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 P.O. Box 12 • Nokomis, FL 34274-0012 4 Italian Cave Diving Magazine (813) 484-7834 • (813) 484M65 (fax) 5 Silver Glen Spring Exploration Update - Bill Foote 5 Congratulations to Our New Parents Board of Directors SPELEOLOGY Chainnan: FRANK HOWARD 12 A Report from Mexico - or How I Spent My Summer Vacation 334 Portico Ct. • Chesterfield, MO 63017 - Jill Yager, Ph.D. (314) 469-6133 • (542-0830) (fax) EXPLORATION Vice-Chairman: MARK LEONARD 6 Canada's Longest Cave Dive: Ottawa River Caves Rt. 14, Box 136 • Lake City, FL 32.055 - Dwid Sawatzky, M.D. (904) 752-1087 SAFETY
Treasurer. BILL FooTE 11 The Safety Line: Abe Davis Awards - ~y Short 1433 S.E. 8th St. • CXala, FL 32671 TECHNIQUES (904) 620-1101 (bus) • 622-3488 (res) (904) 629-9141 (fax) 13 Lessons from Overhead: A Comparison of Cave and Wreck Diving - Part I - Bernie Chowdhury Secretary: H. V. GREY LETTERS See contact information above 17 Impartial Investigation of Accidents - Mark Barstow 'llaining Chairman: JOE PROSSER 17 Safety Issues- Frank I...arnllee 17 NSS Membership- 7400 N.W. 55th St. • Miami, FL 33166 Mike Dyas (305} 592-3146 (bus) • 96M)619 (res) 18 NSS Membership - Mark Johnston (305) 593-2225 (fax) 19 Setting the Record Straight - Joe Prosser 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 Director of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the NSS-C1)5. Opinions at Large: JIM BOWDEN expressed within are not necessarily the offidal policy of the NSS-C1)5. P.O. Box 49461 • Austin, TX 78765 Magazine Submissions-We welcome all news itEms, articles, Letters to the Editor, photos, slides, car toons, and othE!' (512) 9284727 items of interest or importance to the cave-
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 fine facilities; and Wendy Short announced the new suing citations to violators or stipulate especially to Jim Gabriel for his many Abe Davis Safety Award recipients (see a cutoff time for starting dives. Solo months of hard work in putting this ex the "Safety Line" elsewhere in this diving has also been officially pro- cellent workshop together. •
ANONYMOUS LETTER TO SKIN DIVER MAGAZINE DISAVOWED by ·Mark D. leonard (NSS #23292). cos VIce-Chairman
ill Gleason, Editor of Skin Diver it undid what positive steps the NSS H someone wants to exercise his 8 Magazine, along with other people CDS and NACO have taken in clarify First Amendment right of free speech, at Peterson Publishing, advertisers,and ing the November Skin Diver cavern ar then do so, but take credit for your ac training agencies, received an ano ticle. This unsigned letter did not come tions and don't let the NSS-CDS or nymous letter from someone in the from the Board of the NSS-CDS or NACO catch the flack for your personal cave-diving community. The only pur NACO, nor to my knowledge did any opinion. Only Board members in pose of this letter w;;ts to damage Skin Board member have knowledge of it. It agreement with each other can speak Diver Magazine. Its effect did not did not express the opinion of the NSS officially for the organization. damage Skin Diver Magazine, but rather, CDS. - January 8,1991 •
Vol. 18, No. 1 • January /Februruy, 1991 • UNDERWATER SPEu:oLoc;y • 3 WINTER 8.0.0. MEETING
meeting of the CDS Board of process. Publication is targeted for BOD election were given by Lee Ann A Directors was held in Branford, book availability at the 1991 Winter Hires. Newly elected to the Board are F1orida at the Suwannee Cove Res Workshop. Joe discussed a plan to Bill Foote, Dan Lins, and H.V. Grey. taurant Dec. 28, 1990. Present were promote donations to our tax-free or Stepping down from the Board at the Board members Mark Leonard, Frank ganization to raise the $500) to $6000 expiration of their terms are Pete Butt, Howard, Joe Prosser, Pete Butt, lamar publication costs for the first run. As an lamar Hires and Lee Ann Hires. Hires, Lee Ann Hires, and Jim Bowden, alternative, the idea of taking orders for Organization of the Board of and board-members elect, Bill Foote the book at pre-publication prices was Directors. Votes were taken on the or and Dan Uns. Guests included suggested. The Board approved Joe's ganization of the new Board. All votes Workshop Chairman Jim Gabriel, past plan to seek donations. were unanimous. The new officers are: Chairman Steve Ormeroid, and