Scooter Exit on Backup Light

Dive started out without a plan but as the dive progressed in normal fashion and proceeding well the objective expanded from one goal to the next as time and gas permitted.


Dropped the stage at the stage rock (p1800' 20min)

Checked out one side passage on the way (p2500')

Dropped the scooter before the Hinkle (p3000' 30 min)

Stopped in Steve's Cathedral to check out the new plaque there. (p3300')


End of original "plan" but still having a lot of free gas I decided to swim to the end of the system and circuit back on a popular side line to check for new leads. On the return found one new lead that was "T"ed into the line at an unexpected place and that was confusing because it resembled another jump farther along. Not a big deal in this case and at least I managed to explore a new lead while I was there.


Continuing out and verifying all further jumps along the way to ensure no other confusing leads I'm about 80 minutes into my dive and about p3200' back when my HID light starts acting funny. The light is more blue then is usual and maybe isn't putting out as much light as normal. While I didn't charge it after my dive the previous day it is supposed to have about a 4 hour burn time and I "probably" didn't run it for more then 1.5 hours. Still I didn't plan this dive to last so long originally so I didn't think it would come anywhere close to its limit (or I'd have used a fresh battery). For that matter a fresh scooter charge might have been nice too...


So I jump back to the main line and swim out to my scooter. By the time I reach the scooter I'm pretty sure the HID is not putting out nearly the light it should be. Light color is way into the blue range and doesn't light the walls the way the bright white usually does - especially where it is mostly black walls.


So at the scooter I flip on a backup light and hang it where it is readily available in case I should be scootering along and suddenly find myself in the dark. On the way out it seems like the HID is lighting up maybe only 40' ahead of me and I reduce speed on the scooter to compensate. By the time I reach my stage bottle it seems like my backup light is quite bright so I compare the two and flip off the HID as the 4AA backup light is effectively brighter and to keep from damaging the HID which I would have figured would have turned itself off on low voltage by now but obviously hasn't.


Exited on the backup light without incident.


With such good (Ginnie) vis and familiarity of the cave (150+ dives in the system) the backup light was adequate to scooter out at fair speed without any undue concerns. The tiny light performed better then I expected for purposes of getting out of the cave actually - if not exactly useful for sightseeing.


The substandard charge on the light battery combined with slow entry and return (and perhaps less total burn time then expected) resultied in an equipment failure that could have been anticipated and avoided.


The lack of a full dive plan for this dive resulted in less then the usual amount of dive gear being employed - such as a backup HID, scooter and/or additional stage/safety bottle. (Not at issue for a safe exit this dive fortunately since air reserves were more then adequate to handle any emergencies.) Deco gas was adequate but more would have been nice due to the slow exit and extended bottom time.


Max depth 110' 128min BT + 55min deco = 183min