I am going to be stationed in okinawa for three years next year. I want to dive some of the caves in Australia. what steps do I need to take to make this happen. And what is the required training/experience?
Printable View
I am going to be stationed in okinawa for three years next year. I want to dive some of the caves in Australia. what steps do I need to take to make this happen. And what is the required training/experience?
Almost all cavedives in Australia are controlled by the CDAA. They have a crossover arrangement with NSS-CDS, and GUE, and *possibly* NACD. There are several forms to fill out, with things like your current level of cave training, total number of cave dives, complexity of those dives, any trimix courses....Quote:
Originally Posted by adam0321
Start now, because it takes time to get it all processed. I think I started applying 6 months before my trip. Here is the URL of the CDAA forms page. http://www.cavedivers.com.au/downloads/ note the crossover form is the same as the class registration form, but crossover is a lot cheaper :-)
Also contact the standards director, Jane Bowman. http://www.cavedivers.com.au/contact/
thank you very much. I will be over there for 3 years so I am sure I can take leave to make it happen during that time
Thats not quite correct Forrest. CDAA has access arrangements in place for approx 30 sites, mainly in the lower south east of the countryQuote:
Originally Posted by FW
http://www.cavedivers.com.au/dive-sites/
There are over 90 known sites in total across the country, not many compared to Florida :-((
http://www.cavediving.net.au/index.php/caves
I would concur with your advice of getting the process happening sooner rather than later, the wheels of the bureaucracy crank over very slowly :-)
Hi ynot,
Do you need to be a CDAA member to dive the sites controlled by CDAA? I thought CDAA gave out 5 passes each year for each cave diver... is my sources wrong?
What about the other caves not monitored by CDAA? Do you approached anyone for permission?
Thank you.
well I imagine not anyone..Just poking fun at you. It sounds like a process but well worth it.
I have been wanting to dive toad hall but I think that is a bit out of my skill level. and I dont know how much I am going to get a chance to refine that skill level in japan
They have caves in Japan too.
Hi SonnyQuote:
Originally Posted by SonnyL
There are two ways of going about it:
1. You can get a special visitors permit which limits you to 3 months and you have to dive with the CDAA diver who sponsored you
http://www.cavedivers.com.au/wp-cont...ation-Form.pdf
or
2. You can do a crossover program to CDAA certification
http://www.cavedivers.com.au/wp-cont...ion-Policy.pdf
The 5 passes thing you mentioned is incorrect.
As to other sites without CDAA access agreements, ideally you need to be a member of the Australian Speleological Federation - Cave Diving Group (ASF-CDG) and try to get access through them. Although they have a whole other set of requirements such as having an ASF trip leader on your visit to the cave.
http://www.cavediving.net.au/index.p...ining/agencies
Alternatively you could try approaching the landowner but they would most likely refer you back to the ASF. The database at Cave Diving Down Under is aiming to have all landowners listed for all sites in the future. Its a work in progress.
http://www.cavediving.net.au/index.php/caves
Tony
Toad Hall has had relatively few visitors since its discovery 28 years ago (less than a years worth of summiteers on Everest)Quote:
Originally Posted by adam0321
http://www.cavediving.net.au/index.php/toad-hall
Even less visit the third sump beyond Toad Hall, which IMO is the best dive of the three sumps. Its crystal clear, pristine, warm water, very pretty, has some great haloclines along the way, and there is still virgin cave to be discovered in side passages out there.
http://www.cavediving.net.au/index.php/sump-3
Toad Hall is not a technically difficult dive. Scooter about 900m in the first sump max depth (on roof) about 8m. Scooter 2500m in second sump max depth (on roof) about 14m. The British cave diver Rick Stanton said Sump 2 in Cocklebiddy was the best sump he had dived and he has dived huge caves all around the world,
http://www.advanceddivermagazine.com...toad/toad.html
but that was before he did the world record dives in Pozo Azul this year.
Why so few divers get out there is its physically very demanding. To get to the entrance lake 90m below the surface, gear has to be transported about 250m into the cave over a massive rock fall. Then to get to the second sump, gear has to be transported over a huge rock collapse about 60 m high and 150m long. To dive the third sump is the hardest of all. You again have a rock collapse chamber, Toad Hall, which is about 300m long and 60m high and by the time you get there you are pretty stuffed :-) . We have camped overnight in Toad Hall when we have gone out there to regain energy and have dived the third sump the following day but that introduces a whole new set of logistics into the dive.
The physicality and the remoteness is why its a challenge and why I love diving out on the Nullarbor desert in Cocklebiddy Cave and the other caves there. You do need to be fit and be prepared to camp in the desert !
There is a comprehensive history of diving Cocklebiddy Cave here:
http://www.cavediving.net.au/index.p...ebiddy-history
Tony