UNDERWATER SPELEOLOGY National Speleological Society • Cave Diving Section Coming out through the Keyhole In the Devll's Eye System. Photo by Bob Janowski. UNDERWATER TABLE OF CONTENTS SPELEOLOGY The official publication of the Orue Diving NEWS Section of the National Speleological Society, Inc . 3 NSS-CDS Winter Workshop a Big Success P.O. Box 950 • Branford, FL 32008-0950 3 Anonymous Letter to Skin Diver Magazine Disavowed - Mark D. l..eonard Editor: H. V. GREY 4 Winter B.O.D. Meeting Italian Cave Diving Magazine P.O. Box 12 • Nokomis, FL 34274-0012 4 Update - Bill Foote (813) 484-7834 • (813) 484M65 (fax) 5 Silver Glen Spring Exploration 5 Congratulations to Our New Parents Board of Directors SPELEOLOGY 12 A Report from Mexico - or How I Spent FRANK HOWARD Chainnan: My Summer Vacation - Jill Yager, Ph.D. 334 Portico Ct. • Chesterfield, MO 63017 (314) 469-6133 • (542-0830) (fax) EXPLORATION 6 Canada's Longest Cave Dive: Vice-Chairman: MARK LEONARD Ottawa River Caves - Dwid Sawatzky, M.D. Rt. 14, Box 136 • Lake City, FL 32.055 (904) 752-1087 SAFETY 11 The Safety Line: Abe Davis Awards - ~y Short Treasurer. BILL FooTE 1433 S.E. 8th St. • CXala, FL 32671 TECHNIQUES (904) 620-1101 (bus) • 622-3488 (res) 13 Lessons from Overhead: A Comparison of (904) 629-9141 (fax) Cave and Wreck Diving - Part I - Bernie Chowdhury Secretary: H. V. GREY LETTERS See contact information above 17 Impartial Investigation of Accidents - Mark Barstow 17 Safety Issues- Frank I...arnllee Chairman: JOE PROSSER 'llaining 17 NSS Membership- Mike Dyas Miami, FL 33166 7400 N.W. 55th St. • 18 NSS Membership - Mark Johnston (305} 592-3146 (bus) • 96M)619 (res) the Record Straight - Joe Prosser (305) 593-2225 (fax) 19 Setting 19 Diving the Yucatan- NormanS. Brinsley Leadership Coordinator: DAN LINS 1001 N.W. 28th Ave. • CXala, FL 32675 (904) 629-9749 Copyright e 1991 by the Cave Diving Section of the Natiooa!Speleological Society, Inc. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the NSS-C1)5. Opinions Director at Large: JIM BOWDEN expressed within are not necessarily the offidal policy of the NSS-C1)5. to the Editor, photos, slides, car­ P.O. Box 49461 • Austin, TX 78765 Magazine Submissions-We welcome all news itEms, articles, Letters toons, and othE!' items of interest or importance to the cave-<iiving community £rem all member.;, subscribErs, (512) 9284727 and other inb!resled parties. They should be sent directly to the Editcr (see address on left column). We can also use text proce56ed in most IBM-<X>mpatibleand someMadntosh formats. <Please contact the Editonlirectly for details and arrangements.) Program Coordinators Advertising -The NS><DS Board of Directors has approved the reinsitution of paid commercial ad­ vertising for l..lndmDater Speltology. Please amtact the Editor for information and arrangements (see address Abe Davis Award ................ .............. Wen:iy Short on left column). Acddent Files .......................................... John Crea The NSS md Cave Diving-Founded in 1941, the National Speleological Society joins together thousands Activities Coordinator. ............................. Pete Butt of individual<> dediated to the safe study, exploratioo, and conservatioo of caves. The first cave-diving infor­ Biology ................................................ Dr. JiU Yager mation ever published in the United States was in a 1947 NSS Bulldin. In 1948, NSS divers were responsible Cartography ................ John Burge, Frank Howard for the first ave dives in the United States using sruba. Prior to 19'73, cave diving within the NSS was on a Cave Files Coordinator .............. Sgt. Bob M<:Cuire purely local level. That year saw the creation oH the NSS Cave Diving Sectioo to provide a vehicle for infer· Computer Applications ................... Tom Gilleland mation exdlange. Today; with 01/E!' 500 membErs, the Cave Diving Section promotes safe cave diving through Conservation ....................................... Tom Moms semi-annual workshcps; cavern- and cave-<iiving trainingprognun;; waming.ggn installations; sean:h, rescue, ICDSA ............................................... Wen:iy Short and recovery through the National Cave Rescue Commission; cave exploration and mapping; several texts Maps ............................................... Frank Howard and publications on ave diving; and the bimonthly magazine, UndDWiltl!l' Speltology. Plvtography ..................................... Bob Janowski NSS Membenhip-The National Speleological Society welcomes the interest of anyone who has a sincere and conservation of caves, wet or dry. You may join the NSS Property Manager .............................. Lamar Hires conoern about the safety; study; exploration, directly to its main office (National Speleological Sodety; Inc., Cave Avenue, Huntsville, AL Publications ........................................ Lamar Hires eithE!' by writing 35810) or to the Cave Diving Section. Annual membErship is $25.00 and includes subscription to the NSS's Rescuc/RecoveryTeam .... Capt Henry Nicholson monthly magazine, NSS News, as well as voting privileges and discounts on publications and con~ons. Safety Committee (Nor1h) ..... Randy Kwiatkowski CDS MembeJShip- As a sub-organization or "section" of the NSS, the Cave Diving Section is subject Safety Committee (South) ................. Wen:iy Short to the bylaws and ethics of the NSS. MembErship in the Cave Diving Section is open to anyone who is a Committee .............................. Tom Monis Science mem'be!' in good standing of the NSS. Annual mEmbership is $5.00 pES' year and includes subscription to the Sump Diving Project ...................... John Schweyen CCS's bimonthly magazine, Undowatl!l' Sptltology, as well as voting privileges and disrounts on publications Survey ................................................ Lamar Hires and workshops. Tedmiques ........................................ Woody Jasper Subscription-U you do not wish to join the NSS and CDS, but would like to keep current on cave-diving Training Coordinator ........................ Harry Averill events, exploration and technology. you are invited to subscribe to Until!l'waUT Sptltology for $15.00 per year. 2 • UNDERWATER SraEOLOGY • Vol. 18, No. 1 • January/February, 1991 NSS-CDS WINTER WORKSHOP A BIG success he CDS Winter Workshop, held in issue), and Training Chairman Joe hibitedasadirectresultofthedrowning T Branford, Aorida over the New Prosser gave a short summary analysis of a solo cave diver in Olsen back in Year's weekend, was attended by more on the training perspective of the recent November. than 300 cave divers and other inter­ drownings of several trained caved The special Saturday-afternoon ested persons. It was very efficiently divers. As a recommitment to safety, workshops included a seminar on coordinated by Jim Gabriel of High Joe asked all the cave divers present to Mixed Gas Techniques by Sheck Exley, Springs and had an outstanding series dedicate theirnext cave dive to a review a Decompression workshop by John of speakers and programs. of emergency procedures and safety Crea, and a Cartography workshop by The Saturday morning lectures drills. Kelly Brady. The evening film festival began with JeffBozanic, who gave a fas­ Park Ranger Joe McGrath gave an included fine videos by Jim .King on cinating slide presentation on the rigors update on conditions and regulations at Eagles Nest, the "911" Otter Springs of underwater glacier-cave surveying Peacock Springs State Park. He said he Rescue filmed by Wes Skiles, the One­ in the Antarctic and cave diving in expected that sometime in the future a Atmosphere NEWT Suit by Wes Skiles, Australia and New Zealand. Jim park-use payment of probably $1 per and a video on Cave Diving in the Brown gave a very informative video vehicle would be instituted on the Yucatan by Tom Young and Jim Coke. lecture on the new Mark V Rebreather honor system. He asked that all dogs The Sunday workshops featured a being developed by Dr. Bill Stone of Cis­ be kept on leashes and not be allowed Cavern Instructor Orientation program Lunar Laboratories in preparation for to roam free, as they can be an an­ by Harry Averill, the NSS-CDS the next phase of deep exploration at noyance to other visitors. He also reluc­ Recovery Workshop by Capt Henry Wakulla Springs. Ron Simmons gave tantly pointed out that he and Parker Nicholson, a Tank Inspection Work­ an outstanding slide show on the ex­ Ranger Carmen Bales have been having shop by Dale Fox, and a Nitrox Course ploration of Scott Hollow. Bob Mc­ to pick up lots of abandoned duct tape by Mark Leonard. Guire presented a fine new video and plastic tie wraps-items which are Our deepest thanks to these many produced by members of the Horida particularly associated with cave speakers, lecturers, and photographers; Speleological Researrhers, Inc. on the divers-and asked that, in our zeal to to the many people who helped with ongoing exploration of the Diepolders dive, we try to be more careful about the behind-the-scenes preparation, set cave systems. Jim .King presented a properly disposing of our trash. He up, registration, and clean up, and with slide show on the various new tech­ also reminded the audience that the the NSS-CDS publications, maps, and nologies being used in the mixed-gas park does close at sundown and that he T-shirts; to the Branford K-12 School for exploration project at Eagles Nest. and Carmen will either have to start is­ the generous use of its