I doubt it's just me, but in the last 3 years I noticed that Gus is looking great. People can just scroll through the thumbnails and see the progress he's made. Honestly incredible!
Love the way Gus and Woody are such great experienced divers but still acknowledge their limits and when diving places dangerous always have one or more of the elites with them. They are great divers and genuinely good guys
i saw a great documentary about a rare fish, and they were filming it in the Mediterranean. The diver said it got really dangerous at times because as he was focusing on filming the fish, he didn't realize he was being dragged deeper and deeper by it's beauty. I think filming adds a whole nother level of danger to diving, especially cave diving
Great point, my mum used to always dislike filming family events because she always said she felt like she wasn't actually paying attention to what she was filming as she was too focused on staring at the screen on the camera. So even though she just technically saw everything through the camera, she didn't actually process it and I think this is a similar kind of dissonance at play here - diver paying more attention to the state of the camera and monitoring that equipment instead of their environment and their own dive equipment. The human mind can only focus on some many intricate tasks at once.
Been watching this channel for a minute i don’t cave dive but I like to listen to you guys talk about it for hours. You said one thing at 2:15 that brought my attention “you can do everything right and still die” as an NJ firefighter that phrase is drilled into our heads. That’s the best way to explain the activity you guys do.
I'm almost certain the guy who made the video isn't a cave diver, but i think he watched dive talk and saw how bad you guys roasted a lot of the other videos, and he made a genuine effort to present information that was Dive Talk approved.
@@MikeH44 It isn't for them but if you contrast videos people made about diving before dive talk became popular to the videos now. The information has drastically improved in accuracy. It's completely possible people understand their video could be reviewed on this channel and it's probably more helpful for their viewership to make the information more accurate. Which in turn improves the quality of the overall video.
There is an animated kids show called Octonauts on Netflix, about a team of brave mammals who live underwater and protect the creatures of the sea. They did an episode that takes place in the caves of Sac Actun, and includes cartoon cave diving. It would be absolutely hilarious if you did a Cave Divers React of "Octonauts and the Caves of Sac Actun."
Cave diving is viewed as highly, highly dangers not because of statistics but because it is one of the most terrifying ways to die... out of air, lost, hopeless... and it's ultimately an unnecessary risk. Driving on the highway is also risky, but I have to go to work.
I saw someone suggesting that a rule for diving needs to be if you are going to be using a camera, especially caving, you need to have a buddy whose job it is to keep track of everything. No swapping camera between people or anything, just one person runs the dive and one person runs the camera.
@@brownmold Exactly. I mean, my partner and I do something similar when doing photography *not* underwater, because we know we both tend to lose situational awareness when using a camera. The rule is we won't both be taking photographs if there's any concern about the safety of the environment we're in. (Traffic, terrain, etc.) The person not taking photos is responsible for keeping an eye on everything for both of us.
I like this guy. He did a lot of research before making the video and that's what makes a good video. He was also humble enough to admit that he's not an expert on the subject.
Guys - Back in the '80s, there were over 300+ cave diving deaths in the accidents files of the NSS/CDS and rthe NACD, and if I recall, only about 1% or less were full cave certified, all the other 99% were NOT full cave trained. And lot of the cave trained fatalities were due to diving extremely deep on AIR John
I'm not a diver, I am actually just a sailor (small craft). But I find your channel absolutely fascinating. From all of your videos my takeaway is that much like with sailing, the key to mitigating danger when diving, is planning, practice and maintaining constant good environmental awareness. When I first started sailing nearly twenty years ago I was dragged with my boat's mast down to the seabed after we capsized and after my legs became tangled in the rigging. I could see the sunlight above me on the surface but couldn't free myself because my bouyancy aid was trying to make me float upwards. I would have died if my instructor hadn't been as fast as he was. It was a good lesson and since that day my boats are neat, everyone knows where their legs are and everyone communicates clearly and properly.
Those are some good instructors, and are clearly great people who lead by example. It's amazing what difference can be made when you have qualified and trained professionals, who stand by the planning and practice, and focus on maintaining those standards, at the helm of a potential disaster and demonstrate first hand how important it is to honour the lessons taught.
This case was one of the incidents discussed and analyzed during my cave course. My instructor was involved in the body recovery. IIRC the main issues were following the guide too blindly (basically a trust me dive) and being distracted with their camera.
My experience from hiking is that it is very easy for people to lose their awareness of where they are and should be headed at any given time. Instead they fall into the routine of simply following a trail or marked route and rely on what they are following to be right. With this lack of awareness a small 'complication' can easily head them in the wrong direction because they don't have the idea of what 'should be' in mind.
Woody your 100% correct. I (as a former life insurance guy) can attest to your comments about actuaries and the game of predicting deaths. It's all about the numbers. Thus, out of all folks out there cave diving (I am not one by the way) have a much higher risk of deaths than those going on a jog. You were being honest with your comments and that is always appreciated.
I'm an open water diver. And I ride horses. I've spent most of my life around horses, and I have an immense amount of experience and knowledge. I wear a helmet every time I ride and I take all recommended safety precautions. But I'm aware that any time I'm around a horse I could possibly be killed. They're big dangerous animals and their first instinct when something startles them is to run away. It doesn't matter if you're holding the reins or standing in the way when they panic - their only thought is to flee. Many people think riding is the most dangerous part about horses, but they're wrong. Most accidents happen on the ground. Even though I'm aware of all the bad things that could happen I'm not going to let that stop me from doing something I love. I imagine most people who participate in a "dangerous" sport feel the same way.
@@Upstaged07 I seriously tell people I had a near death experience on a horse as a complete novice and they think I'm joking. I had never ridden one and we did one of those rides through the mountains where they say "oh, you don't even have to do anything, the horses know where they're going". I'm quite tall so they put me on a giant who was a race horse in another life and 15 minutes into the 2 hr ride we reach the sandy clearing where they let the horses run on their off time. Mine tried to take off like a shot and I was pulling so hard on the poor thing's reins she literally tried to buck me off. I was only 20 at the time and luckily my dad was behind me, who had much more experience. He pulled his sweet gentle girl up beside me after I yelled "daddy!!" and he said "let go of the reigns, you're hurting her!". I did and I spent the next hour and half gently patting her and apologizing. My dad said later he saw my butt come out of the saddle and knew he had to intervene or I was done in one way or the other, (I was getting OFF that freaking horse!) while I also yelled for the guide who was USELESS. That was the scariest hour and 45 minutes I've ever ridden and I vowed right then I would never get on an animal so much more powerful than me! That horse was in charge and she knew it! It is definitely a dangerous activity to mess with something a hundred times bigger than you, even when you know what you're doing, much less than when you don't!
@@llsher5210 The OP was right when they said most accidents happen when the person us on the ground, BUT most of the FATAL OR CRIPPLING INJURIES happen from falls from a horse. I've ridden all my life too. I've known quite a few people who broke bones or were put in a (temporary) coma by falls from horses. 2 people I've known were put permanently in wheelchairs, 1 was paralyzed from the neck down, and 1 died. None of those were novices, in fact ALL of them were VERY accomplished horsemen and women. Even with a helmet it IS dangerous. I have merely been lucky. I very nearly landed on my back on a tree trunk shaped like sharp spike. I missed it by under 3 feet. I would have broken my back and maybe died, because I was alone. For the grace of God... Now they make vests that work like airbags, but I see them as being of very limited use. You are wise to be somewhat afraid. A healthy amount of fear is what keeps us alive and well. If it's not for you, that's fine. I couldn't live without horses, and riding is a part of it. But each to his own. I hope you do have some kind of outdoor activity that gives you a connection to nature and some joy.
