Record setting dive in Spain

[TONY CHANEY]

Thanks for clearing that up for me Duncan. That was about what I was thinking / expecting.

[FW]

... Are there different standards like they have in free diving. Again, I am always still learning and just trying to see how the two dives can be compared.

It is hard to compare "Apples to Apples" on this type of record. While the Spanish cave has air domes, it is also a lot colder. Not to mention those air domes have a high CO2, and low O2 content.

[DrHarry]

I think Wakulla and Spain are both amazing dives in their own right, but quite different.

Wakulla - Warm Florida waters with massive support, highly organised teams diving at significant depth for very great distances, enormously long but relatively "comfortable" decompression. One huge mother of a dive.

Spain - much colder water, significant depths, more Alpinistic approach, humping gear through rock chambers, camping underground which is very tiring.

BTW Cocklebiddy is just over 6km long with 2 rockpile chambers, one of which is not what I would call "modest"! It is a real PITA!

[huxley]

don't know who did the dive, just know about the ekpp that did a pretty nice video of their dive in that cave. So it might be from interest for some guys to see the video.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...9271646800251#

as mentioned probably someone else that did the dive, just wanted to share the video.

[Duncan Price]

Update from facebook on the 2011 expedition: "Sump 3 was passed 260m beyond the limit set last year. The divers followed a above water streamway to reach Sump 4. This was not dived due to a section of cascades along the stream way. This means that the terminal point is 9085m of diving from the cave entrance." (my italics)

More details will become available when the divers emerge later today.

[Duncan Price]

From the CDG website: "On 28th August Rene Houben (closely followed by Rick Stanton and John Volanthen), passed S3, 260m beyond the limit of last year. A narrow canyon with active river and numerous cascades eventually led after 180m to S4. This was undived due to the sharp rocks and strenuous nature of the passage. A great team effort led to the cave being extended to 9685m, of which 9135m was diving distance from the entrance."

I guess S4 is for next year....

[FW]

...I guess S4 is for next year....

So, are you going to do it?

[shoot2retrieve]

That is incredible!!!!

[Rodney Nairne]

Well 2 of the divers at Pozo Azul have dived Wakulla and I am sure if you asked them they would tell you they would prefer to stay in the water 100% of the time than having you haul camping gear and food long distances into a cave, as well as all their gear has to be hauled through the dry passage.

If the Pozo team were allowed to dive Wakulla they would not have any major difficulty with any of the dives. That does not take anything away from the WKPP team dives at Wakulla, because the Pozo divers are the best of the best (and have been asked to speak at GUE conferences I believe).

But the WKPP team would not be able to do the Pozo dives without extensive training and development of new techniques simply not required at Wakulla.

Rodney

Not taking anything away from the team, IMHO a great accomplishment, but is the dive looked at by the powers that be as somewhat different? I believe that Wakulla was done constantly underwater on scuba and the other had a break in an air chamber. Are there different standards like they have in free diving. Again, I am always still learning and just trying to see how the two dives can be compared.

[Benderr]

A camp was established in Tipperary, and following a nights sleep, further exploration was carried out into S3 by the other 3 divers.

If the Pozo team were allowed to dive Wakulla they would not have any major difficulty with any of the dives.

Kinda hard to sleep a few hundred feet under water on scuba/rebreather... Well, actually, it's probably pretty easy, but once you nod off the waking up part becomes pretty difficult....