channel, too.
Back in the early 1990's, when I got started diving, my instructor was getting into cave diving. He bought all the gear and went to FL to get certified. After a week or so of diving in one of the popular cave systems in Florida. I'm pretty sure it was Madison Blue, but not sure. I remember he came back with a VHS tape that was an underwater video map of the cave. I do remember it had a shorter circuit they called the horseshoe room which was the easier way to do a loop and come back out. Then there were also other ways to go as well that were more advanced. At any rate, my instructor and his brother went on their FL trip and both got cave certified and were very excited when they returned. But just after a couple weeks back home, my instructor literally sold all his dive gear and I'm not sure if he ever went diving (or cave diving) again. I ended up buying his regs, a dive rite light system and a 15 cubic foot bail out cylinder. When I went to get the small bail out tank filled, they told me it was full of water. Which was totally not normal. But after putting two and two together, I think he must have had some kind of situation or issue while at depth and it seems that he had to breath off of his bail out tank, the same 15 cubic foot tank I bought. Well the only way water can get inside a cylinder is to drain the air, completely. He never mentioned anything about the trip and I never really had a chance to ask after the fact.
The video was up for a few days. It was originally shared on Reddit on r/scuba but was removed. But it started to get shared around the cave community and was removed once he started to get blow back from cave divers, the Florida State Park Service, and the FSW. The diver isn't an instructor he is a DM.
God this is nerve wracking. Everything about this went wrong from the start, by his own choice. Complete luck that he made it out alive! Like you said, it's a shame that actions like this give cave diving a bad name.
Agreed! I'm so tired to these type of instructors. Sadly they often can operate during a long time due to people not want to report them to their agency. I work with diving and a instructor from another dive center were a true hazard for customers. One of those typical guys that think they are so cool, taking risks, acting tough, being a general dick, talking shit behind customers back if they don't learn skills quick enough, being inpatient, condescending and a jerk. We shared the boat with that dive centre and being to new in the industry I was to afraid to speak up. We all knew that one day an accident would happen and it did. 2 people died because of his negligence and pushing limits. He was convicted for manslaughter and went to prison for it. After that I made a promise to my self to never ignore these behaviours! I do not hesitate to report these guys, and yes it's almost always men doing this, that wants to be cool and do stupid shit. I can't even count how much shit I've seen and stupidity. I often say if you want to learn diving, go with a female instructor because they are more mature and won't push limits. For them it's safety first and wants to educate good divers.
@@Musiknird Female instructors can be shit too. I did a 3 day open water basic PADI course in Roatan Honduras with a female instructor. She was the only instructor for a large group. I had issues equalizing. Instead of taking me back up out of the water, she had me continue diving to 12 meters in the open ocean. I suffered severe ear pain that lasted 3 days. I was unable to complete the final day's training.
@@itsjustuz7274 never said there isn't shit female instructors as well but when it comes to deadly outcomes or serious accidents there will be most likely that that a male instructor is the cause and this is statistically proven. Also guess that you went with a irresponsible dive center that dies these things to earn more money in every student, which isn't always easy to know. Though it's easy to find the info online if you Google the agency they are apart of and just didn't drop in from the beach and wanting to get certified.
Great video, but to correct what Woodie was saying: open circuit cave diving is rules of 6ths when you have Intro to Cave, but when you transition to Full Cave you are able to adopt the rule of 3rds.
The word 'Fool' seems interchangable with the word "this dive instructor" here. I am glad that you guys brought it back and reacted to it. Lessons of high value be learned here.
Back in the 1980s I used to scuba dive in the caves in that area. People were always telling me and my brothers about the people who had died the week before or a few weeks before we arrived. We ended up getting cavern certified by John Orlowski, who was one of the people who helped map Peacock Springs. John had some really interesting stories to tell and was on a team of people who analyzed what went wrong on some of the fatal cave dives. I never got fully cave certified, but would love to get back into the cavern and cave diving if my wife would let me. It can be very peaceful and relaxing diving in those caves, but you really need to have training to do it.
This makes me so anxious. The whole time I was trying to find out what I would do if I was ever foolish enough to get into that situation and I just panicked watching this video, knowing that one wrong decision would leave me seeing my pressure sink as I try to find the exit, finally drawing the last bit of air and drowning. This video is so stressful just to watch.
I remember seeing this a month ago and thought to myself this cant be real, It's got to be a training video of what not to do. I was nervous just watching this and getting angrier at the same time. Every time someone dies cave diving the general public who doesn't know any better lumps every cave diver in this group.
There's a lot more to the story...apparently this guy enjoys doing this kind of thing and this was one of several videos he posted from caves he dove at, including a dive at Eagle's Nest! It's very unfortunate because he's going to end up dead and everyone is going to say "See? Cave diving IS dangerous!"
@@DIVETALK That stinks, they'll end up closing down eagle's nest again. I personally have never dove eagles nore will I until I have the proper depth training under my belt. Keep up the great videos!!!!
@@DIVETALK That makes it even worse but explains why he didn't panic too harshly I guess... His chances of survival are increasingly low with every single dive... And they're hardly there to begin with... Fucking insane.
You shouldn’t get mad at cave divers for dying. People die skydiving or driving cars. but nobody says we should ban skydiving or ban driving cars. The problem is the Nazis who want to ban cave diving because they personally are afraid of it 😒
Also, just in case anyone else has this, I have something called submechaniphobia and your videos make it possible for me to watch, learn about, and actually enjoy underwater video showing scuba/swimming and underwater exploration. For some reason the phobia is not triggered with cave diving. Just in case anyone else has this, cave diving is an exception to the rule (it seems) for this specific phobia.
I had to look that up. I've never heard of that phobia before. Is it true that usually a lifetime of being around these triggers is what eventually caused the phobia, or have you always found underwater man-made objects terrifying?
I've never been diving in my life but even I know (after watching videos like these) that you have to have a line when cave diving and tri-mixed gas at low depths (not to mention decompression stops). And this guy is an instructor? It boggles my mind how people can be so stupid. Great video as always guys :)
This is absolutely terrifying. Even with my limited scuba experience and only book knowledge of cave diving basics, I would never ever ever ever ever ever dream of doing something this risky. And he's an instructor??? Seriously, this guy needs to go back and tell every single student he certified that they need to be retrained by someone who can make sure they know what they're doing.
I feel like open circuit instructors getting themselves into trouble when they try cave diving with no experience is a prime example of the Dunning-Kruger effect.