@@cattymajiv I actually know someone who died as the result of a fall off a horse as well. I think in my case the company doing the guiding was very derelict. They gave us minimal instructions and this when we were already on the horse. I had no idea I was hurting the poor thing because I didn't know how reins worked, I simply thought the harder I pulled the more control I had. And like I said I said the guide was USELESS, my dad had to rescue me and thank God he was right there! I'm sure it wasn't pleasant for the horse either. We're all cut out for skills and passions other people are not. My husband is an engineer in the automotive industry, his specialty is motorsports engineering, and his passion is motorcycles. I'm not a risk taker by nature and whenever asked if I ride with him my reply is always "nope, I refuse to orphan our children". I'm actually a medical speech therapist and I've seen the worst of the worst of head injuries, many from motorcycles. However, I've never in our 18 years of marriage tried to dissuade him from riding, because I know he loves it. He mitigates the risks as best he can and I send him off with God. On the other hand, I've seen things in the medical field most people would blanche at best, vomit, or head for the hills. It doesn't phase me because that is what I was meant to do, it's my passion and skill set. And at times it IS dangerous, don't think a recently head injured patient 3x my size isn't a danger to me or even a dementia patient. But I don't think twice about entering their space because it's my job and it's where I want to be. I've not once been injured (although I know several colleagues who have ) but I have mitigated volatile situations and held the hands of family members and given them hope or consolation. I live in the CO Rockies and have nature most could never dream of at my feet. But that is a hobby. My most important calling is a mother and a person who helps others. Either is not (usually) a risk taking venture but it is the most fulfilling calling I could ever dream of.
🤣😅🤣🙂 I'm 66 years old. I grew up riding horses and I still ride horses. I have NEVER HAD A HELMET on my head EVER. We wore fancy western outfits for Play days and parades or Sheriff Posse meets. We wore jeans and boots on trail and leisure rides. Not one of my friends and family EVER wore helmets I've lost count of how many times I was bucked off, taken under low hanging branches.. we had a horse that was notorious for taken people under trees😅😅. I've been stepped on, bittenm kicked. I've had my horse roll over on me when a bank we were going up collapsed. I was taken through a cyclone fence when my horse saw her "boyfriend" on the other side of it. I've been to the ER so many times it's crazy. My brothers, father, friends and family all have great, "I almost died on my horse " stories. None of us ever had a serious head injury. I'm not saying people shouldn't wear helmets if they want to but I'm from THAT generation we were free and not afraid of dying everyday doing stuff to have fun! We didn't wear bike helmets and pads on every part of your body. Boys rode skate boards with elbow and knee pads only. We snow skied and rode Harleys with no helmets! They just weren't part of our worlds back then and I'm so glad. Not being free to feel the wind on my face and in my hair would feel so weird. I see kids in swimming pools with so many flotation devices, they can't have ANY FUN. WHY? Coz mom and dad don't swim and wear their street clothes to the pool. I end up teaching all the kids how NOT TO DROWN and how to have fun under water as much as they can in top. This is a different world than the one I grew up in and I'm SOOOO GLAD WE DID! Life can kill you. Deal with it and have fun. You do know they've figured out what causes the most deaths in the world today. The number one cause of death today is... BEING BORN!😅
@@susanmartin3762 no offense, but with a head injury it's not the fear of dying from one but the the fear of living through one that is scary. I tell everyone, my husband and father who ride motorcycles included, you better hope you die if you get a head injury. My best friend's father is a paraplegic and when he was in one of the top head and spinal rehab hospitals in the world the families of patients with head injuries told her mother "you're the lucky ones". There's a VERY small window of age that people can fully recover from a head injury and even a severe one usually they don't. The nature of a head injury typically fundamentally changes the personality of a person and even if they get that back they are never the same cognitively. I couldn't tell you how many times I've sat and remorsed and even cried with a patient or family over who they were before a head injury without being able to give real hope that they'd get back to that. THAT is why my generation of adults is so invested in helmets and even things like oxygenation to the brain in near drowning cases. As horrible as it sounds, I'm not worried about any of my loved ones dying, I'm worried about them LIVING with the consequences of a head injury.
I think permanent signs with arrows and distance indicators is a great idea-especially at the most popular dive sites. Also, there should be guide lines that fluoresce once light is shown on them that way it would be easier to find.
I have gone down a rabbit hole of cave diving and have learned so many amazing things about the planet we live on because of it. Also Gus and woody yall are truly an amazing duo and don’t stop being your amazing selves! Thanks for the amazing and inspiring content 🩷
When talking about signs that indicate the distance to an exit, the direction to the exit, etc., there is a cave in Hungary called Janos Molnar Cave that has similar “markers.” These markers provide direction/distance to exit, depth, intersection numbers, and lines numbers - literally like a highway. This makes it much easier to navigate and plan, as you can write down the numbers on slates and check them at every intersection.
I would never go cave diving, or diving in general, because I have a phobia of being underwater. Oddly enough, your videos are helping me face that fear in a round about way. In addition to that I get to learn a lot about diving, underwater safety etc while enjoying your friendship dynamic and banter. I applaud the folks brave enough to do these kinds of things, and love that y'all always stress proper safety. Whatever adventures y'all have stay safe, stay aware, and enjoy!
i felt this. i have no knowledge on swimming & don't know how to, but watching their videos encourage me to want to learn. besides that, i've also learned so much about diving and how humans react to water pressure/being underwater, it's all fascinating to learn.
I've never commented on this channel but I'm a long time viewer. I actually came across your channel from Mr ballen. I just want to say, I love you guys!! I couldn't be farther from you guys in terms of lifestyle. Snorkeling makes me nervous! And I will NEVER even recreational scuba dive, I am claustrophobic and that seems like the most claustrophobia inducing thing to me. However, you are so realist and instructional. I so appreciate that. I feel like I know more about recreational diving and cave diving than a lot of people who actually do those things because of this channel. I follow along and say "oh, that's where they went wrong!". You'll never find me personally doing anything close to what you do but I think you are an invaluable asset to the diving community as a whole.
And to illustrate my point, at the end Gus says the vast majority of deaths are from non trained divers, i.e. not trained for cave diving. I knew this as a non diver from this channel!
I read a comment from a dude that would have taken his inherited diving gear to check out a cave close to where he lives. He was very lucky to find these dudes before he learned the hard way that diving isn't a 'plug-and-play' endeavor.
I could have sworn you all said before the reason there's the jump lines off the main line was also as a deterrent for novice divers because if there was a permanent line they would just go ahead and keep following it
2 месяца назад+23
The Calbima line is also going to Grand Cenote and people made traverses without thinking about it, so they made it harder to do such swims by adding an extra element by having to install your jump so you don't accidentally make a traverse. There have been a few deaths in Calimba. Last time I was there, two divers got lost and died. We helped out with the recovery that time. A few years ago a team swam the wrong way after doing photography and not keeping track of their way home. Calimba has been closed off at least once before but they try to open it because it is a great site.
I’m not a tech diver let alone a cave diver but here’s my take on the subject of “dangerous” activities. It’s about acceptance of risk and risk mitigation. Example, there’s a chance that you could be involved in a fatal crash on the way to the grocery store. That doesn’t keep most people from going to the store. We mitigate that risk by getting a driver’s license, obeying traffic laws, wearing a seatbelt and taking familiar routes when possible. Even when we do all of those things there’s still a slight chance that we might be involved in a fatal accident. This is the assumption of risk. Diving applies the same “rules”. Get the appropriate training, follow the rules that you are taught in that training. Use the proper equipment and last but not least, decide if the reward of seeing the caves in person is worth assuming the risk that is inherently involved.
Yep correct, but there are always people who think they don't even need a driving license or obay the laws, there's always and will always be people like that around. But the other divers who obay the laws shouldn't be punished when they close entrances because of silly people.
The mystery and beauty of cave exploration on dry land alone is amazing. So I imagine diving intensifies that sense of wonder and intrigue. Regardless of the obvious and unknown dangers its appeal is just mesmerizing to some. 👏
I just completed my introduction and basics course and I’m set to do my first dive in a lake in a month. I’m so glad for this channel inspiring me and getting me curious about diving. Diving is an amazing experience. I found an amazing local community of divers that just want to share their knowledge and I have never felt this safe while doing a “dangerous” activity
Cave diving seems to be deceptively dangerous. You can do some training wheels open water diving through a cruise expedition. People probably initially think that especially if they go through discovered caves and routes, there shouldn't be much problems. People overestimate their skills and underestimate the risk. A lot of the cave diving accidents seem to happen when people are complacent or alone. Of course, there are times like a cave-in that unavoidable accidents occur. But the vast majority seem to be avoidable.
Like I always say when people question why I look both ways on a one way street: Because I'm looking for the asshole going the wrong way. Complacency kills.
Just the idea that you can lose control of your buoyancy in a panic situation and knock yourself out on the ceiling is terrifying enough (depends on the caverns hight obviously.)
