is oxygen an issue when people go caving?

[the game]

When people go into those claustrophobic caves for god knows why is the oxygen supply in the caves ever an issue? Some of the caves seem so tight. I mean hats off to them cause I would never go into these places but I'm curious how often people suffocate in the caves.

[muto]

There’s definitely less oxygen in caves than outside which becomes a problem if the cave starts to fill with water which is why it was a rush to get that team of soccer players out of that cave in Thailand as monsoon season had just begun. Although they probably would have drowned because the cave was filling fast.
Also one of the Thai SEALs drowned because his oxygen tank got depleted.

[Daedius]

Can imagine you'll need it for dealing with pockets of poisonous gas.

[Low Hanging Fruit]

It is. Even construction workers that go into manholes to work on water and electrial untilities usually force vent the air and test for oxygen levels before and during entry. It's actually an OSHA requirement. Of course in these areas this is pretty unlikely and they are mostly testing for other poisonous gases that end up around these things but an oxygen test is part of it and I have seen the tester go off due to low oxygen. If it can happen an eye shot from an opening that isn't air tight it for sure can happen miles under the earth.

[the game]

It is. Even construction workers that go into manholes to work on water and electrial untilities usually force vent the air and test for oxygen levels before and during entry. It's actually an OSHA requirement. Of course in these areas this is pretty unlikely and they are mostly testing for other poisonous gases that end up around these things but an oxygen test is part of it and I have seen the tester go off due to low oxygen. If it can happen an eye shot from an opening that isn't air tight it for sure can happen miles under the earth.

well I know that. but in most of the caving videos I've seen they never have oxygen with them that I can see and can barely fit through some of the passages. So I'm curious about the air quality in the caves.

[Low Hanging Fruit]

well I know that. but in most of the caving videos I've seen they never have oxygen with them that I can see and can barely fit through some of the passages. So I'm curious about the air quality in the caves.

Then you had your answer. I mean the guys are exploring caves under the earth with flashlights and squeezing between rocks. Risks are part of the game I feel.

[Lynarii]

Under normal circumstances, oxygen is not an issue while caving.

The kicker is, caving is an activity that has a very large variety of circumstances that aren't 'normal', and some of those do indeed involve air that is not safely breathable for one reason or another. So while it is reasonably unlikely that you would need to bring an oxygen tank with you, if you do end up needing it and don't have it you're in a very very dangerous scenario.

Ultimately it depends on whether you're going into a system that you know something about or not. Most interesting cave systems with easy access have been explored before, so you can try to find out what dangers you're likely to face before you go in, and know if air quality is an issue before you gear up.

[shadowmouse]

OK, it has been more than 20 years since I did any caving, so I had to look things up to see what seems to be current. I used to do a bit to have a particular environment for meditation.

Can you breathe? http://www.eniscuola.net/en/2011/05/...the-in-a-cave/
Short answer, usually it shouldn't be a problem.

How do you watch out for bad air? http://caves.org/section/medical/air.htm
Short answer, have a source for a flame and know the naked flame test. I never did understand why I had to take my clothes off, but what the heck!

[Orby]

I cannot even watch that video. My anxiety just goes up shit creek when tight spaces, heights or crowded spaces are involved.

I walked out of the movie The Descent because I just couldn't cope with how well they made crawling through those tight spaces feel. The same goes for the movie As Above, So Below, another movie I liked but was tough to get through

It's something I wish I had the metal capacity and strong will to do. I have never been a thrill seeker, my sisters husband though is, he would totally do stuff like this lol