I'm an instructor(including wreck instructor, which has some of the same considerations), and I don't want to go cave diving even if I had training, it's just too risky for my taste. About 15-20 times as dangerous as recreational diving. And I'm certified on a rebreather so I wouldn't even have the problem of not having enough air(and always bring at least one bailout tank on rebreather dives for redundancy, as I was trained!). Rebreather has almost as bad of a rate as cave, but that's mostly because so many cave, and technical wreck divers use them.
@@toriless Yeah, same finning techniques to avoid silting for visibility loss, being able to navigate constrictions, and using lines, having torches and backup torches(though cave has a greater requirement there, at least 2 backups, instead of 1, and many bring 3), both follow the rule of thirds(gas planning), both have the possibility of trapping you inside(part of a wreck collapsing/heavy thing falling on you, cave in), the risk of getting lost should you lose your line, especially combined with a silt up. Wrecks tend to have more cutting/piercing hazards due to corroded metal, caves tend to have flow(current), which can also cause silt ups. There's other differences as well. The first wreck I dived is actually known for several diver deaths, but not in the particular part of it I went to, the Zenobia in Cyprus, it's a very large roll-on roll-off cargo ferry. In the crew quarters the walls have been knocked down, so you can swim through it like a big cathedral, which is where I went. Below decks is the hazardous part, especially down in engineering.
I randomly found one of these videos last night, and although diving in any aspect isn't my thing and I wasn't sure why I was recommended to watch a reaction video to one, I'm glad I got to watch it. Not only did I watch that video from you guys, but I've been binge watching your videos since last night, and it's after this video I felt compelled to write a comment. I wanted to let you guys know how appreciative I am that you not only react to these diving videos, but give information in with your commentary. It makes me feel like I'm in a free class with you two as my teachers and I'm just soaking up all this information I never would have otherwise looked to learn. I really enjoy watching these videos and, in a weird way, am proud to look up to you guys as my teachers. I don't plan on diving or anything, but your passion for the sport and the detailed information you guys always give (and the lengths you go to really make us understand, such as a previous rebreather experiment on video)...all of it combined really has given me a passion and respect for diving in such a short amount of time. Knowledge really is wealth. I just really wanted to say thank you for being you. (Also, the videos where Woody wears the silly hats like the big shark one really gives me life, I love it so much)
I’ve climbed up some sketchy mountains with 15 years of experience. I would never have somebody try a 5.10 or above with no experience and yet this diver was basically trying the equivalent of a 5.13 with no training on anything over 5.2. Not sure if this made sense but soooo lucky he is alive. Also your reactions are great, keep up the amazing work!
Honnold's climb was way safer. He spent almost a year memorizing the route, and picked a day when conditions (including his body and mind) were perfect. It was still quite dangerous, but not even close to violating all 5 rules of cave diving.
I am not a diver but love watching dive videos. Well that guy had more luck than brains, obviously. I really thought the video would end him getting totally lost and drowning. He really was lucky! I wouldn't even set a foot into a cave and explore it without gear and not all by myself! Thanks for ur videos, guys. Great job!
My trainer told me that even with his 1500+ dives, both wet and dry, at elevation and in freezing water, he would still never dive alone, even if it's in a pool.
Two schools of thought. There are many of us with 1000’s of dives under our belt that dive alone. Not as far as gong out to a dive site alone, but as far as the individual dive, we go solo. It’s also a learned skill, where you take precautions. Easy to argue that it is safer than cave diving. They’re all safe, with the correct precautions. Also, I frequently dive 150’ to 160’ without mixed gas and do not get narc’d. It’s like climbing at altitude. It affects different people differently. You can also build up a tolerance for it.
I realize this was 2 yrs ago, but I like it when y'all make the screen larger in the center & put yourselves in the top left & top right of screen. Makes it so much easier to see what's going on. 🙂
love this channel, have a huge interest in diving that I know one day I'll take up, and content like this makes the work day fly by. Working in construction and engineering and having been raised by a father who spent half of his life commercial long-line fishing in British Columbia really drives home the importance of proper safety, procedure, training and HUMILITY for the activity one is about to embark on. Subscribed!
@@DIVETALK It makes you wonder why this dude uploaded the video. You guys said that he just got lucky and you're absolutely right, but it seems like he must have at least thought there was some skill involved. I'd be super interested in hearing you guys debunk some of the stupid mental traps arrogant divers get in. One of the divers who was rescued in one of the videos said something like "we thought it was okay because we could just back out of the cave". Why is that not so easy? Even that MMA dude who was apparently cave certified said that he could totally remember his way in and out.
Started this week watching these videos for the horrifying stories that arise from such an activity. Now I’m considering getting training to explore some of the deep blue myself! Thanks for showing the “safe” side of cave diving that doesn’t typically reach such wide audiences
Hey guys keep up the great work. I used to dive a little bit with my dad like the pool and stuff and I'm terrified of deep water so I can't do it. So I just like to live vicariously through you guys. Youdo great content. I love the the joy you seem to have for what you do. keep up the good work.
Because there is no line from the cavern down to the main line. The cave line is inside the cave. This is done so Open Water divers don't see a line and decide to follow it to see where it takes them, so we (cave divers) run a line from the cavern to the main line (Gold line) and remove it after our dive is over. This guy went in without running that line and just kept swimming until he found the gold line which is pretty deep and a couple hundred feet inside the cave. When he came back everything was silted out and he couldn't find the exit back from the end of the gold line to the cavern, that's where he got lost, and ultimately got super lucky and got out.
Yes, I would say this guy was a DA for sure - I don't dive and even I KNOW BETTER ~ !!! LOVE YOU GUYS and you still have not convinced me to even start diving.....!!! NO caves in my future ~ KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK !!! I have learned a LOT from you two and have impressed some of my diving coworkers (we work at UGA / Skidaway Institute of Oceanography)
I played Subnautica, went into a cave, got lost and died. Respawned in my pod and stayed out of the caves until I could make the biggest tank, a light, batteries and the dive reel. The fear and disorientation I felt playing a game was enough to make me realize how dangerous the real thing is!
Dang now imagine if subnautica let you get silted out
That’s funny because of the amount of times I’ve died in a cave in subnautica. while watching this I was looking at it through the lens of that game and thinking I already did not know the way out
I feel the same way about Minecraft I get very scared if I am lost in a cave. I don’t think I will ever cave dive. I’m not a diver. Maybe I would try regular scuba diving 🤿 but not cave diving. I’ve skydived before but I’m saying nope to cave diving 😅
@@livyliv18 I always put torches on the left side going in, so if I'm trying to get out, I know if I see them on the right side, I'm going the right way. "Right, right." But yeah, they're pretty easy to get lost in.
