Description

Dry cavers have been using directional markers for a long time, even before cave divers. In Florida, early cave divers recognized the value of these markers and Lewis Holzendorf innovatively folded tape into arrow shapes. These markers were known as “Dorf” markers in Lewis’ honor.

However, tape arrows had their drawbacks; they would slide along the line and were hard to detect in silt-out conditions. Cave diving pioneer Sheck Exley enlisted the help of fellow diver Forrest Wilson to brainstorm ideas for a better arrow at a NSS workshop. After several discussions, Forrest developed the current design and handcrafted hundreds of them. These arrows were initially sold at the Branford Dive Center in North Florida and gained popularity quickly. Eventually, Steve Hudson from PMI cave rope company asked for permission to mass produce the arrows for Dive Rite.

Today, line arrows are widely used by cave and wreck penetration divers worldwide to mark the path to the nearest exit.

Dive Rite Line Arrows are offered in White, Yellow, and Orange options.