Just found this channel like 2 days ago i never binged so much 😂 cave diving is hella interesting to watch and learn about i personally would never but am living viciously through yall keep up good work 🫡
This is one of DT videos I like most. The duo approached the idiosyncracies of cave diving as not always a sports for up statistics of mortalities. Their knowledge and experience with cave diving the emphasis on learning a new dive endeavor and the training that goes with it. Constant practice and familiarizing with the environment, one can say it is a big step to safe and enjoyable exploits. There are instances as shown in the video that even the most experienced cave divers suffers from indecisiveness and ego and go syndrome.
Sanctum, do you mean? Yeah! That and The Cave (the one that turns out to be a horror film with the symbiont that turns people into massive bat creatures, but which is a pretty good portrayal of cave diving.)
Gus, I just gotta say you're lookin' fantastic. I had been on a video binge from your content from 2 years ago and the difference is incredible. Keep it up. Inspiring stuff.
I see trampolines in lots of yards. But ask any orthopedic doctor and they will tell you how badly kids get injured. High school kids get injured in sports all the time, sometimes seriously. People do these things because they enjoy it, as you say. How boring with no bicycles, skateboards, ice skates, football, the list goes on.
@@angelachouinard4581 I agree! Except all the fun stuff I enjoyed growing up with have now been replaced with video games. And while I love video games too, the kids these days have no clue what they are missing!
@@angelachouinard4581 It's a shame that people are so scared to let their children try things these days. I came off my bike and ended up in hospital multiple times, but because I was like 12 years old I could take that kind of damage and learn valuable lessons from it. Taking those falls as an adult and learning those lessons late is often a very bad thing.
If I'm not mistaken, El Diablo is only a short distance away from Cenote El Aerolito. I wonder if after Gus had his incident, he yelled.. "Daddy's Comin' Home!!!" 😮
I can't even swim - I'm so scared of the water. But I love your channel - it's fascinating and I'm amazed that anyone goes cave diving - absolutely terrifying. But it's great to hear how you explain everything. Thank you both. Love your channel.
Were either your mother or father scared of the water? The fear of water is one of the most transferable fears from parent to offspring. Usually, the initial phobia is triggered by losing someone to drowning.
Possibly they don't want to put up signs because you would become dependent on them and if the cave got silted out, you wouldn't be able to read them. This could lead to confusion followed by panic followed by death. That's the most reasonable explanation I can come up with as a non cave diver. I mean one of the main functions of the line system it to allow you to get out safely in zero visibility right?
As a cave diver, I think you're right. Also, exits depend on each team. As you can see on the map the system has multiple entrances and you should generally exit the same place you came in. Another exit may be too far away for you or may be too tight to get through in your equipment. Which is why we place our own markers to point back to *our* exit. Permanent arrows are usually present in the system pointing to the nearest exit, but we only follow those in emergencies for the reasons mentioned above. Your own exit is known to be passable and should be within your gas planning. Placing huge arrows pointing to one exit might work in Florida but in Mexico's maze-like caves they'd just confuse more than help.
Though I myself would never go cave diving, I love cave diving because it fosters the same spirit of exploration and discovery that led people to explore the polar regions, travel to the heart of Africa, and fly to the moon. It’s not for everyone, but I think we as humans need the few that will brave these odds in search of discovery and adventure.
Sky diving is dangerous, base jumping, parkour, street skating, white water rafting, etc. If you are trained and practiced, it is a more calculated risk - if you are untrained, it is a greater risk and a greater temtping of a fateful situation.
Or if you get arrogant, I'd add. I'm pretty sure the guys have covered at least one dive fatality where the diver in question was trained, but got cocky and ended up dying. Not a diver, however it feels like if you don't go into that cave with at least some kind of respect or humbleness you're putting yourself at greater risk as well.
I have been following dive talk for about 4 months. I have only seen videos from 3 years ago, I rarely go to a channel directly to see videos so for the last 4 months I've been use to gus from 3 years ago. When Gua appeared in this video, I legit had to go back from old videos to hear him say his name to make SURE it was gus. Holy crap man way to go! I didn't recognize you at all! Been watching the diviing in Chernobyl off and on with older videos. Truly remarkable progress Gus, Be proud man. You are a completely different person and you look good bro!
Your opinions are both enlightening and entertaining. Both of you have such accessible and honest opinions about safety and perspective on diving that I'd love to learn ! Gold stars guys ⭐
The "Keep calm, and tie off." made me think of something.. There's something really funny, and kinda morbid about dive arrows that say "Keep calm, Carry on." 😅
19:41 so they want cave diving to be challenging so that cave divers don't underestimate their dives and potentially put themselves in danger, but by doing so they make it more complicated than it ought to be, resulting in cave divers being at higher risk to get lost, making things more dangerous. so when we say cave diving is dangerous, it is, but not just because of caves, and diving, and diving in caves, but also because of cave divers who don't want to make it "too easy"
Risk is a personal decision- I ride a motorcycle, it's higher risk than being in a cage, but I enjoy it. I try and take steps to mitigate the risk. But ultimately, for me personally the risk is worth it. I'm far calmer and less stressed riding a motorcycle than I am driving a car. Life is to be lived. Live it well.
Diving every weekend for 4 years would be 208 dives. If you were diving Saturday and Sunday it would be 416. So it's really more like diving every weekend for 2 years. Thanks for the video 🤟
18:30 I think it's kind of how they've commercialized climbing Mount Everest and it's overcrowded now and lots of rookies needing hand holding. And more trash left behind on the mountain/more deaths
I think asking "why would you cave dive?" is like asking "why would you explore the arctic?" or "why would you be an astronaut?". People do dangerous things all the time, it's human nature to go out into the world, to train, and to challenge ourselves with epic feats of ability.
it's a little different because you have to work to eat. and you have to often drive to get to work 🤷♀️ there are many different entertaining hobbies that don't include drowning. it isn't a fair comparison
I am not a diver nor do I know anyone who is, I just stumbled across a reaction video one day and have been watching every since. This particular video played in que from another video and i noticed Gus looked substantially different than previous videos i then looked at the date and it was from a month ago and man is he looking great!! Makes me happy to see him making his health a priority.
Aviation had this problem in the early days. It was a huge fight to adopt instruments for flying. Some pilots insisted that the only proper way to fly was by "the seat of your pants" and that making it too easy would invite the "wrong sort" to be pilots. Similar arguments arose around use of checklists and crew resource management (CRM) among other things. There's zero reason not to have clearly legible signs labeling both the way to the exit and noting where you're heading in all caves. Just like flying anyone can have something go wrong - even a pilot with 20,000 hours experience. Many have died that way.
Don't want to sound harsh but people who have this attitude of "but they did everything right, I don't understand how they died" simply don't understand risk and risk mitigation. You can do everything by the book and still have an unfavorable outcome, that is the reality of risk, unfortunately there simply are no guarantees in life. Same way you can go cycling, obey all the rules of the road, be super cautious and wear a helmet etc and still have a crash and die... it happens However doing everything right increases your odds of things ending favorably for you, its the difference between a 50% chance of something going wrong vs a 20% chance
I'm the type of person who'd much rather stay on the surface and explore using an RC diving robot. Safer, faster, smaller, deeper, and (worst case) abandonable. There's something to be said about experiencing something in-person instead of virtually, but it's not for me. 🤷♂️
The discussion around underwater signage brought to mind hiking trails. Obviously it's helpful to know where you are on a map and how to navigate the area you're in, but having simple blazes (i.e., a strip of paint on trees/rocks/etc) helps so much when you're not sure where you are at. I'm sure someone much more familiar than I am with cave diving could develop a similar system to mark out underwater systems.
One of the best videos you covered, kudos to that channel and one of *your* best videos. Very thought provoking and insightful. Whoever suggested this, top marks!
I would think (as a baby SSI XR Nitrox diver) that road signs in Ginnie or any given cave would give some divers the notion that they can go further than their planned rule of thirds with minimal additional effort. Other than that, it would make perfect sense to have these road signs.
There is always an increased risk. Each step increases the risk: whether Swimming (waves, currents, tides, rocks/corals, wildlife), Scuba Diving, Filming while Scuba Diving (awareness of your surroundings beyond the object filmed), Diving on different gases (correctly mixed, correctly labelled; breathing your decompression gas too deep can kill you from an oxygen (O2) seizure and breathing your bottom gas for a deep trimix dive too shallow can kill you from hypoxia). Diving on re-breathers also increases some risks as you are increasing the needed technical skills to properly maintain and assemble your kit; Cave Diving, further increases complexity, and task load. People die from "diver error:" not adhering to safety protocols, and missing steps, either deliberately or from plain tiredness, forgetfulness, excitement, or "she'll be alright" idiocy.
