Mapping advice

[DiveBandit]

Has anybody ever done a survey on a vertical cave/sinkhole like Hospital hole? I've been able to read and find plenty of info on horizontal surveying and mapping, but nothing on surveying the vertical stuff. Any advice, information, or personal stories would be appreciated.

I realize you could simply take a depth reading, measure across the opening and call it a day, but I'm interested in mapping the features and the contours of the walls, not just the depth.

[DiveBandit]

My apologies - Could a mod move this thread to "James A Hurley's Cave Survey Corner"?

[alanf]

First I should point out I have no experience of vertical cave mapping, other than odd steep bits of horizontal cave. However from my point of view there is no difference at all from a horizontal cave. Your stations are at different depths, the software works out the rest. The LRUD measurements are badly named now, but can be named NSEW to keep the sanity. All the sidewall mapping is the same.

Here is a link to some very nice maps maps by Andreas Matthes featuring some pretty vertical cave's in Yucatan state. Sabak Ha is particularly deep and was quite a challenge to survey I'm sure.

http://www.mexicocavediving.info/cavemaps.htm

Have fun with it

[DiveBandit]

Thx for the info.

[deepairmike]

You could drop a weighted line in the center and refence of it at each level.

[DeepSea]

You could drop a weighted line in the center and refence of it at each level.

That is the preferred method...That is what we used to map the vertical fissure at Weeki Wachee.