@@NicholasWiewiora yes... I do it similarly but caves still get me lost occasionally.
I was a state police recovery diver for about a decade, a master diver with a bunch of certs including wreck, boat, deep, ice, drysuit, nitrox, mixed gas, archeology, night, rescue, altitude, drift, etc. I've seen and done some gnarly stuff on missions. But you can't get me within 10 feet of a cave opening underwater. No. Thank. You.
@@ArchieRLib Ha Ha! Stop beating about the bush - what are your thoughts on cave diving....?
@@blowingfree6928 lmao thanks for the chuckle
@@user-yy4ux9zf4r a collapsed cave? LMAO
Yeah underwater caves are an unknown quantity when it comes to safety for sure.
I don’t mind cave diving. I just avoid restrictive caves and I ESPECIALLY avoid caves with SILT!!
I was a PADI instructor for 3 decades. One of my former students called one day to ask if I wanted to go cave diving with him and a friend. I politely declined, telling him that I've had no real training in that. He laughed and said 'Me neither' Then I advised him that it wasnt a good idea without training. He got defensive, dismissed me, and died in a caving accident only 2 months later. - Silted out and lost his exit path. I dont say this to demean him. He was a great guy and very outgoing. I dont glorify myself either. I just know what I dont know.
There's a unique skillset to cave diving that has been developed on the backs of hundreds of dead cave divers. With no quick access to the surface, even a well-trained cave diver probably faces a hundred times more danger than a regular open-water diver. Dont do it without the training!
It's unfortunate he didn't listen to you.
Yeah. PADI certified class 2, I remember my instructor telling me two crucial things when I was learning: #1 you see a hole or a cave, DONT GO IN! and #2, all of the spectacles of diving are in the first 60 feet, past 100 feet, most of the spectacle is gone. No cool reefs or fishes down there, really. "its only cold and dark down there, not worth the risk of going deeper." he said. I will never forget those two rules. Being certified up to 100 feet as an open water diver is good enough for me.
Natural Selection baby
@@tannerfernald5121 I saw on National Geographic some divers went 120m at opean sea during the night to record the Coelacanth. Amazing they got to go so deep in the water, it must be really scary to go down that depth. They did a 3 hours decompression and only had 15 minutes down there.
ua-cam.com/video/4jl_txxYQEA/v-deo.html
Most I’ve gotten is up to PADI rescue diver, so I have my advanced O/W as well…You can see some cool things deeper but usually those are wrecks and if you don’t pay close attention they can become just as dangerous as a cave dive..I dive mainly in south Florida so most of it is drift diving the reef from 60-80 feet.
This guy dives like he's playing a video game on the first level and can just restart if he dies.
I trained as a combat diver, I would never in a million years go anywhere near cave diving, not ever! No matter how knowledgeable you think you maybe, cave diving is a whole other level of training. I found you guys channel through Mr.Ballen a fellow combat diver, no doubt your videos are saving lives!! My hats off to your highly educational videos!
I also found these guys thru Mr ballen
Thanks for your service and didn’t know mr bAllen was a trained combat diver
@@1212341234alan he’s a whole Navy Seal my guy
I found this channel though Mr Ballen too. I love both channels and would bing watch both channels lol👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
I also found them through mrballen
I found you on accident. I am not a diver. I am terrified of deep water and caves. But it’s so fascinating. So you guys got a gift of drawing in non divers 😁
Me too, I lived 10-15 minutes from the ocean most of my life and whenever I was in a boat or even on land I always thought how scary it must be under the surface of the water.
Same here.
Searched underwater cave horror stories, searched a few more videos and came here.
Same here! Not a diver but fascinated by everything I have learned from you guys. Glad I found this!
Thank the algorithm gods. Also ended up in my recommendations. Also not a diver.
I have a fear of drowning, but i love deep water swimming.
Not diving or anything, just swimming in deep water!
If you’re videos make just 1 person think twice about doing something foolish, then you’re making a difference, and, probably saving someone’s life. Great video
That’s a great perspective to have. Thank you!
Isn't it easier than ever before in history to prepare for something like this by watching videos and consuming articles and tutorial about all of the dangers rules and procedures, that we have access to online? Its like some people don't even think one bit about planning ahead at all.
@@l3lackoutsMedia In most cases I think that is what happens but sometimes it has the opposite effect. I'm not a cave diver but was heavily involved in another much lesser but still high risk activity before social media was such a big thing, knowledge about safety and locations was passed down in a way that kept new people safe. Before 2010ish there would be maybe one death or serious injury every few years, once it became popular online I'd hear about multiple serious accidents and usually at least one death every year.
Now people can learn almost everything about anything online, they can get all the gear and probably pull it off for a while without any problems but then they don't recognise a dangerous situation until it's too late. No amount of research and planning can replace a grumpy old timer pulling you back and explaining how you nearly got yourself killed.
@@lubtp7133 I agree completely. Especially small mistakes and missing knowledge about things that don't affect you 99% of the time can lead to your demise in the right situation. Germans call this "Gefährliches Halbwissen" (dangerous half-knowledge).
@@coolboy5428 if the caves are closed to all cave divers because an untrained and careless diver dies in the caves then yes that is my problem.
I'm not a cave diver, but as soon as they said he's going in, alone, with no guide line, anxiety immediately set in. Thank god he lived.
Same.
No line and alone. I just felt my heart jump into my throat.
Good point it should be reported under the category "Suicide or Self Injury".
This one in particular gave me crazy anxiety. It helped me realize just how easy it is to get lost in these caves. You pass 3 corners that had 2 paths each, turn around and have ZERO idea of your orientation.
Was is a left or a right? I forget
Good comment !
@@toriless left right up down, its all the same in that environment
When I'm searching tunnels (video games, not real life) I always stick to the right. If you have to u turn just keep the wall to your left. If you need to search the next tunnel, it'll just be another right. When you turn around just skip one opening to the left. If you've done it twice skip two openings. Still can get lost but a mental framework and method can help alot. Cave diving is insane tho, like Russian roulette.
@@toriless that it's always gonna be me
Honestly this video might save lives. They should put this on training videos for cave diving, just to show people how serious it is and why you should do certain things when you go diving. I'm very glad he survived this is one of the most intense videos I've ever watched.
This is one of the scariest and most nerve wracking things I've ever watched in my life. Like they said, it's like watching a horror movie.
I know nothing about cave diving and I'm sitting here like "wait, you're not leaving a rope to guide you back to the surface?!" That's shits instilled in our minds when we're kids through fairytale, breadcrumb trail in Hansel and Gretel.