In my mind it makes sense for the main line to be a little thicker and one color. Then all the side tunnels or other paths will each use a different color. You would just have to study the cave you are in to know which color leads where. Kind of like how they differentiate ski slopes.
If I were Lord of the Caves, I'd add the road signs at junctions in embossed letters and in Braille. I'd probably glue them with concrete or rock climbing pitons to rocks and add tie points for lines. At least in high traffic caves I'd add an electronics box to make the sign into an ultrasonic communicator repeater station with easy to replace standard battery packs and emergency light. Yes, it might be unnatural looking and maybe some people might become dependent on them and have problems when they fail and it might seem wussy to some. Some cave should be designated for testing new technology and protocols for working out bugs and determining if it really does save lives. I can see where it might be neat to be totally cut off from the world and self reliant, but in my mind preventing death takes priority over most things in life.
The only thing that could get me to cave dive would be a cenote. Most of these cave diving videos are dark murky rock, I'd want to see some beautiful underwater caves.
Great show guys ...the fatalities in cave diving remind me of surfing places like pipeline Hawaii surfers die there every year and theres even some professionals taken there also ...like cave diving you prepare your very best for the dive and by the odds you will be fine but nothing is curtain when your below the surface ....Pipeline has taken many lives over the decades but no one would consider closing it off to surfers ....
As a non diver, looking at the images of the beautiful rock formations and exploring how these systems form, i can understand how someone would want to go see it. Im someone who grew up swimming in pools, ocean beaches and lakes by the shore. I am currently not fit enough, or live in a location to go see these places for myself, so i currenly know my limit is snorkling. I enjoy listening to Gus and Woody explain why its not as scary as it seems in these types of videos. I also appreaciate the explanation of why it may not be as easy as puting road signs, but you have a great point about the arrows
Excellent video both yours and the one you reacted to I really enjoy these videos that spark genuine conversation between you both and provide information about the logistics of cave diving as well. Thanks for all your content!!
Q: Why do you go cave diving? A: (Glurg) (Glurg) (Glurg) (Translation: Because it's there!) Seriously, the biggest difference between cave diving and mountain climbing is the temperature of the H2O. Both are dangerous for the same reasons: lack of air, bad rock interactions, and bad water/ice interactions. On the other hand, both are extreme challenges of physical capability on a personal level, and allow one who succeeds to see things most people don't get to.
I've never felt the pull of unseen things. Being the only one, or one of just a few people, to have seen something amazing just doesn't interest me but I accept that others feel differently. I'm quite happy to look at what they've seen on video :0)
I have not watched you guys for a while and you are both looking great! Gus, your change has been amazing - congratulations champ! Great video as well :)
Long time watcher, been MIA for quite a while. I just have to say Gus you look amazing, your transformation is incredible! That being said I'm hooked right back into binge watching haha cheers.
As someone who skateboarded and did freestyle BMX and roller skating my whole life it's the same argument why do anything then if you're so afraid of risk then why do anything can you take the precautions to mitigate risk but that's this is living that is living life is going and exploring and being part of the world taking risks is part of what makes life worth living because if you never take a risk and never get out of your comfort zone you don't truly know what it's like to live just my opinion
Can someone explain to me why the rule of thirds isn’t the rule of 8ths? where you have 1/8th there and 1/8th back and 6/8th for emergency?? Seems like so many deaths are because they run out of air. 1/3 emergency reserve can’t even save you from the smallest mistake. I just feel like cave divers take unnecessary risk ontop of the sport being already risky.
I do most of my cave diving in Mexico and it's because of these 2 incidents that it's common practice to jump from your own arrow so that there is no doubt about your exit direction.
Hi guys, Firefighters in the UK use a similar system of guidelines for searching large smoke-logged buildings. We use a system of numbered tallies to identify a branch line where it is attached to the main guideline so that you know if you are leaving or rejoining the main line. The branch line is always attached to the main line to avoid the chance of loosing contact with the line.
Woody, your kindness in saying you would share your air even if you were running out yourself is exactly why you must survive. You are an asset to the world and I'm so glad American Express saved you
As a contrast, some adventure activities like sky diving are dangerous and can be proven so by statistics. The odds are high that at some point you'll twist or break an ankle, leg or other injury. Odds of dying are also higher (per sport hour) than open water diving.
Been a while since I caught a video from you guys... and I gotta say Gus is lookin lean and mean!!! Keep doing whatever you doing my guy... you look like a new man 💯
Guys, I love your work but I love the dynamic between the two of you more than anything. Do you ever stop and think about how lucky you are to have each other? Well, you are almost as lucky as we are to have you.❤
When it comes to insurance, they are not predicting individual people, but a group of people that share similar traits or activities so they aren't saying the most well planned professional cave dive is to risky but there are some cave divers that take on too much risk and they don't know you from them.
Problem is insurance companies charge individual rates. Why is my car so much more expensive than mneighbors when I drive more safely? Because they pocket the difference. DO NOT excuse the greed of insurance companies. They _could_ (and DO with health insurance) charge individual rates. They choose to bundle you in with the greatest risks... because money. Insurance should be mandated to be non-profit.
This was a devastating tragedy that indeed could have been prevented if they were on rebreathers..... and a good promo for them here. Thank you for reacting sensitively to this one. I'm no diver but continue to learn so much from your videos.
I’m petrified of diving but completely entranced at the same time. I think anyone who cave dives is a bad ass by design. I know my limitations and freaking out isn’t an option but I really enjoy your videos and have immense respect for you both.
Congratulations on the weight loss / health improvement journey Gus!! You're looking great. Great effort and commitment over the past 3 years. Keep rising!!
![Hunxho - Ball Forever [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nki9ZTF9Uls/mqdefault.jpg)
I doubt it's just me, but in the last 3 years I noticed that Gus is looking great. People can just scroll through the thumbnails and see the progress he's made. Honestly incredible!
@@csmQueso oh dang, 100%! Good for him 😁
To right.
Gus gotta watch out for sharks, 'cause he be looking like a snack
I found the channel a while back and binged through and was blown away at the weight loss
You read my mind 😀
the problem with putting a huge arrow for the exit is Wile E Coyote might come along and spin the arrow to point the wrong way
😂😂😂
Or Dennis Nedry(Jurrasic Park):)
Legit
Or painted a fake exit with a train that comes out of it.
@@DrDeuteron you could just paint an airpocket so divers can breathe lol
Love the way Gus and Woody are such great experienced divers but still acknowledge their limits and when diving places dangerous always have one or more of the elites with them. They are great divers and genuinely good guys
i saw a great documentary about a rare fish, and they were filming it in the Mediterranean.
The diver said it got really dangerous at times because as he was focusing on filming the fish, he didn't realize he was being dragged deeper and deeper by it's beauty.
I think filming adds a whole nother level of danger to diving, especially cave diving
Great point, my mum used to always dislike filming family events because she always said she felt like she wasn't actually paying attention to what she was filming as she was too focused on staring at the screen on the camera. So even though she just technically saw everything through the camera, she didn't actually process it and I think this is a similar kind of dissonance at play here - diver paying more attention to the state of the camera and monitoring that equipment instead of their environment and their own dive equipment. The human mind can only focus on some many intricate tasks at once.
Been watching this channel for a minute i don’t cave dive but I like to listen to you guys talk about it for hours. You said one thing at 2:15 that brought my attention “you can do everything right and still die” as an NJ firefighter that phrase is drilled into our heads. That’s the best way to explain the activity you guys do.
I'm almost certain the guy who made the video isn't a cave diver, but i think he watched dive talk and saw how bad you guys roasted a lot of the other videos, and he made a genuine effort to present information that was Dive Talk approved.
@@restitvtororbis5330 I genuinely thought that as well 😂😅
...yes, this youtuber completely made this video for two cave divers....gtfoh. NOBODY should be spreading bullshit. Regardless of dive talk....lmao
@@MikeH44 that is 100% true
@@MikeH44 well the RUclipsr definitely did his research Gus and woody even says so.
@@MikeH44 It isn't for them but if you contrast videos people made about diving before dive talk became popular to the videos now. The information has drastically improved in accuracy. It's completely possible people understand their video could be reviewed on this channel and it's probably more helpful for their viewership to make the information more accurate. Which in turn improves the quality of the overall video.
