Im trying to find out some info on this site,is it a side mount dive or can you dive it in back mount ?? any info would be great
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Im trying to find out some info on this site,is it a side mount dive or can you dive it in back mount ?? any info would be great
Quote:
Originally Posted by deepdiver4
The cavern is a good backmount dive,but it is a sidemount dive when entering the cave. The cave system won't open until October.
You could do it backmount, but you'd need a set of very small tanks... only guy i've ever seen do it is Jordan... he dove a set of steel 72's and it was a tight squeeze in a few places... otherwise we've dove it sidemount. However the system is pretty small and not too deep... you could easily do it on a large single with hvalve... max penetration is only 6-700' and I think max depth is around 70'. Enjoy! great dive!
-Matt
This is one discussion that comes up frequently,and for conservation of the cave and safety please use sidemounts,it is the appropriate configuration. Can you get through on backmount tanks (small doubles or a single Y valve),yes,is it safe-no,does it preserve the cave-no.
From a conservation stand point the tank will scrape the bedding plane leaving gouges. From a safety stand point you have to get way off the mainline in an area that you can easily get stuck,or wedged in the restriction. Also,in the bedding plane it is possible to have a DOUBLE valve roll off (yes I have witnessed it) because once you roll off the valve,you will move in another direction to fix the problem,and your wedged against the ceiling.
A mega DITTO to what Kelly has said.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly Jessop
I did it in backmounted 85's back before I knew any better. I'm a skinny, lanky sort. There were times I wasn't sure I was gonna get through that. I would have turned around but I had a diver behind me and two in front of me and couldn't see any of them due to all the particulates that were stirred up by the two guys in front. I had my hand on the main line and wasn't about to let go until I could see and figured I'd get to the other side and turn around then. Once I got through I decided to keep going and made it to the end of the line. Getting back out was easier because I was able to take an alternate route while still see the main line the entire time. My buddies were all in singles with H-valves. A very good argument could be made that that isn't kosher either if you are talking about true redundancy.
It's a beautiful cave and well worth the trouble but I would never do it that way again. It's not good for the cave and it may be bad for you.
Just letting you know.
thank's to all that answer this post
Boy, that is one scary scenario...Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly Jessop
Yeah,it was. The OOA diver couldn't get to their valves to turn them on since they were wedged into the ceiling. I was unable to swim up to the person because of the tight squeeze,so I had to feed my long hose to them along the floor by pushing it. Once the situation was under control,the hard part was to convince the OOA diver we had to swim ahead to the grey room,and turn around to come out.Quote:
Originally Posted by aainslie
Yikes. How did you know what was happening? Were you behind, and knowing it was a tight restriction, you were watching for lack of bubbles? The OOA diver was not freaked out so much that they were able to see the reg and grab it? If it was so tight, how could they find it?Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly Jessop
I was askew,and was able to see what was going on,but not able to rush over to lend assistance. The OOA person was a good cavediver and alert to the situation and was able to understand the regulator I was deploying. A valuable lesson was learned by both of us,and a New Year's dive I will never forget.Quote:
Originally Posted by Squirrel Girl
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.
DITTO!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Slüdge
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by EGIB
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