Yeah. I mean...you think all those rocks aren't gonna look exactly the same in the dark? He never even turned around to memorize the hole he came through from the inside...complete lunatic. Only alive through pure luck.
@@penguin12902 the rocks don’t look anything alike going the other way. It looks completely different and thats from caving in the air - just crawling around
so do u leave breadcrumbs everywhere u go do ya mate? is that what ur saying?
@@MegaCharns when I go into an unrecognizable underwater cave I'm going to lol
Lol same here
Wow...that guy was lucky. I can't imagine what made him think he should post a video of it!
I know . A lot to react to on this one for sure.
We heard he posted 4 total videos, one of them he did the same thing but at Eagles Nest!
This is total speculation but my interpretation is that he probably didn’t even know how badly he messed up and how much danger he put himself in. He probably posted it proudly then took it down when he realized how badly he messed up, maybe embarrassed or just how terrible of an example this is to set for others.
YUP. Sometimes I think experienced divers that trash talk noobs can be kind of condescending… but in this case, these 2 guys with headsets in the video are completely right, completely reasonable, and being chill about it. The guy in the video was insane! How do you go that deep in a cave with 1 tank, NO LINE, no cave training (or even cave diving knowledge), and only 1 light?! The no line part is the worst IMO, but you should never violate ANY of the 5 rules of cave diving…
Honestly, I don't believe for a second that he does not know that what he does is so insanely dangerous that people will call him stupid. It is not the first time he does that and he is an OW instructor. Some people like to live dangerously and do things where death is a very likely outcome like climbers without ropes. We haven't seen him kicking so unlike the two commentators, I would not be positive that he is flutter kicking. No one knows how many torches he has, if he was narced (with Nitrox, oxygen toxicity was the biggest threat at 150m) and at no time we did have a look at his air gauge.
Anybody here a fan of the strange dark and mysteries delivered in story format?
Yes
Yes indeed I am
4 sure!
I've watched heaps of Mr ballens videos. And yup staying away from oceans caves
Totally
I watched this with my partner who doesn't dive, and I have 10 years of cave diving experience. All I could say throughout this one was how monumentally stupid and lucky this guy was for getting out. Thank you for covering this
Totally agree with Woody, that was like watching a horror picture. It was incredibly naive of that guy, and to go to the depth he went was insane.
This is like a hiking guide deciding to solo climb Everest without training, oxygen, the correct equipment and sufficient research/planning.
Well I’d say more like a novice rock climber, cause this guy was an open water diver at least
All of that... and living to tell the tale.
Someone pretty much actually did this in May 1933. Only he wasn't even a hiking guide. His name was Maurice Wilson and he bought a plane, taught himself how to fly it, flew to Nepal, and attempted to be the first man to climb Everest, and he'd do it by himself. It went about as you'd expect..
You can learn more of the wild details by searching here on YT: The Strange and Lonely Death of Maurice Wilson
....SOOOOoooo.... No takers for starting a yearly "Co-ed naked mountain climbing expedition" in the Himalayas then??? ;o)
And not telling anyone that you are going.
"You know if you turn around right now you're already lost". EXACTLY what I was thinking right when you said that!
Yep
Before learning SCUBA and when I was much younger, I used to spelunk in dry caves and got myself turned around a few times in caves I was very familiar with. Things just look way/completely different when you turn around. My level of anxiety watching this was high to start with and I actually took a break at one point. I know what it feels like to be 'lost' in a cave. But underwater as well? No. Just no.
And without the proper training and equipment on top of that! He’s so lucky that he made it out alive.
You have to look back amd take pictures with your brain camera.
@@allywilkeforsenate you mean a reel with a line?
@@scambaitspidey3470 no, she means turn around at several points as you go in so you could recognize those points when you come back out. Especially landmark areas.
Former caver here, too. You’re spot-on about getting turned around. We had a momentary scare like that many years ago in a tight cave in Kentucky. Afterward, I made a habit of turning around and looking back so it would be somewhat familiar when returning. Now I’m older and the thought of confined spaces gives me the creeps.
This is absolutely terrifying to watch. The thoughts that are going through his mind, lost underwater, twists and turns, silt everywhere, with little air. I am breathing hard just watching. Vicarious diver and adventurer through you. Love you guys.
I have another question, since you mentioned "the thoughts that are going through his mind". I really wonder what the !@#$ he was thinking as he kept going deeper and deeper. I mean it's basically a miracle that he managed to get out. If a person with his (in)experience tried that 1000 times MAYBE they would manage to get out of it once!
I'm not a diver but I stumbled on your videos and They fit my interests PERFECT. you guys pause the videos at the right time and explain the right things but you don't pause for toooo long or over explain. you show us beefy stories that keep me wondering and full of suspense.
great content, great commentary- keep up the great work to the both of you! your commentary bounces of eachother great!
One more emphasis on something that Woody has mentioned briefly: the fact that this guy posted his "adventure" video on UA-cam is a probable sign that he didn't get these lessons (but, after the fear has faded away, he's probably proud about it and his "resourcefulness"). Even deleting it after a while was probably due to the other cave divers' reactions and not because he realized what he has done. So, I think he needs to hear from you about all the stupid mistakes that he did.
Yes I agree. Thanks for this post.
Very interesting. I get lost driving to strange places with my GPS!
In person..
Glad someone saved it, so much gets lost these days.
Agreed. "See you on the next dive!" did not inspire confidence that he learned his sorely needed lesson.
i live in ohio and suffer from crippling anxiety/claustrophobia. therefor, never will dive. but somehow i'm fixated on this content lately, almost like weird exposure therapy. you two narrating and breaking things down is perfect. bless up my dudes.
Same here! Greetings from Virginia. Now, where’s my Ativan?
You could actually enjoy diving in clear water. I don't feel claustrophobic in Caribbean waters with 200 feet of visibility, but diving a wall that drops to 2000 feet let's you stare into the abyss, a whole other phobia.
I have no interest in any kind of diving. It's just nice to listen to passionate, knowledgable people share what they know. I also like videos on reptile care and I don't have reptiles lol. Just means they're good entertainers!
Same here, where is my xanax.
I recommend trying snorkeling.
Does this guy know just how lucky he is. This is beyond mental 🤦🏼
It’s bananas! 🍌
This was intense to watch. Thank you for your commentary on high risk videos videos like this. I know it’s anxiety provoking, but you’re saving lives with your knowledge. Thank you 🙏
I loved watching this because it demonstrated that even a skilled (although not cave-trained) diver broke the rules, dived beyond their capacity, silted out a cave, clearly began breathing more rapidly, and despite the odds, somehow made it out alive.