There is an animated kids show called Octonauts on Netflix, about a team of brave mammals who live underwater and protect the creatures of the sea. They did an episode that takes place in the caves of Sac Actun, and includes cartoon cave diving.
It would be absolutely hilarious if you did a Cave Divers React of "Octonauts and the Caves of Sac Actun."
Cave diving is viewed as highly, highly dangers not because of statistics but because it is one of the most terrifying ways to die... out of air, lost, hopeless... and it's ultimately an unnecessary risk. Driving on the highway is also risky, but I have to go to work.
I saw someone suggesting that a rule for diving needs to be if you are going to be using a camera, especially caving, you need to have a buddy whose job it is to keep track of everything. No swapping camera between people or anything, just one person runs the dive and one person runs the camera.
No one feels more invincible then someone holding a camera
That is a good suggestion. Buddy's job to keep track of position, gas, depth, and ensure adherence to the plan.
@@brownmold Exactly. I mean, my partner and I do something similar when doing photography *not* underwater, because we know we both tend to lose situational awareness when using a camera. The rule is we won't both be taking photographs if there's any concern about the safety of the environment we're in. (Traffic, terrain, etc.) The person not taking photos is responsible for keeping an eye on everything for both of us.
I like this guy. He did a lot of research before making the video and that's what makes a good video. He was also humble enough to admit that he's not an expert on the subject.
Guys -
Back in the '80s, there were over 300+ cave diving deaths in the accidents files of the NSS/CDS and rthe NACD, and if I recall, only about 1% or less were full cave certified, all the other 99% were NOT full cave trained. And lot of the cave trained fatalities were due to diving extremely deep on AIR
John
I'm not a diver, I am actually just a sailor (small craft). But I find your channel absolutely fascinating. From all of your videos my takeaway is that much like with sailing, the key to mitigating danger when diving, is planning, practice and maintaining constant good environmental awareness.
When I first started sailing nearly twenty years ago I was dragged with my boat's mast down to the seabed after we capsized and after my legs became tangled in the rigging. I could see the sunlight above me on the surface but couldn't free myself because my bouyancy aid was trying to make me float upwards. I would have died if my instructor hadn't been as fast as he was. It was a good lesson and since that day my boats are neat, everyone knows where their legs are and everyone communicates clearly and properly.
Those are some good instructors, and are clearly great people who lead by example. It's amazing what difference can be made when you have qualified and trained professionals, who stand by the planning and practice, and focus on maintaining those standards, at the helm of a potential disaster and demonstrate first hand how important it is to honour the lessons taught.
@Roisty09 they were. The guy that pulled me out was a stone cold badass. When you meet people like that they can really teach you so much.
This case was one of the incidents discussed and analyzed during my cave course. My instructor was involved in the body recovery.
IIRC the main issues were following the guide too blindly (basically a trust me dive) and being distracted with their camera.
My experience from hiking is that it is very easy for people to lose their awareness of where they are and should be headed at any given time. Instead they fall into the routine of simply following a trail or marked route and rely on what they are following to be right. With this lack of awareness a small 'complication' can easily head them in the wrong direction because they don't have the idea of what 'should be' in mind.
yess even a tiny thing can throw you into autopilot! cause you're not doing exactly what you expected and it resets your brain in a weird way
Woody your 100% correct. I (as a former life insurance guy) can attest to your comments about actuaries and the game of predicting deaths. It's all about the numbers. Thus, out of all folks out there cave diving (I am not one by the way) have a much higher risk of deaths than those going on a jog. You were being honest with your comments and that is always appreciated.
I'm an open water diver. And I ride horses. I've spent most of my life around horses, and I have an immense amount of experience and knowledge. I wear a helmet every time I ride and I take all recommended safety precautions. But I'm aware that any time I'm around a horse I could possibly be killed. They're big dangerous animals and their first instinct when something startles them is to run away. It doesn't matter if you're holding the reins or standing in the way when they panic - their only thought is to flee. Many people think riding is the most dangerous part about horses, but they're wrong. Most accidents happen on the ground. Even though I'm aware of all the bad things that could happen I'm not going to let that stop me from doing something I love. I imagine most people who participate in a "dangerous" sport feel the same way.
@@Upstaged07 I seriously tell people I had a near death experience on a horse as a complete novice and they think I'm joking. I had never ridden one and we did one of those rides through the mountains where they say "oh, you don't even have to do anything, the horses know where they're going". I'm quite tall so they put me on a giant who was a race horse in another life and 15 minutes into the 2 hr ride we reach the sandy clearing where they let the horses run on their off time. Mine tried to take off like a shot and I was pulling so hard on the poor thing's reins she literally tried to buck me off. I was only 20 at the time and luckily my dad was behind me, who had much more experience. He pulled his sweet gentle girl up beside me after I yelled "daddy!!" and he said "let go of the reigns, you're hurting her!". I did and I spent the next hour and half gently patting her and apologizing. My dad said later he saw my butt come out of the saddle and knew he had to intervene or I was done in one way or the other, (I was getting OFF that freaking horse!) while I also yelled for the guide who was USELESS. That was the scariest hour and 45 minutes I've ever ridden and I vowed right then I would never get on an animal so much more powerful than me! That horse was in charge and she knew it! It is definitely a dangerous activity to mess with something a hundred times bigger than you, even when you know what you're doing, much less than when you don't!
@@llsher5210 The OP was right when they said most accidents happen when the person us on the ground, BUT most of the FATAL OR CRIPPLING INJURIES happen from falls from a horse.
I've ridden all my life too. I've known quite a few people who broke bones or were put in a (temporary) coma by falls from horses. 2 people I've known were put permanently in wheelchairs, 1 was paralyzed from the neck down, and 1 died. None of those were novices, in fact ALL of them were VERY accomplished horsemen and women. Even with a helmet it IS dangerous.
I have merely been lucky. I very nearly landed on my back on a tree trunk shaped like sharp spike. I missed it by under 3 feet. I would have broken my back and maybe died, because I was alone. For the grace of God...
Now they make vests that work like airbags, but I see them as being of very limited use.
You are wise to be somewhat afraid. A healthy amount of fear is what keeps us alive and well. If it's not for you, that's fine. I couldn't live without horses, and riding is a part of it. But each to his own. I hope you do have some kind of outdoor activity that gives you a connection to nature and some joy.
@@cattymajiv I actually know someone who died as the result of a fall off a horse as well. I think in my case the company doing the guiding was very derelict. They gave us minimal instructions and this when we were already on the horse. I had no idea I was hurting the poor thing because I didn't know how reins worked, I simply thought the harder I pulled the more control I had. And like I said I said the guide was USELESS, my dad had to rescue me and thank God he was right there! I'm sure it wasn't pleasant for the horse either.
We're all cut out for skills and passions other people are not. My husband is an engineer in the automotive industry, his specialty is motorsports engineering, and his passion is motorcycles. I'm not a risk taker by nature and whenever asked if I ride with him my reply is always "nope, I refuse to orphan our children".
I'm actually a medical speech therapist and I've seen the worst of the worst of head injuries, many from motorcycles. However, I've never in our 18 years of marriage tried to dissuade him from riding, because I know he loves it. He mitigates the risks as best he can and I send him off with God.
On the other hand, I've seen things in the medical field most people would blanche at best, vomit, or head for the hills. It doesn't phase me because that is what I was meant to do, it's my passion and skill set. And at times it IS dangerous, don't think a recently head injured patient 3x my size isn't a danger to me or even a dementia patient. But I don't think twice about entering their space because it's my job and it's where I want to be. I've not once been injured (although I know several colleagues who have ) but I have mitigated volatile situations and held the hands of family members and given them hope or consolation.
I live in the CO Rockies and have nature most could never dream of at my feet. But that is a hobby. My most important calling is a mother and a person who helps others. Either is not (usually) a risk taking venture but it is the most fulfilling calling I could ever dream of.
