Old Timer's stories

Check out the UWS this month. Kelly has an article that will be the first of many on the history of cave diving. Great minds work alike, it was already in the works! lol! We will be working together will Bill on continuing to collect data. So Old timers, pull out those log books, we want to hear your stories! Cindy :)

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Originally Posted by Jim Wyatt

I can tell more if folks really want to hear it.

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Good stuff!! Bring it on :D

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Originally Posted by Jim Wyatt

Sometimes we dived beyond where the grate is -- it was a tight dive & silty. Later on I helped install the grate.

I can tell more if folks really want to hear it.

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Then I have to add you to my list along with Fishback, A.J. , Mount, Bob Wray.... the usual group of suspects.

(By the way, since you helped put it in, tell me how to get it out)

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Originally Posted by OFG-1

(By the way, since you helped put it in, tell me how to get it out)

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Why would you want to take it out? There were several fatalities in those low tunnels, and would have been more if the grate wasn't put in.

Maybe a gate instead, for qualified sidemount divers??

Still, pretty boring back in there.

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Originally Posted by BillBowden

Horse collar BCs, octo on standard length hose, 2 lights per diver- chem lights count, right?, wet suit, no hood, double 72s from the Thunderball movie, wet cell 7.2v nicads driving 6v 30 watt aircraft landing light, no admission fees, no flush toliets, air deco on navy air tables for deco longer than the dive... ah, the good old days.

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http://www.pbase.com/eanx/vintage

left hand pic, probably 1981...modified horsecollar, 2nd hand Skiles broomstick light, note early-adopter helmet...

right hand pic, '84...moved up to modified SeaQuest Vest...Disco-era stripes (probably on road to Lafayette...SURE miss Green and Snake sinks!)

Remember Ginnie being "free" on Wednesday nights??

Norm

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Originally Posted by FW

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Originally Posted by OFG-1

(By the way, since you helped put it in, tell me how to get it out)

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Why would you want to take it out? There were several fatalities in those low tunnels, and would have been more if the grate wasn't put in.

Maybe a gate instead, for qualified sidemount divers??

Still, pretty boring back in there.

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Forrest, If you recall, the fatalities were mostly OW divers or no certification divers. No lights, no lines, and they found the soft walls in the back or the silt on the floor.

I may be the only one that liked that dive. (It was one of my original cave training dives) Yeah, in the back its a little low and silty and the walls are soft, but the first few hundred feet are really pretty, and pretty big. We had a class in the front end, 4 divers, two instructors, all backmount ( it was '75) and we did not trash it.

I could deal with a gate. But using the logic that, if there are fatalities, a grate is a good thing, how many dive sites would be left?

Old timer's gear -

belly bags anyone?

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Originally Posted by dogwatch

Old timer's gear -

belly bags anyone?

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Wasn't it called a Raliegh or Bayliegh or something like that?

By the time we duct taped the neck of a horsecollar down, that was PRETTY much what we had...I managed to score a good-condition SeaQuest Rough Water h-collar last year on eBay...probably keep it stock...

Ever sew D-rings with dental floss, and a sailmaker's needle and palm??

or ever pour lead into the top of a hard-plastic backplate?

Norm

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Originally Posted by normblitch

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Originally Posted by dogwatch

Old timer's gear -

belly bags anyone?

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Wasn't it called a Raliegh or Bayliegh or something like that?

By the time we duct taped the neck of a horsecollar down, that was PRETTY much what we had...I managed to score a good-condition SeaQuest Rough Water h-collar last year on eBay...probably keep it stock...

Ever sew D-rings with dental floss, and a sailmaker's needle and palm??

or ever pour lead into the top of a hard-plastic backplate?

Norm

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Norm, it was a Brawley pillow. Developed by Ed Brawley. Seatec was the last ones to sell any of them, then they were all custom made. The duct tape didn't work, Norm. We had to use zip ties.

When I took my cavern class, my instructor introduced us to some of the old timers at dinner in Lake City - the night ended in what was very close to a gunfight (nobody fired, but there were guns being pointed in the parking lot). Those were some crazy dudes! I'd love to hear their stories.