I'm glad they shared it, even if they did unshare it quickly because of the heat they got.
It's one of the rare "I went to a cave, had an "Oh crap" moment and survived."
I almost drowned watching this!
Funny comment. Lol
So did I!
I had a mini heart attack and my anxiety was off the charts
I realized I was holding my breath halfway through.
This gave me serious anxiety 😥😱
It was stressful listening to his breathing speed up as he realized he’d messed up. 🤦♀️
That guy won the lottery that day ... I could feel my anxiety climbing trying to remember the way he went and couldn’t remember and I re watched his descent 3 times lol can’t imagine that feeling being at the bottom in no viz and have no clue how to get out ... worst fear ... awesome video as always
Thanks Mac!
Cheers macca ya mad dog
This video is a prime example of why cave divng is so dangerous. Thanks for sharing it.
More like being an idiot is dangerous.
Fascinating channel. As a new diver, I am learning a ton of useful tips. More importantly for me, you do a fantastic job of exploring the human factors that can lead to tragedy.
“It’s like a horror movie to me...”
You and everyone else watching. Even knowing from the thumbnail that he survives, it still was scary.
Super scary!
Lost like this is scary even in the open air.
Who else watches every Dive Talk video not because we know anything about diving but because we got here via Mr Ballen and now we can’t stop?
Yes!!!
Dave shaw
Just like Mr Ballen videos! Cannot stop once you've started!
@@Sir.T EXACTLY!!!!!!!!
exactly!! lol
It cracks me up when Gus does the voice over for the divers 😂😂 “If only I had a line to the exit..”
I’m not sure how it happened that I’ve never dived a day in my life, but this has somehow become my favorite channel
If you know this guy, you should interview him! I would love to hear his perspective and his decision making process at the time and what he learned
He'd get toasted sooo much
You guys are addictive to listen to. I'll never be able to dive since I have glaucoma but it's awesome to live vicariously through you and hear about these crazy stories.
You are awesome. Thanks for this encouragement.
I'm an eye doctor and not aware of glaucoma and not being able to dive. Have you talked to a DAN recommended eye doctor? The flow of fluids within the eye are an "open loop system" and I just can't figure why there would be restrictions.
I’ve heard Woody say thst he has trained blind divers… There are special classes for various disabilities..
From that brief look at his computer, it does appear that he turned the dive at around 2,000 PSI, which would be in line with the rule of thirds if he was doing it wrong and planning on draining the entire tank. But let's indulge him on this and assume he started counting that first third from the second his dive started, meaning his first third includes the descent and is at a much shallower average depth than where he's most likely to (and did) experience issues. If that first third took him 11:30, which I believe I read on the computer, he's got like 6 minutes of things going south at that depth before his second third is gone, *IF* he maintains his SAC rate. And let's not forget that he's way past his NDL at that point, so the ascent will take longer than the descent did, leaving him dead, bent, or somewhere in between. AND HE FILMED IT. Hopefully, I read his computer wrong.
This is great Karl...thank you for the feedback!
Maybe he had a spare tank on him that we didn't see. LOL. But even if he did have a spare tank. WTF how did he get out? LOL
He broke open water rules as well. He had no business being that deep on nitrox.
@@geometricart7851 like they said, pure luck
Not a diver. Recently listened to a cave diver explain the many ways caves can be disorientating. Currents, multiple tunnels at different directions, 3 dimensional, blind chimneys, etc. Don’t recall who. This man got lucky, pure dumb luck. I enjoy hearing your explanations of the science & procedures behind the diving. In my work, have studied blood gases, partial pressures, and the lovely oxygen dissociation curve. Complex enough on land.
3 dimensiional? how is that bad? we navigate a 3 dimensional plane everyday?
@@MegaCharns you dont typically have to navigate up and down your vertical axis, unless your some magic bird man
@@MegaCharns yeah and I'm screwing it up just fine without also being underwater in a cave 🤪
@@MegaCharns a lot of how people orient themselves and judge distance is based on your brain's reaction to familiar objects such as trees, the horizon, hills/mountains etc. None of these things are in a cave so you'll quickly find yourself unable to process where you really are. Same thing happened to Astronauts on the Moon. They set off towards what they thought as a boulder then after 10 minutes realised it was actually a mountain 100's of kilometers away.
I've been cave diving in orange Grove and just the upper is bad enough to find for a newby. My stomach was in my throat the entire time watching this. Needless to say you never silt up the cave. Wes skiles park has some beautiful cave systems. Stay safe guys.
I love the balance of informative, calm underwater vibes, plus the reality of death in your videos. For some reason it's just the right mix for me to watch while I do my daily things! Thank you for all you guys do, stay true to you, and keep teaching safety.
I think the "if you're not trained to do cave-diving, then don't do it", should also apply to a LOT of other activities/ "hobbies" than many people nowadays often practice to "find themselves" (very often on social media btw) or whatever they like to call it.
Totally. Knitting kicks my butt
Absolutely! We say ridiculous things while spending WAY TOO much time on social media. We should always think before we act. We're so used to instant gratification in our lives we dont want to wait for anything.That was a very wise observation you made- more people should take it into consideration before doing something irreversible.😊❤
Why are untrained ppl going to Mt Everest :)))) do you have a death wish bro :))))
Yeah mate, start some martial art or whatever, cabe diving ain't no "eat, pray, love" shit
If you don't have a license to drive, you shouldn't drive
Woody: "He's going in there with no line right now?! Ohhhh boy..." lmao Woody's reactions crack me up!
Hahaha
For real tho going in a cave with no light is like going to war with an m16 and no ammunition or support
Lol yeah he cracks me up
Priceless .
No clue how i got to this corner of youtube but my heart started beating out of my chest immedaitely after you guys cut to the video. Even with correct safety precautions this seems like the most insane hobby one could have props to you guys
For those that don't know the 5 rules of cave diving:
1. Never dive with more then ONE tank (any more will be too heavy)
2. ALWAYS go on your own (other people will slow your descent)
3. NEVER bring a light (once you're under for a few minutes your eyes will adjust)
4. NO decompression stops (what are you, a pussy boy afraid of the bends?)
5. NO guidelines or maps (a real man finds his own way around and doesn't need a rope to do it for him!)
Enjoy your diving and look forward to seeing being reacted to on the channel!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 RIP
Spot on, sir.
Oh, @11:00 I think I see cave crawdads! The white things on the bottom, one appears to be missing a claw, and is seen to move along the bottom. There's another, unless I'm trippin', just to the left of the cursor on the screen. Woody and Gus! You need to do a "Dive Talk: Nature Edition" and show us the many lifeforms you guys, and others, encounter inside an overhead environment like these caves!