🤣😅🤣🙂 I'm 66 years old. I grew up riding horses and I still ride horses. I have NEVER HAD A HELMET on my head EVER. We wore fancy western outfits for Play days and parades or Sheriff Posse meets. We wore jeans and boots on trail and leisure rides. Not one of my friends and family EVER wore helmets I've lost count of how many times I was bucked off, taken under low hanging branches.. we had a horse that was notorious for taken people under trees😅😅. I've been stepped on, bittenm kicked. I've had my horse roll over on me when a bank we were going up collapsed. I was taken through a cyclone fence when my horse saw her "boyfriend" on the other side of it. I've been to the ER so many times it's crazy. My brothers, father, friends and family all have great, "I almost died on my horse " stories. None of us ever had a serious head injury. I'm not saying people shouldn't wear helmets if they want to but I'm from THAT generation we were free and not afraid of dying everyday doing stuff to have fun! We didn't wear bike helmets and pads on every part of your body. Boys rode skate boards with elbow and knee pads only. We snow skied and rode Harleys with no helmets! They just weren't part of our worlds back then and I'm so glad. Not being free to feel the wind on my face and in my hair would feel so weird. I see kids in swimming pools with so many flotation devices, they can't have ANY FUN. WHY? Coz mom and dad don't swim and wear their street clothes to the pool. I end up teaching all the kids how NOT TO DROWN and how to have fun under water as much as they can in top. This is a different world than the one I grew up in and I'm SOOOO GLAD WE DID! Life can kill you. Deal with it and have fun. You do know they've figured out what causes the most deaths in the world today. The number one cause of death today is... BEING BORN!😅
@@susanmartin3762 no offense, but with a head injury it's not the fear of dying from one but the the fear of living through one that is scary. I tell everyone, my husband and father who ride motorcycles included, you better hope you die if you get a head injury. My best friend's father is a paraplegic and when he was in one of the top head and spinal rehab hospitals in the world the families of patients with head injuries told her mother "you're the lucky ones".
There's a VERY small window of age that people can fully recover from a head injury and even a severe one usually they don't. The nature of a head injury typically fundamentally changes the personality of a person and even if they get that back they are never the same cognitively. I couldn't tell you how many times I've sat and remorsed and even cried with a patient or family over who they were before a head injury without being able to give real hope that they'd get back to that.
THAT is why my generation of adults is so invested in helmets and even things like oxygenation to the brain in near drowning cases. As horrible as it sounds, I'm not worried about any of my loved ones dying, I'm worried about them LIVING with the consequences of a head injury.
I think permanent signs with arrows and distance indicators is a great idea-especially at the most popular dive sites. Also, there should be guide lines that fluoresce once light is shown on them that way it would be easier to find.
I have gone down a rabbit hole of cave diving and have learned so many amazing things about the planet we live on because of it. Also Gus and woody yall are truly an amazing duo and don’t stop being your amazing selves! Thanks for the amazing and inspiring content 🩷
It's truly amazing. Never cave dive.
When talking about signs that indicate the distance to an exit, the direction to the exit, etc., there is a cave in Hungary called Janos Molnar Cave that has similar “markers.” These markers provide direction/distance to exit, depth, intersection numbers, and lines numbers - literally like a highway. This makes it much easier to navigate and plan, as you can write down the numbers on slates and check them at every intersection.
I would never go cave diving, or diving in general, because I have a phobia of being underwater. Oddly enough, your videos are helping me face that fear in a round about way. In addition to that I get to learn a lot about diving, underwater safety etc while enjoying your friendship dynamic and banter. I applaud the folks brave enough to do these kinds of things, and love that y'all always stress proper safety. Whatever adventures y'all have stay safe, stay aware, and enjoy!
i felt this. i have no knowledge on swimming & don't know how to, but watching their videos encourage me to want to learn. besides that, i've also learned so much about diving and how humans react to water pressure/being underwater, it's all fascinating to learn.
Go play Subnautica. Will ether cure you or give you PTSD. :D
I second Subnautica. I had a debilitating fear of the ocean, but playing through it was actually pretty therapeutic and helped me get over it.
I've never commented on this channel but I'm a long time viewer. I actually came across your channel from Mr ballen. I just want to say, I love you guys!! I couldn't be farther from you guys in terms of lifestyle. Snorkeling makes me nervous! And I will NEVER even recreational scuba dive, I am claustrophobic and that seems like the most claustrophobia inducing thing to me.
However, you are so realist and instructional. I so appreciate that. I feel like I know more about recreational diving and cave diving than a lot of people who actually do those things because of this channel. I follow along and say "oh, that's where they went wrong!". You'll never find me personally doing anything close to what you do but I think you are an invaluable asset to the diving community as a whole.
And to illustrate my point, at the end Gus says the vast majority of deaths are from non trained divers, i.e. not trained for cave diving. I knew this as a non diver from this channel!
I read a comment from a dude that would have taken his inherited diving gear to check out a cave close to where he lives.
He was very lucky to find these dudes before he learned the hard way that diving isn't a 'plug-and-play' endeavor.
@@staomruel Wow! He was 1 VERY lucky guy!
Has Gus been hiding Woody’s creature hats? 😂
I'm glad to see Woody dress more professionally lately. i.i : silly hats. LOL
@@NomadOverlander I want the hats back.
I could have sworn you all said before the reason there's the jump lines off the main line was also as a deterrent for novice divers because if there was a permanent line they would just go ahead and keep following it
The Calbima line is also going to Grand Cenote and people made traverses without thinking about it, so they made it harder to do such swims by adding an extra element by having to install your jump so you don't accidentally make a traverse. There have been a few deaths in Calimba. Last time I was there, two divers got lost and died. We helped out with the recovery that time. A few years ago a team swam the wrong way after doing photography and not keeping track of their way home. Calimba has been closed off at least once before but they try to open it because it is a great site.
It's open now. I dived it a year ago.
I’m not a tech diver let alone a cave diver but here’s my take on the subject of “dangerous” activities. It’s about acceptance of risk and risk mitigation. Example, there’s a chance that you could be involved in a fatal crash on the way to the grocery store. That doesn’t keep most people from going to the store. We mitigate that risk by getting a driver’s license, obeying traffic laws, wearing a seatbelt and taking familiar routes when possible. Even when we do all of those things there’s still a slight chance that we might be involved in a fatal accident. This is the assumption of risk. Diving applies the same “rules”. Get the appropriate training, follow the rules that you are taught in that training. Use the proper equipment and last but not least, decide if the reward of seeing the caves in person is worth assuming the risk that is inherently involved.
... you dont get the point sir....
THERE is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON .... TO VISIT AN INSIDE A CAVE UNDERWATER GROCERY STORE AT ALL ...
Yep correct, but there are always people who think they don't even need a driving license or obay the laws,
there's always and will always be people like that around.
But the other divers who obay the laws shouldn't be punished when they close entrances because of silly people.
Very well said and a great analogy.
@@tezcatlipoca6336 But… But….. the Cave Vegetables are Superb!!!!!
@@rico653caines3And their fish is really fresh!
The mystery and beauty of cave exploration on dry land alone is amazing. So I imagine diving intensifies that sense of wonder and intrigue. Regardless of the obvious and unknown dangers its appeal is just mesmerizing to some. 👏
I just completed my introduction and basics course and I’m set to do my first dive in a lake in a month. I’m so glad for this channel inspiring me and getting me curious about diving. Diving is an amazing experience. I found an amazing local community of divers that just want to share their knowledge and I have never felt this safe while doing a “dangerous” activity
I just got my OW certification in Monterey California after being inspired by this channel. Already planning my next dive as we speak.
Cave diving seems to be deceptively dangerous. You can do some training wheels open water diving through a cruise expedition. People probably initially think that especially if they go through discovered caves and routes, there shouldn't be much problems. People overestimate their skills and underestimate the risk. A lot of the cave diving accidents seem to happen when people are complacent or alone. Of course, there are times like a cave-in that unavoidable accidents occur. But the vast majority seem to be avoidable.
Like I always say when people question why I look both ways on a one way street: Because I'm looking for the asshole going the wrong way.
Complacency kills.
@@thegriffin88 real, rather be safe than sorry because of some unexpected idiot, you always have to expect the unexpected idiot when near other humans
Just the idea that you can lose control of your buoyancy in a panic situation and knock yourself out on the ceiling is terrifying enough (depends on the caverns hight obviously.)
This channel never gets old
Kudos to the creator of that video, I've watched lots of videos about cave diving and this guy brought up details I've never seen.
