DiveCaching
Getting Started
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DiveCaching is a fun game of looking for “sunken treasure.” While fun, it is important that DiveCachers take a few precautions, and also take advantage of some of the great training to be found from retailers and certified dive instructors before you undertake this activity.
First, if you are looking for a submerged cache you’ll need your dive or snorkel equipment. Most caches are going to be hidden in water deep enough to require scuba, and you’ll need to be a certified scuba diver to participate.
In addition to being a certified diver, it is a great idea to get additional training before you go looking for these treasures. Getting additional training and even certification in underwater navigation using a compass and other devices will be helpful. Learning search and recovery techniques will be helpful too, to make your search more fun and more efficient. And if you are searching for DiveCaches around wrecks, or searching at night or in deeper water, you’ll want to get additional training and certification in those specialty diving areas as well.
The best way to get involved in this training is to seek out your local retail dive center and sign up for the courses they offer.
As with all dives, you will want to make sure your equipment is properly maintained and prepared for the type of diving you’ll do to find the cache, and you’ll want to be certain that you have a compass, a GPS that can withstand splashing or other water contact, and you’ll want to be sure your dive skills are up for the dive. If you’ve been out of the water for a while, contact your local dive retailer and participate in a dive refresher course before going out to look for DiveCache.
Trackable Items – A Form of SWAG
One variation on dive caching and geocaching is the concept of a “trackable item” or “hitchhiker.” Trackable items are objects that find their way around by “drifting” from one cache to another. They are usually in the form of a toy or trinket that has a special meaning to the person originally placing the item in the cache. These items usually have special instructions, asking the finder to take them to another cache location and logging the take online. In this way the owner can watch the item move from place to place. Often the owner gives the trackable item a specific travel goal – say, moving from San Diego to Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
A variation on trackable items is the “travel bug.” This is a special tag that has a unique tracking number available for lookup on geocaching.com. The travel bugs can be identified and viewed on geocaching.com as they move around. Every time a travel bug or other trackable item is moved the owner can see its whereabouts on the website.
Games can be devised for these trackable items – they could be used for locating new dive sites, or even used to encourage divers to come to the stores and turn them in for a prize.
To find out more about trackable items, including Travel Bugs, Geo-coins, and others, visit: http://www.geocaching.com/track/default.aspx.
Environmental Initiatives
Cache In Trash Out – don’t forget to give back to the outdoors and leave the area a little cleaner than you found it. Cache In-Trash Out (CITO) is an ongoing environmental initiative adopted by DiveCachers and geocachers to encourage food outdoor civic responsibility. Like beach cleanups and other diving environmental initiatives, this one helps keep our dive areas clean. Carry trash out and even consider taking a mesh dive bag to gather trash off the bottom of the lake or quarry. It sets a great example for others and helps keep our dive sites clean!
CITO Events – A CITO event is held for the specific purpose of getting DiveCachers and geocachers together to clean up an area. Events can be held in conjunction with local park departments or community organizations.
Avoiding damage to delicate aquatic life or habitat – When hiding a dive cache or when looking for one, be certain not to disturb delicate aquatic environments, plants or animal life. We want to have fun, but we want others to see and understand the beauty that we see every time we dive too. Save it for others!
Maintenance – If you hide a DiveCache, remember that you are responsible for its maintenance. Here are some suggestions to maintain the dive cache in good condition for others to find:
- DiveCache name and number should be clearly visible on the exterior of the DiveCache. An “Official Geocache” green and black sticker is preferred.
- Cache must not contain any inappropriate, offensive, or hazardous materials.
- Cache should be in a secure container that will not drift or otherwise move underwater.
- Cache should be checked once a month and maintained as a family-friendly cache.
- When a cache is removed, the responsible party will deactivate or archive any online postings for the removed cache within seven days of removal.