I promise to "Like Button" the hell out of it!
I was squirming and on edge that entire time!! Seeing it from his POV actually helps to understand how absolutely terrifying that must be on all the Mr. Ballen cave death stories
This made me feel an intense state of anxiety watching this guy getting lost... It’s cool to see actual cave divers giving insight on these stories. Pure miracle he found his way out given all that silt getting kicked out everywhere.
Whomever certified him should pull his license.
I was breathing so fast that the air in the room I was sitting in while watching this video almost ran out...
Ha great comment!
100% I should have tied pure O2 off at the sofa before starting this vid...
No lie, still waiting for my pulse to come back to normal !
I'm starting to put up lines and tanks from one room to the next in my apartment.
I was about to have a heart attack watching this guy- the thought of drowning a hundred feet underground is highly disturbing, at best. I hope he got out safe. Thank you for your excellent show, guys❤
It is not a pleasant way to die
Hi, My name is Adrian I’m an SSI advance Instructor and instructor in all specialties and also I am the service technician, factory train from every company! I watch your show every day while I’m working on equipments and I love it!
I am not a cave diver but I did some Cenotes with a dive guide, simple dives nothing crazy, I love it !
Thanks for sharing your knowledge! Maybe one day I get a chance to dive with you guys
I dont even know how to swim at the YMCA pool, why am I here.
We love having you!
Because you are intelligent. You don't want to be in that YMCA pool 😂 these guys are trying to keep you alive and very well. 😏
Hahaha!
Dang, that's kinda sad though
That made me more nervous than just about any video I've ever seen, ever.
I feel like every cave diving video is like this lol.
I'm not a diver at all, but it seems to me that not only is it incredibly easy to get lost in a cave, but it's probably very hard NOT to get lost. This guy is just in a giant maze where everything looks the same. He is beyond lucky. I sure would love to try it with an extremely experienced instructor though. Seems magical down there.
My Dad was a diver in his youth, mainly shipwrecks and ancient sites.
His stories growing up made me have a huge fear of the Ocean, so this channel is both fascinating and terrifying.
Keep up the awesome work!
Just discovered your channel today and have been binge watching your videos for hours now 😂. I am an introvert who never goes out except when going to the office or buying groceries, but I have always been into reading and watching content on explorations and adventures of different places, from archeology all the way to outer space. It's like I'm living vicariously through people like you who venture out to see and experience places that only a few people could. Thank you for all the things that you divers do. A new subscriber here!
Been diving for 24 years. Worked 10 years as a Insturctor all around the world and the stupidity never ends. Taking risks is a huge problem in the diving community.
Would help us all of that would stop for sure.
Gus’ face is priceless during this whole thing.
It would be really interesting to get his reaction to this video + an interview with him (blur out his face if he wants to stay anonymous) as a follow up to get the answers to some questions that spring to mind like what made him do it, did he know how dangerous it was when he decided to explore this cave, how did he feel at various stages of that dive, was he scared, did real panic set in at any point, how does he feel about it in hindsight etc.
I know this guy may want to keep lowkey because of the heat he’s getting but can pixelate his face, plus if you post something online you need to be ready for criticism, especially if you post something controversial.
Wouldnt even need a camera on him just Gus and Woody talking to him and doing a walk through with him asking questions while he walks them through the video.
sorry i only wrote thaat because u r last sentence
That is an interview I'd love to watch. Or, you know, listen to.
Idk why I’m watching these, but I’m kind of hooked! My dad used to scuba dive and brag about swimming with sharks and how docile they were. I’m terrified of a lot of things, including (but not limited to) relying on a machine to breath, flipping backwards off a boat, riptides, etc. My dad wasn’t! He was a huge thrill seeker. He would take me to the springs and dive down into a ‘cave’ or something, a giant hole just underneath me. I’d see him disappear and watch the bubbles. He also took me far, far out into the ocean once on his shoulders when the tide was ridiculously low (high? Idk how else could he walk so far?)
Anyways, fascinating listening to you guys comment on all these stories. I think my dad would’ve gotten into this channel, too.
Thanks for sharing that story about your dad.
@@DIVETALK Hi! Thanks for noticing!
@@Scoopski_Potato your father is actually none other than aquaman! A low tide is like a puddle to him
@@BillyWood-u6z 😂 I never knew!
Back in the early 1990's, when I got started diving, my instructor was getting into cave diving. He bought all the gear and went to FL to get certified. After a week or so of diving in one of the popular cave systems in Florida. I'm pretty sure it was Madison Blue, but not sure. I remember he came back with a VHS tape that was an underwater video map of the cave. I do remember it had a shorter circuit they called the horseshoe room which was the easier way to do a loop and come back out. Then there were also other ways to go as well that were more advanced.
At any rate, my instructor and his brother went on their FL trip and both got cave certified and were very excited when they returned. But just after a couple weeks back home, my instructor literally sold all his dive gear and I'm not sure if he ever went diving (or cave diving) again. I ended up buying his regs, a dive rite light system and a 15 cubic foot bail out cylinder. When I went to get the small bail out tank filled, they told me it was full of water. Which was totally not normal. But after putting two and two together, I think he must have had some kind of situation or issue while at depth and it seems that he had to breath off of his bail out tank, the same 15 cubic foot tank I bought. Well the only way water can get inside a cylinder is to drain the air, completely. He never mentioned anything about the trip and I never really had a chance to ask after the fact.
Interesting story. That guy must have really scared himself. Thanks for sharing.
The video was up for a few days. It was originally shared on Reddit on r/scuba but was removed. But it started to get shared around the cave community and was removed once he started to get blow back from cave divers, the Florida State Park Service, and the FSW. The diver isn't an instructor he is a DM.
Correct, but the video I reacted to said he was an instructor...I later found out he was not an instructor yet.
@@DIVETALK Bc that video isn’t the original video lmao
@@peytonhornack4387 I know. I mentioned it on the video that the original video was removed.
God this is nerve wracking. Everything about this went wrong from the start, by his own choice. Complete luck that he made it out alive! Like you said, it's a shame that actions like this give cave diving a bad name.
I know y’all didn’t want to put this guy’s name out, but if he is an instructor, potential students should know to stay the hell away from him!
My thoughts exactly!