Just found this channel like 2 days ago i never binged so much 😂 cave diving is hella interesting to watch and learn about i personally would never but am living viciously through yall keep up good work 🫡
This is one of DT videos I like most. The duo approached the idiosyncracies of cave diving as not always a sports for up statistics of mortalities. Their knowledge and experience with cave diving the emphasis on learning a new dive endeavor and the training that goes with it. Constant practice and familiarizing with the environment, one can say it is a big step to safe and enjoyable exploits. There are instances as shown in the video that even the most experienced cave divers suffers from indecisiveness and ego and go syndrome.
I love how the movie Sanctuary is basically b-reel footage for content creators when they cover cave diving. 🤣
Sanctum, do you mean? Yeah! That and The Cave (the one that turns out to be a horror film with the symbiont that turns people into massive bat creatures, but which is a pretty good portrayal of cave diving.)
@@thomasjoychild4962 Sounds like an awful movie though! I can't watch that kind of crap!
Gus, I just gotta say you're lookin' fantastic. I had been on a video binge from your content from 2 years ago and the difference is incredible. Keep it up. Inspiring stuff.
As Rick Stanton rightly pointed out, just because a sport is considered dangerous, doesn't mean you should do it dangerously
So very well said!
Why cave dive?
Well...
Why sky dive?
Why snowboard?
Why rock climb?
Why bungee jump?
Why slack line?
Why race cars?
Why ride motorcycles?
Etc. etc. etc.
BECAUSE IT'S FUN!!!
I see trampolines in lots of yards. But ask any orthopedic doctor and they will tell you how badly kids get injured. High school kids get injured in sports all the time, sometimes seriously. People do these things because they enjoy it, as you say. How boring with no bicycles, skateboards, ice skates, football, the list goes on.
@@angelachouinard4581 I'm so dang boring 😖
@@angelachouinard4581 I agree! Except all the fun stuff I enjoyed growing up with have now been replaced with video games. And while I love video games too, the kids these days have no clue what they are missing!
@@angelachouinard4581 It's a shame that people are so scared to let their children try things these days. I came off my bike and ended up in hospital multiple times, but because I was like 12 years old I could take that kind of damage and learn valuable lessons from it. Taking those falls as an adult and learning those lessons late is often a very bad thing.
Why play chess?
I got into dive talk 2 weeks ago. Getting recommended all the older videos 2 years ago. Holy crap Gus, you are looking fantastic!!!!!!
If I'm not mistaken, El Diablo is only a short distance away from Cenote El Aerolito. I wonder if after Gus had his incident, he yelled.. "Daddy's Comin' Home!!!" 😮
I can't even swim - I'm so scared of the water. But I love your channel - it's fascinating and I'm amazed that anyone goes cave diving - absolutely terrifying. But it's great to hear how you explain everything. Thank you both. Love your channel.
Were either your mother or father scared of the water? The fear of water is one of the most transferable fears from parent to offspring. Usually, the initial phobia is triggered by losing someone to drowning.
Possibly they don't want to put up signs because you would become dependent on them and if the cave got silted out, you wouldn't be able to read them. This could lead to confusion followed by panic followed by death. That's the most reasonable explanation I can come up with as a non cave diver. I mean one of the main functions of the line system it to allow you to get out safely in zero visibility right?
As a cave diver, I think you're right.
Also, exits depend on each team. As you can see on the map the system has multiple entrances and you should generally exit the same place you came in. Another exit may be too far away for you or may be too tight to get through in your equipment. Which is why we place our own markers to point back to *our* exit. Permanent arrows are usually present in the system pointing to the nearest exit, but we only follow those in emergencies for the reasons mentioned above. Your own exit is known to be passable and should be within your gas planning. Placing huge arrows pointing to one exit might work in Florida but in Mexico's maze-like caves they'd just confuse more than help.
Though I myself would never go cave diving, I love cave diving because it fosters the same spirit of exploration and discovery that led people to explore the polar regions, travel to the heart of Africa, and fly to the moon. It’s not for everyone, but I think we as humans need the few that will brave these odds in search of discovery and adventure.
Sky diving is dangerous, base jumping, parkour, street skating, white water rafting, etc. If you are trained and practiced, it is a more calculated risk - if you are untrained, it is a greater risk and a greater temtping of a fateful situation.
Or if you get arrogant, I'd add. I'm pretty sure the guys have covered at least one dive fatality where the diver in question was trained, but got cocky and ended up dying. Not a diver, however it feels like if you don't go into that cave with at least some kind of respect or humbleness you're putting yourself at greater risk as well.
I have been following dive talk for about 4 months. I have only seen videos from 3 years ago, I rarely go to a channel directly to see videos so for the last 4 months I've been use to gus from 3 years ago. When Gua appeared in this video, I legit had to go back from old videos to hear him say his name to make SURE it was gus. Holy crap man way to go! I didn't recognize you at all! Been watching the diviing in Chernobyl off and on with older videos. Truly remarkable progress Gus, Be proud man. You are a completely different person and you look good bro!
Your opinions are both enlightening and entertaining. Both of you have such accessible and honest opinions about safety and perspective on diving that I'd love to learn ! Gold stars guys ⭐
You put your life at risk when you drive your car (or board any vehicle), you put your life at risk when you board a plane... There are no guarantees
The "Keep calm, and tie off." made me think of something..
There's something really funny, and kinda morbid about dive arrows that say "Keep calm, Carry on." 😅
19:41 so they want cave diving to be challenging so that cave divers don't underestimate their dives and potentially put themselves in danger, but by doing so they make it more complicated than it ought to be, resulting in cave divers being at higher risk to get lost, making things more dangerous. so when we say cave diving is dangerous, it is, but not just because of caves, and diving, and diving in caves, but also because of cave divers who don't want to make it "too easy"
15 feet is so tragic, I mean I understand why they shared, if I go down with my budy, we booth coming home or none of us, but they nearly made it😢
Risk is a personal decision- I ride a motorcycle, it's higher risk than being in a cage, but I enjoy it. I try and take steps to mitigate the risk. But ultimately, for me personally the risk is worth it. I'm far calmer and less stressed riding a motorcycle than I am driving a car. Life is to be lived. Live it well.
Diving every weekend for 4 years would be 208 dives. If you were diving Saturday and Sunday it would be 416. So it's really more like diving every weekend for 2 years. Thanks for the video 🤟
@@JTIZZO are u dumb that makes no sense . You said every weekend. Should have said ones a day on the weekend
18:30 I think it's kind of how they've commercialized climbing Mount Everest and it's overcrowded now and lots of rookies needing hand holding. And more trash left behind on the mountain/more deaths
First Rule in Cave Diving,
Bring Edd.
I think asking "why would you cave dive?" is like asking "why would you explore the arctic?" or "why would you be an astronaut?". People do dangerous things all the time, it's human nature to go out into the world, to train, and to challenge ourselves with epic feats of ability.
Most entertaining upload in a hot minute, nice one
I just can't understand why anyone would put themself at such risk getting into a car and driving to work in the morning!
For money?
@@BlueWorldTV All that risk only to end up at work.
it's a little different because you have to work to eat. and you have to often drive to get to work 🤷♀️ there are many different entertaining hobbies that don't include drowning. it isn't a fair comparison
I am not a diver nor do I know anyone who is, I just stumbled across a reaction video one day and have been watching every since. This particular video played in que from another video and i noticed Gus looked substantially different than previous videos i then looked at the date and it was from a month ago and man is he looking great!! Makes me happy to see him making his health a priority.
Aviation had this problem in the early days. It was a huge fight to adopt instruments for flying. Some pilots insisted that the only proper way to fly was by "the seat of your pants" and that making it too easy would invite the "wrong sort" to be pilots. Similar arguments arose around use of checklists and crew resource management (CRM) among other things.
There's zero reason not to have clearly legible signs labeling both the way to the exit and noting where you're heading in all caves. Just like flying anyone can have something go wrong - even a pilot with 20,000 hours experience. Many have died that way.
Don't want to sound harsh but people who have this attitude of "but they did everything right, I don't understand how they died" simply don't understand risk and risk mitigation.
You can do everything by the book and still have an unfavorable outcome, that is the reality of risk, unfortunately there simply are no guarantees in life. Same way you can go cycling, obey all the rules of the road, be super cautious and wear a helmet etc and still have a crash and die... it happens
However doing everything right increases your odds of things ending favorably for you, its the difference between a 50% chance of something going wrong vs a 20% chance
I'm the type of person who'd much rather stay on the surface and explore using an RC diving robot. Safer, faster, smaller, deeper, and (worst case) abandonable. There's something to be said about experiencing something in-person instead of virtually, but it's not for me. 🤷♂️
The discussion around underwater signage brought to mind hiking trails. Obviously it's helpful to know where you are on a map and how to navigate the area you're in, but having simple blazes (i.e., a strip of paint on trees/rocks/etc) helps so much when you're not sure where you are at.
