Just shoot me. If that happens to me, just shoot me.
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Just shoot me. If that happens to me, just shoot me.
Kelly,
Now I understand your feelings on diving backmount at Jug. Certainly understandable with going through what you did.
Having said that though, and as I have mentioned before, I do this dive with an "H" valve tank and I go through the bedding plane sideways where I can quickly and easily move through and my tank does not make contact with the cave. (I've even checked with my various dive buddies about this to confirm it.)
I use the sides of my arms and thighs to slink through and as you know that area is hard rock so no damage is being done by my wetsuit while going through.
The first or second time I did this -- as I was still figuring out the best way to go through -- I recall my long hose getting stuck behind me on a rock and as I moved forward the reg wanted to come out of my mouth. Once I realized what was going on I moved my body back slightly and moved the hose around behind me to clear it so I could continue.
The same thing happened though later at the diamond restriction and my buddy helped that time. So now when I go through that I am aware of that possibility too.
It is a beautiful short cave dive that I always enjoy doing at least once a season. And to me, the walk there never really seems too long for some reason.
Not that I'm in the habit of giving unsolicited advice to people who may have ten times as much experience as me, but I don't consider an H-valve sufficient redundancy. A cylinder neck o-ring or a burst disk goes and you're a dead man.
A system that inhibits close buddy proximity means solo configuration. In this case I'd probably choose a 95 with a 30 slung.
Or side mount. In a system this short and shallow, you could sling two 30s on a rec BC.
I've done Jug Hole twice...very nice dive. My friend was diving sidemounted 45s and I dove sidemounted 95s. I took off a tank to get through the Diamond Sands restriction...I may have been able to get through with both tanks on but I figured it would just be easier to take one off. It's very weird when the cave ends abruptly. You're kind of like, ok, where's the rest of it??
Its on the jump off the main line. Just nobody has figured how to shrink small enough to keep going through it. There was a team a long long time ago that thought maybe without wet suits might make the difference and all they got from what I was told was a lot of scrapes and scratches. A least that's the story I heard.
Tom
"There was a team a long long time ago that thought maybe without wet suits might make the difference and all they got from what I was told was a lot of scrapes and scratches. A least that's the story I heard"
Now there was a real group think tank. Maybe they should all run for public office. Then again they might be over qualified. :smt044
Yeah, I know. Look who's talking :-D