Literally been playing Minecraft for a year and I only just realised from other posts that instead of digging straight down with sometimes a ledge if I need to stay on that level, I can just dig out mud stairs and that way I have a way back up to the surface 💀
you can also just place blocks along ledges instead of digging sometimes to go up or down. but my preferred way is using a water bucket to go up. just place as high as you can, swim up to the top of the water, scoop the water up and before it drains down quickly place it even higher and keep doing that until you make it up