I'm sure someone much more familiar than I am with cave diving could develop a similar system to mark out underwater systems.
I really enjoy both your points of view, on all diving related events. What valuable information ! ❤ 🙏
One of the best videos you covered, kudos to that channel and one of *your* best videos. Very thought provoking and insightful. Whoever suggested this, top marks!
I would think (as a baby SSI XR Nitrox diver) that road signs in Ginnie or any given cave would give some divers the notion that they can go further than their planned rule of thirds with minimal additional effort. Other than that, it would make perfect sense to have these road signs.
Excellent narration and a place that NEEDS MORE SIGNAGE ;Tragic story needs not to be repeated!!
There is always an increased risk. Each step increases the risk: whether Swimming (waves, currents, tides, rocks/corals, wildlife), Scuba Diving, Filming while Scuba Diving (awareness of your surroundings beyond the object filmed), Diving on different gases (correctly mixed, correctly labelled; breathing your decompression gas too deep can kill you from an oxygen (O2) seizure and breathing your bottom gas for a deep trimix dive too shallow can kill you from hypoxia). Diving on re-breathers also increases some risks as you are increasing the needed technical skills to properly maintain and assemble your kit; Cave Diving, further increases complexity, and task load. People die from "diver error:" not adhering to safety protocols, and missing steps, either deliberately or from plain tiredness, forgetfulness, excitement, or "she'll be alright" idiocy.
In my mind it makes sense for the main line to be a little thicker and one color. Then all the side tunnels or other paths will each use a different color. You would just have to study the cave you are in to know which color leads where. Kind of like how they differentiate ski slopes.
If I were Lord of the Caves, I'd add the road signs at junctions in embossed letters and in Braille. I'd probably glue them with concrete or rock climbing pitons to rocks and add tie points for lines. At least in high traffic caves I'd add an electronics box to make the sign into an ultrasonic communicator repeater station with easy to replace standard battery packs and emergency light. Yes, it might be unnatural looking and maybe some people might become dependent on them and have problems when they fail and it might seem wussy to some. Some cave should be designated for testing new technology and protocols for working out bugs and determining if it really does save lives. I can see where it might be neat to be totally cut off from the world and self reliant, but in my mind preventing death takes priority over most things in life.
The only thing that could get me to cave dive would be a cenote. Most of these cave diving videos are dark murky rock, I'd want to see some beautiful underwater caves.
Great show guys ...the fatalities in cave diving remind me of surfing places like pipeline Hawaii surfers die there every year and theres even some professionals taken there also
...like cave diving you prepare your very best for the dive and by the odds you will be fine but nothing is curtain when your below the surface ....Pipeline has taken many lives over the decades but no one would consider closing it off to surfers ....
As a non diver, looking at the images of the beautiful rock formations and exploring how these systems form, i can understand how someone would want to go see it.
Im someone who grew up swimming in pools, ocean beaches and lakes by the shore. I am currently not fit enough, or live in a location to go see these places for myself, so i currenly know my limit is snorkling.
I enjoy listening to Gus and Woody explain why its not as scary as it seems in these types of videos. I also appreaciate the explanation of why it may not be as easy as puting road signs, but you have a great point about the arrows
I haven't watched this channel for at least 6 months...holy mackerel, Gus is shrinking into one of the borrowers!
I found this channel about a week ago and have been binge watching the videos from oldest to now. Gus you look amazing 💪🏾 keep it up!
Excellent video both yours and the one you reacted to I really enjoy these videos that spark genuine conversation between you both and provide information about the logistics of cave diving as well. Thanks for all your content!!
Q: Why do you go cave diving?
A: (Glurg) (Glurg) (Glurg) (Translation: Because it's there!)
Seriously, the biggest difference between cave diving and mountain climbing is the temperature of the H2O. Both are dangerous for the same reasons: lack of air, bad rock interactions, and bad water/ice interactions. On the other hand, both are extreme challenges of physical capability on a personal level, and allow one who succeeds to see things most people don't get to.
I've never felt the pull of unseen things. Being the only one, or one of just a few people, to have seen something amazing just doesn't interest me but I accept that others feel differently. I'm quite happy to look at what they've seen on video :0)
Gus you look so good! I’ve watched your videos on and off and one from a couple of years ago came up and the difference is amazing! 👏🏼 keep it up
I have not watched you guys for a while and you are both looking great! Gus, your change has been amazing - congratulations champ! Great video as well :)
Long time watcher, been MIA for quite a while. I just have to say Gus you look amazing, your transformation is incredible! That being said I'm hooked right back into binge watching haha cheers.
As someone who skateboarded and did freestyle BMX and roller skating my whole life it's the same argument why do anything then if you're so afraid of risk then why do anything can you take the precautions to mitigate risk but that's this is living that is living life is going and exploring and being part of the world taking risks is part of what makes life worth living because if you never take a risk and never get out of your comfort zone you don't truly know what it's like to live just my opinion
Can someone explain to me why the rule of thirds isn’t the rule of 8ths? where you have 1/8th there and 1/8th back and 6/8th for emergency?? Seems like so many deaths are because they run out of air. 1/3 emergency reserve can’t even save you from the smallest mistake. I just feel like cave divers take unnecessary risk ontop of the sport being already risky.
I do most of my cave diving in Mexico and it's because of these 2 incidents that it's common practice to jump from your own arrow so that there is no doubt about your exit direction.
Another amazing video with great commentary and reactions
Hi Gus and Woody! Great vid as usual, much love from Yorkshire, UK 🇬🇧
Hi guys, Firefighters in the UK use a similar system of guidelines for searching large smoke-logged buildings. We use a system of numbered tallies to identify a branch line where it is attached to the main guideline so that you know if you are leaving or rejoining the main line. The branch line is always attached to the main line to avoid the chance of loosing contact with the line.
It's been a few months since I've watched but I'm glad you guys are still doing this...your content helped me through covid lol
gus has changed so mutch! im happy for his health and impressed by his dedication !
Your passion for cave diving definitely shines through in this video!
The safety comments made me think of the whole "all rectangles are squares, but not all squares are rectangles"
Woody, your kindness in saying you would share your air even if you were running out yourself is exactly why you must survive. You are an asset to the world and I'm so glad American Express saved you
As a contrast, some adventure activities like sky diving are dangerous and can be proven so by statistics. The odds are high that at some point you'll twist or break an ankle, leg or other injury. Odds of dying are also higher (per sport hour) than open water diving.
Been a while since I caught a video from you guys... and I gotta say Gus is lookin lean and mean!!!
Keep doing whatever you doing my guy... you look like a new man 💯
Guys, I love your work but I love the dynamic between the two of you more than anything. Do you ever stop and think about how lucky you are to have each other? Well, you are almost as lucky as we are to have you.❤
When it comes to insurance, they are not predicting individual people, but a group of people that share similar traits or activities so they aren't saying the most well planned professional cave dive is to risky but there are some cave divers that take on too much risk and they don't know you from them.
Problem is insurance companies charge individual rates.
Why is my car so much more expensive than mneighbors when I drive more safely?
Because they pocket the difference. DO NOT excuse the greed of insurance companies. They _could_ (and DO with health insurance) charge individual rates. They choose to bundle you in with the greatest risks... because money.
Insurance should be mandated to be non-profit.
Woody's bumper sticker: Stay Calm and Tie Off
This was a devastating tragedy that indeed could have been prevented if they were on rebreathers..... and a good promo for them here. Thank you for reacting sensitively to this one. I'm no diver but continue to learn so much from your videos.
I’m petrified of diving but completely entranced at the same time. I think anyone who cave dives is a bad ass by design. I know my limitations and freaking out isn’t an option but I really enjoy your videos and have immense respect for you both.
Ive been watching old videos and im so impressed by how healthy Gus looks these days goodjob bro
Clearly Gus and Woody’s bodies have been taken over by aliens since even looking at an underwater cave is instant death
Congratulations on the weight loss / health improvement journey Gus!! You're looking great. Great effort and commitment over the past 3 years. Keep rising!!
Gus is now the size of Woody, good job dude!
The long hose being deployed hits hard. Respect + Woody.