ABOUT CAVERN/CAVE DIVING:
The Ichetucknee Springs/Ginnie Springs area of North central Florida is one of the most popular cave-diving sites on earth, due to the natural limestone cave formations.   The caves form a labyrinth underneath Florida's rivers, traveling for miles and many have never been explored fully.  The Devils' Eye/Devil's Ear & Ginnie Springs caves provide over 30,000 feet of underwater caves to dive!

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CAVERN AND CAVE DIVING? 
Cavern diving involves exploring the areas where you can still see the opening above and/or the sunlight. In cave diving, you are completely submerged in what is known as an "overhead environment" where you cannot rise directly to the surface. Cave diving is similar to diving shipwrecks, under ice and other conditions where you cannot ascend to the surface directly.

Cave/cavern diving is considered an extreme sport and can be extremely dangerous.
Factors contributing to this are water surge (easy to get in, but surge prevents exiting a cave area), poor visibility (caves require lights to view properly), silt and bottom stir (this can obliterate a cave diver's view and they would be unable to find the exit-some cave divers dive on a "tether" which is an attached line they can follow back to the surface) and extremely narrow passageways (cave divers have special dive equipment and sometimes have to remove their tanks and pass them before themselves thru a small opening to gain access to a cave.)

SAFETY FIRST:  First, don't try this at home.  In fact, don't try it without a good dependable diving instructor trained in cave diving.  Although exciting, be aware of the dangers surrounding this sport and take appropriate safety precautions.  

• Never dive alone
• Learn to cave dive from a certified cave diving instructor
• Carefully calculate your air reserve (cave diving can take three times more air supply than regular diving)
• NEVER try to push the limit.  When it's time to turn around, DO so. 
• Use proper illumination to see cavern/cave hazards. 
• Dive on a tether in murky or silty waters. 
• If you see a sign similar to the one shown below, DO NOT GO ANY FARTHER!  Experienced divers have died at this site, which is why these signs are mounted in the caves.  As the sign says "There's nothing in this cave worth dying for--Do Not Go Beyond This Point"!

                   
  
  Take nothing but pictures . . .
  Leave nothing but bubbles . . .
  Kill nothing but time.

  ---

  Here are some great links to cave/cavern diving and more about the art and science of SCUBA diving.

  FLORIDA CAVE COUNTRY
  Great pics of the Ichetucknee caves, Devil's Ear/Eye system

  NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CAVE DIVERS
  The governing association

  CAVEDIVING.COM
  A definite site, with FAQs and GREAT pictures by Wes Skiles!  This covers the Ichetucknee caves.

  NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY - CAVE DIVING SECTION
  The site for underwater spelunkers!  Covers the gear, the practice, mixed gas diving, lots of good technical info.

  CENOTE/CAVERN DIVING IN MEXICO's YUCATAN PENINSULA
  Check out some unbelievably beautiful pictures of underwater caves!

  CAVEDIVING.ORG
  Another great link with sites to dive and some great pictures!

  EXPLORE UNDERWATER INTERNATIONAL
  Site devoted to diving around the world-extensive links to various diving sites/info.