Void Opal mining is not difficult once you get the hang of it...same as low temp diamonds or any core mining, like Alex, Grand, or Monozite, Musgravite, Beni, or Rhod or Seren.
This IS where the BIG BUX are, no doubt about it. It is like fishing, or any other solitary sport...you are cruising icy rings with your Pulse, trying to find the right asteroids to crack and get to the core. . . Compare it to sitting at a Nav Beacon playing it safe and whacking shields down baddies for hours on end, to make 500K if you are lucky and stay alive long enough. How many times have I waited to get ONE MORE ship prior to going to cash out at nearest station to only get blown away by someone whose shields suddenly went back online at 10 - 40% and suddenly notice ME, not the Feds? So, same amount of time spent core-mining is 10 to 100 times more moola for same amount of time. Again, my humble .02.
Watch some of the void opal mining youtube vids. Then check back and I will tell you what they are NOT telling you (little details they think you should just "know" lol)