Agreed! I'm so tired to these type of instructors. Sadly they often can operate during a long time due to people not want to report them to their agency. I work with diving and a instructor from another dive center were a true hazard for customers. One of those typical guys that think they are so cool, taking risks, acting tough, being a general dick, talking shit behind customers back if they don't learn skills quick enough, being inpatient, condescending and a jerk. We shared the boat with that dive centre and being to new in the industry I was to afraid to speak up. We all knew that one day an accident would happen and it did. 2 people died because of his negligence and pushing limits. He was convicted for manslaughter and went to prison for it. After that I made a promise to my self to never ignore these behaviours! I do not hesitate to report these guys, and yes it's almost always men doing this, that wants to be cool and do stupid shit. I can't even count how much shit I've seen and stupidity. I often say if you want to learn diving, go with a female instructor because they are more mature and won't push limits. For them it's safety first and wants to educate good divers.
@@Musiknird Female instructors can be shit too. I did a 3 day open water basic PADI course in Roatan Honduras with a female instructor. She was the only instructor for a large group. I had issues equalizing. Instead of taking me back up out of the water, she had me continue diving to 12 meters in the open ocean. I suffered severe ear pain that lasted 3 days. I was unable to complete the final day's training.
@@Musiknird in your experience it’s guys*
@@itsjustuz7274 never said there isn't shit female instructors as well but when it comes to deadly outcomes or serious accidents there will be most likely that that a male instructor is the cause and this is statistically proven. Also guess that you went with a irresponsible dive center that dies these things to earn more money in every student, which isn't always easy to know. Though it's easy to find the info online if you Google the agency they are apart of and just didn't drop in from the beach and wanting to get certified.
Jesus this made me so nervous. I’m super terrified of cave diving….. so you guys channel is so adrenaline rushing to me. Great work.
Great video, but to correct what Woodie was saying: open circuit cave diving is rules of 6ths when you have Intro to Cave, but when you transition to Full Cave you are able to adopt the rule of 3rds.
Stumbled upon you guys by accident. I really like hearing these technical terms and the in-depth explanations.
Jeff, thanks. It’s one of the primary purposes of our channel.
The word 'Fool' seems interchangable with the word "this dive instructor" here.
I am glad that you guys brought it back and reacted to it. Lessons of high value be learned here.
Damnit Mr.Ballen, I've been watching diving reaction videos for the past 3 days straight now
And by Damnit you mean “Thank you”?
Back in the 1980s I used to scuba dive in the caves in that area. People were always telling me and my brothers about the people who had died the week before or a few weeks before we arrived. We ended up getting cavern certified by John Orlowski, who was one of the people who helped map Peacock Springs. John had some really interesting stories to tell and was on a team of people who analyzed what went wrong on some of the fatal cave dives. I never got fully cave certified, but would love to get back into the cavern and cave diving if my wife would let me. It can be very peaceful and relaxing diving in those caves, but you really need to have training to do it.
This makes me so anxious. The whole time I was trying to find out what I would do if I was ever foolish enough to get into that situation and I just panicked watching this video, knowing that one wrong decision would leave me seeing my pressure sink as I try to find the exit, finally drawing the last bit of air and drowning. This video is so stressful just to watch.
Mr Ballen bought me here. I’m never going up mountains, down caves or in the sea x
Fair enough.
Or the woods... NOPE. xd
I remember seeing this a month ago and thought to myself this cant be real, It's got to be a training video of what not to do. I was nervous just watching this and getting angrier at the same time. Every time someone dies cave diving the general public who doesn't know any better lumps every cave diver in this group.
There's a lot more to the story...apparently this guy enjoys doing this kind of thing and this was one of several videos he posted from caves he dove at, including a dive at Eagle's Nest! It's very unfortunate because he's going to end up dead and everyone is going to say "See? Cave diving IS dangerous!"
@@DIVETALK That stinks, they'll end up closing down eagle's nest again. I personally have never dove eagles nore will I until I have the proper depth training under my belt. Keep up the great videos!!!!
@@DIVETALK That makes it even worse but explains why he didn't panic too harshly I guess... His chances of survival are increasingly low with every single dive... And they're hardly there to begin with... Fucking insane.
@@DIVETALK one more reason you should have say his name
You shouldn’t get mad at cave divers for dying. People die skydiving or driving cars. but nobody says we should ban skydiving or ban driving cars. The problem is the Nazis who want to ban cave diving because they personally are afraid of it 😒
He violated 6, diving solo without gas redundancy.
Whew!!!,....this dude gave me a straight panic attack 😱...
I was literally sitting here holding my breath & trying to find the line for him.
I would NEVER cave dive but I am fascinated with cave diving. Love this channel!
Also, just in case anyone else has this, I have something called submechaniphobia and your videos make it possible for me to watch, learn about, and actually enjoy underwater video showing scuba/swimming and underwater exploration. For some reason the phobia is not triggered with cave diving. Just in case anyone else has this, cave diving is an exception to the rule (it seems) for this specific phobia.
I had to look that up. I've never heard of that phobia before. Is it true that usually a lifetime of being around these triggers is what eventually caused the phobia, or have you always found underwater man-made objects terrifying?
I've never been diving in my life but even I know (after watching videos like these) that you have to have a line when cave diving and tri-mixed gas at low depths (not to mention decompression stops). And this guy is an instructor? It boggles my mind how people can be so stupid. Great video as always guys :)
I know right? It's amazing that it keeps happening with Open Water Instructors.
This is absolutely terrifying. Even with my limited scuba experience and only book knowledge of cave diving basics, I would never ever ever ever ever ever dream of doing something this risky. And he's an instructor??? Seriously, this guy needs to go back and tell every single student he certified that they need to be retrained by someone who can make sure they know what they're doing.
I feel like open circuit instructors getting themselves into trouble when they try cave diving with no experience is a prime example of the Dunning-Kruger effect.
I'm an instructor(including wreck instructor, which has some of the same considerations), and I don't want to go cave diving even if I had training, it's just too risky for my taste. About 15-20 times as dangerous as recreational diving. And I'm certified on a rebreather so I wouldn't even have the problem of not having enough air(and always bring at least one bailout tank on rebreather dives for redundancy, as I was trained!). Rebreather has almost as bad of a rate as cave, but that's mostly because so many cave, and technical wreck divers use them.
@@OnlyKaerius It is a lot easier tom get out of a wreck than a cave but they do require similar skills and techniques. Even I know that much.
@@toriless Yeah, same finning techniques to avoid silting for visibility loss, being able to navigate constrictions, and using lines, having torches and backup torches(though cave has a greater requirement there, at least 2 backups, instead of 1, and many bring 3), both follow the rule of thirds(gas planning), both have the possibility of trapping you inside(part of a wreck collapsing/heavy thing falling on you, cave in), the risk of getting lost should you lose your line, especially combined with a silt up. Wrecks tend to have more cutting/piercing hazards due to corroded metal, caves tend to have flow(current), which can also cause silt ups. There's other differences as well.
