SM tunnel under Peanut tunnel? PSSP

[Puttzer]

I'm reasonably new to side mount diving and noticed a line on the way out I believe goes under the Peanut tunnel.

Before I head in: anything I should know?
Or even where does it exit?

Thanks for any info. PM if you prefer.

Richard

[Tegg]

That tunnel used to be pretty tight and silty. It's the "pothole to breakdown" line.

I think it's not "quite as tight" as back when I dove it a couple of times. I also hear the line is in better shape.

Personally, I don't think that it's a good passage for someone "reasonably new" to sidemount. Just my opinion, and it's worth what you paid me.

[Superlyte27]

Thanks for asking the question. I wanted to try it in backmount Guess I'll re-think that.

[DA Aquamaster]

I've heard people refer to it as the "cross under tunnel", which makes sense in comparison/contrast to the cross under tunnel and it's location under the tunnel in the breakdown room.

It's not overly tight by SM standards, but it is small by Back mount standards and is very silty with silt on the bottom and usually will also have stuff that your bubbles will percolate off the ceiling. As for getting larger, the nature of the rock is such that it does not appear that it has gotten any less tight over the last 50 years or so due to diver activity. If it's "bigger" know than before it's probably a perceptual issue on the part of the observer.

The exception here is the last 3-4 ft on the peanut side. That's still snug by any standard but has gotten bigger with divers squiggling through it.

While small, the dive to just short of the Peanut side is probably do-able in back mount from the Pothole side. Just be advised you'll have to turn around in tight quarters and in very little viz (by the time you are done turning) if you do it back mount and don't exit on the Peanut side - and exiting on the Peanut side in back mount is NOT going to be an option, unless you take your tanks off and push them through ahead of you.

In any case you can inspect the peanut side in the break down room and you can enter on the Pot hole side and then turn the dive if you start feeling uncomfortable.

[a64pilot]

This thread is maybe a good answer to the "what's the use" one. The experience been there done that crowd are of course bored, but us newbies get info as we have not been there done that, yet.

[shagyluke]

+1..

This thread is maybe a good answer to the "what's the use" one. The experience been there done that crowd are of course bored, but us newbies get info as we have not been there done that, yet.

[Bobby]

The Cross Under tunnel is one that I use while guiding/mentoring SM divers. Most of the time they will silt it out the first couple of passes because they are still working on dialing in SM fin control. If you let your tips drop or swoop your fins it will stir it up and as Larry said there will usually be some percolation as well. I would suggest doing it with someone that is comfortable and knows it the first time at least. I also recommend going in on the Peanut side, come out on the Pot Hole side, then turn around and go back. Going back gives you a good idea of how clean the team was when they went through the first time.

Starting from the Peanut side will ensure that your team is comfortable negotiating the restriction before committing to the entire passage. I would not want to find out that someone could not get through the restriction then add to the tension by having to turn in small silty passage and swim back the entire way to Pot Hole.

[DA Aquamaster]

To add some frame of reference to how large it is in most places, much of the passage is along the lines of what you find on the jump to the "little well" (the marked jump on the way to the well). Similar size shape, etc. if you can get through there and turn around in there, you can probably manage the cross under tunnel.

I don't disagree with Bobby at all but, unless someone has done some digging lately, I don't fit through on the breakdown room side all that well with out no mounting, while I have no problem turning the dive at that point and returning to the Pot hole side. However - in general I also don't push as hard to get through tight rock encased areas as might be the case in a sandy/silty restriction. I don't mind no viz, but I have issues (real or imagined) with potentially getting stuck.

A preference for turning in a small passage and risking some reduced viz probably is a reflection of a dive history including a thousand or so hours in no viz commercial work, which has upped my SA and comfort level in no viz a bit relative to some divers, so obviously an individual diver's mileage will vary.

[Line Squirrel]

but it is small by Back mount standards

When I first dove it (several years ago now), from the Peanut side you were rubbing both your belly and back lying as flat as possible in SM gear. No need to use fins, you pulled your way through the restriction. The fact that is is "doable" or small by BM std's at all speaks volumes for the amount of traffic that must have passed through there since i've been through it.

[Kelly Jessop]

The fact that is is "doable" or small by BM std's at all speaks volumes for the amount of traffic that must have passed through there since i've been through it.

Hate to hear that. One of the last remaining tunnels that has light,poorly consolidated silt (believe it or not OG used to be that way). I would disagree with this being a tunnel for newer sidemount divers or mentoring type dives to work out sidemount technique issues due to the fragile nature of this dive.