Hinkle swim

[Line Squirrel]

Looking for some input from some of you that have swam to the Hinkle. Thinking the Roller Coaster/Hiller Tunnel. What route did you take and what kind of profile did you work with (gas mixs and volume, dive time & deco time). I was swimming stages around yesterday trying to get a good feel of how many and where I need to put them. Thinking I can start with one at the Ear and swap stages a bit past Junction Rock. This would obviously require a set-up dive first. Thoughts, suggestions??

[mfascuba]

I swam it three times last year. I put a stage in the water at the Hill 400, and entered the water with two additional stages and double 121's. Start on first stage, get comfortable in the water, hit the hill 400, switch out for a new stage, drop partially depleted stage. Jump to roller coaster, keep going until second stage is at half plus 200, then drop it and go on back gas. Third stage is "oh ####" cylinder (solo). Entire dive on EAN32, took about 60 minutes in (shell type drysuit), and about 40 minutes out. Pick up the stages on the way out. Deco was a little more than a half hour on EAN75, if I remember correctly. Watch your CNS clock and the burn time on your primary light. After the three times I swam it, I bought a scooter.

Good luck,

Mark

[Kelly Jessop]

Looking for some input from some of you that have swam to the Hinkle. Thinking the Roller Coaster/Hiller Tunnel. What route did you take and what kind of profile did you work with (gas mixs and volume, dive time & deco time). I was swimming stages around yesterday trying to get a good feel of how many and where I need to put them. Thinking I can start with one at the Ear and swap stages a bit past Junction Rock. This would obviously require a set-up dive first. Thoughts, suggestions??

Rollercoaster will knock a hundred+ feet off. The Hiller will get you out of the flow,but normally from the sand dunes to Heinkel I stick with the main passage,but look for the areas of least flow ie near the ceiling close to the dome room jump. Stage placement is dependent on what gas rule you plan to use. I like them just past Hill400 jump closer to expressway,and the other near stage rock. I have normally gone for a lower ppo2 since it will be a long bottom time,and some hypercapnia due to current. Have fun.

[mfascuba]

One other thing - in line with what Kelly said. It took me three tries to get there. Each section of the cave you'll get into is a little different, and you will have to learn where to swim to stay out of the flow. If you're kicking like hell and not going anywhere, figure out where the sweet spot is on that section of cave, and abort the dive. Next time you'll move thru that area with less trouble, and will get further. Remember, the Hinkle will still be there. The goal with any attempt like this is to remember when to call it and try again.

Best of Luck,

Mark

[caver]

One other thing - in line with what Kelly said. It took me three tries to get there. Each section of the cave you'll get into is a little different, and you will have to learn where to swim to stay out of the flow. If you're kicking like hell and not going anywhere, figure out where the sweet spot is on that section of cave, and abort the dive. Next time you'll move thru that area with less trouble, and will get further. Remember, the Hinkle will still be there. The goal with any attempt like this is to remember when to call it and try again.

Best of Luck,

Mark

That advise is the best I have heard in a long time. It can be applied to all diving.

[Line Squirrel]

The goal with any attempt like this is to remember when to call it and try again.

Best of Luck,

Mark

Absoutley agree...100%

To me, it's just as much fun planning and working out all the details as the actual dive.

Thanks for all the hints & tips everybody, useful stuff.

[WJH]

Absoutley agree...100%

To me, it's just as much fun planning and working out all the details as the actual dive.

Thanks for all the hints & tips everybody, useful stuff.

Mike,

The planning and details are indeed fun . . . but "just as much fun as the actual dive"?

You're not doin' it right!

WJH

[Neptuno]

hmm, I think you will have a lot of fun on that flat place between sweet surprise and the left turn to henkel, flow is always very nice there good I have a scooter..

[caverkevin]

Been a long time since I swam to the Hinkle. For my trips to the Hinkle I would go rollar coaster then back to the main line for the rest of the trip. Hiding from the flow and being low drag is KEY. Using a neoprene drysuit and carrying a buddy bottle the whole way, my time with 104's was 60 minutes and 45 minutes with 85's. After I got my scooter, why swim

kevin

[wingman]

Hinkle, Heinkel, Henkel....does anyone know the correct spelling and who it is named for...Bill