The first wreck I dived is actually known for several diver deaths, but not in the particular part of it I went to, the Zenobia in Cyprus, it's a very large roll-on roll-off cargo ferry. In the crew quarters the walls have been knocked down, so you can swim through it like a big cathedral, which is where I went. Below decks is the hazardous part, especially down in engineering.
This is brutal to even watch thank God he lived and hopefully learned his lesson.
I randomly found one of these videos last night, and although diving in any aspect isn't my thing and I wasn't sure why I was recommended to watch a reaction video to one, I'm glad I got to watch it. Not only did I watch that video from you guys, but I've been binge watching your videos since last night, and it's after this video I felt compelled to write a comment.
I wanted to let you guys know how appreciative I am that you not only react to these diving videos, but give information in with your commentary. It makes me feel like I'm in a free class with you two as my teachers and I'm just soaking up all this information I never would have otherwise looked to learn.
I really enjoy watching these videos and, in a weird way, am proud to look up to you guys as my teachers. I don't plan on diving or anything, but your passion for the sport and the detailed information you guys always give (and the lengths you go to really make us understand, such as a previous rebreather experiment on video)...all of it combined really has given me a passion and respect for diving in such a short amount of time. Knowledge really is wealth. I just really wanted to say thank you for being you.
(Also, the videos where Woody wears the silly hats like the big shark one really gives me life, I love it so much)
I’ve climbed up some sketchy mountains with 15 years of experience. I would never have somebody try a 5.10 or above with no experience and yet this diver was basically trying the equivalent of a 5.13 with no training on anything over 5.2. Not sure if this made sense but soooo lucky he is alive. Also your reactions are great, keep up the amazing work!
Very good point.
That feeling you get when you slip on the edge of a high building.... and just catch your balance.
Why are you even doing that 😕
Watching Alex Honnold free solo El Cap and watching this affected me almost the same. Damn.
Honnold's climb was way safer. He spent almost a year memorizing the route, and picked a day when conditions (including his body and mind) were perfect. It was still quite dangerous, but not even close to violating all 5 rules of cave diving.
i cant thank these men enough for letting me being able to sit at home and watch the dive on video.i have a fear of deep water
I am not a diver but love watching dive videos. Well that guy had more luck than brains, obviously. I really thought the video would end him getting totally lost and drowning. He really was lucky! I wouldn't even set a foot into a cave and explore it without gear and not all by myself! Thanks for ur videos, guys. Great job!
It is like a horror movie! Can't believe the amount of panic I would be in, glad he made it out!
It was scary for sure.
This is horrifying. I can't believe anyone would be this foolish
Isn’t “Never Dive Alone” also part of the the rules of Cave Diving ? He seemed to be without a dive buddy !
Definitely. Never Cave Dive alone.
@Pee Drinker Or you can merge the two to get a motto: Dive alone means die alone.
My trainer told me that even with his 1500+ dives, both wet and dry, at elevation and in freezing water, he would still never dive alone, even if it's in a pool.
I'm a newbie with just open water, not sure why anyone would dive alone. So much could go wrong.
Two schools of thought. There are many of us with 1000’s of dives under our belt that dive alone. Not as far as gong out to a dive site alone, but as far as the individual dive, we go solo. It’s also a learned skill, where you take precautions. Easy to argue that it is safer than cave diving. They’re all safe, with the correct precautions. Also, I frequently dive 150’ to 160’ without mixed gas and do not get narc’d. It’s like climbing at altitude. It affects different people differently. You can also build up a tolerance for it.
Listening to the breathing changes as he loses and regains focus is insane
I realize this was 2 yrs ago, but I like it when y'all make the screen larger in the center & put yourselves in the top left & top right of screen. Makes it so much easier to see what's going on. 🙂
love this channel, have a huge interest in diving that I know one day I'll take up, and content like this makes the work day fly by. Working in construction and engineering and having been raised by a father who spent half of his life commercial long-line fishing in British Columbia really drives home the importance of proper safety, procedure, training and HUMILITY for the activity one is about to embark on. Subscribed!
Omg! I was so scared he is going to drown ... This guy is super lucky.
Yep! He barely made it out alive.
@@DIVETALK It makes you wonder why this dude uploaded the video. You guys said that he just got lucky and you're absolutely right, but it seems like he must have at least thought there was some skill involved. I'd be super interested in hearing you guys debunk some of the stupid mental traps arrogant divers get in. One of the divers who was rescued in one of the videos said something like "we thought it was okay because we could just back out of the cave". Why is that not so easy? Even that MMA dude who was apparently cave certified said that he could totally remember his way in and out.
This gives me so much freaking anxiety. I’m running out of air to breathe on land watching this insanity.
We can relate.
Started this week watching these videos for the horrifying stories that arise from such an activity. Now I’m considering getting training to explore some of the deep blue myself! Thanks for showing the “safe” side of cave diving that doesn’t typically reach such wide audiences
Hey guys keep up the great work. I used to dive a little bit with my dad like the pool and stuff and I'm terrified of deep water so I can't do it. So I just like to live vicariously through you guys. Youdo great content. I love the the joy you seem to have for what you do. keep up the good work.
A claustrophobics true nightmare it’s everybody’s nightmare to have that happen. me, my limit is water up to my knees
I will probably never dive more than 20 feet in my life, much less caves.. So I live vicariously through your guys' stories haha
lol Woody I felt like I was watching a scary movie as well! I don't understand why they don't want to follow the line?
Because there is no line from the cavern down to the main line. The cave line is inside the cave. This is done so Open Water divers don't see a line and decide to follow it to see where it takes them, so we (cave divers) run a line from the cavern to the main line (Gold line) and remove it after our dive is over. This guy went in without running that line and just kept swimming until he found the gold line which is pretty deep and a couple hundred feet inside the cave. When he came back everything was silted out and he couldn't find the exit back from the end of the gold line to the cavern, that's where he got lost, and ultimately got super lucky and got out.
Hi guys…totally dig your videos…could you both please make some perspective videos on wreck diving incidents ..thanks in advance 🙌
Yes, I would say this guy was a DA for sure - I don't dive and even I KNOW BETTER ~ !!! LOVE YOU GUYS and you still have not convinced me to even start diving.....!!! NO caves in my future ~ KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK !!! I have learned a LOT from you two and have impressed some of my diving coworkers (we work at UGA / Skidaway Institute of Oceanography)