Judy Dr. Bill Stone and the next Wakulla Chairman, Frank Howard; Vice-Chair Ormeroid. The meeting was called to Project Book. There was a brief discus man, Mark Leonard; Treasurer, Bill order at 7:45pm by Mark Leonard. sion of the idea that CDS should col Foote; Secretary, H.V. Grey; Training Minutes of the last meeting were read laborate with Dr. Bill Stone from the Chairman, Joe Prosser; Leadership by Lee Ann Hires and approved. start to give the CDS exclusive rights to Coordinator, Dan Uns; and Member at - OLD BUSINESS - the next book. There was general large, Jim Bowden. FEDO Show. Pete Butt reported a agreement but no specific action out The new Chairman, Frank Howard, successful display. The CDS Booth is lined. announced that he would contact each very heavy and portable over long dis CDS Property for sale. Joe Prosser Board member and work out the details tances only by truck; however, the dis expressed the need for review of the and agreements on their duties. play data and materials are mobile and pricing structure and procedures for Bill Foote will take immediate action available for reuse. bulk sales. Responsibility rests with the to transfer accounts from Lee Ann Hires DEMA Show, Las Vegas. Steve Property Program Coordinator. lamar to himself. The Chairman requested Ormeroid may go to DEMA and of Hires accepted the position. the new Treasurer to plan for the fered to help with a booth. Free space Spring Worl<:shop. Mark Leonard publishing and distribution of Quarter has been offered by Harry Averill announced that the Program Chairman ly Financial Reports to each Board through his connections with DEMA; for the 1991 Spring Workshop member. Financial books will be dosed however, we do not have a portable scheduled for May 25-26 is Terry De monthly. Bill Foote will present a sum booth to take advantage of the booth Rouin. Terry has already started to mary of the 1990 closing financial state space offered, An alternative offered work on it. The Theme is ''Back to ment at the next Board meeting. was to post CDS information and Basics." Joe Prosser recommended that the materials in a DEMA show registration NSS National Conclave for 1991. CDS continue to retain Paul R Suid, room The Board approved a plan to Steve Ormeroid reported that the NSS CPA, as our auditor at least until the display the materials without a booth, National Convention is to be held in In current IRS Tax Free Status Probation if the details am be worked out diana. Because it is to be held in "their ary Period is completed in 1993. Bill Dive Equipment for Poland. Two neck of the woods," he and Judy would Foote agreed and the Board gave unan packages of donated dive gear were attend and offered to represent the CDS. imous approval. sent by Lamar Hires to Poland for use There was a brief discussion of possible The next Board Meeting was by an organization devoted to teaching CDS programs. Further discussions scheduled for 7:00pm, March 16, 1991 Polish youths to dive, and receipt has would be pursued by the Chairman. at the Suwannee Cover Restaurant in been acknowledged. The meeting was adjourned at Branford, florida. The meeting was ad - NEW BUSINESS - 9:15pm for the purpose of opening a journed at 10:00pm. • Cave Diving Manual. Joe Prosser second meeting, which was called to outlined his plan to finalize the collec order by Mark Leonard at 9:15pm. (Minutes prepared by Dan Lins tion of the text and start the editing Election Results. Results of the and Frank HOUXlrd.)
ITALIAN CAVE DIVING MAGAZINE
ohn Schweyen (NSS #24848) Mexico, and Czechoslovakia, and tech a check for $19 U.S. (which includes reports that Vol. 2 of the Union In J nical articles on the French Rl2roJ semi shipping) made out to the ''Union ln te:rnJltionale de Spelevlogie Oxue Magazine dosed-circuit scuba rig, guideline tech ternationale de Speleologie" to: is now available. It includes explora nique, and bad air beyond sumps. Alessio Fabbricatore tion articles on cave diving in South Most of the articles are in English. Via Fatebenefratelli 26 Africa, England, Italy, the United States, Copies can be obtained by sending 34170 Gorizia, Italy •
4 • UNDERWATER SPE!..F.a.CCY • Vol. 18, No. 1 • January /February, 1991 SILVER GLEN SPRING EXPLORATION UPDATE by Bill Foote
ACKGROUND: Silver Glen indicative of a first-magnitude spring. value of the site. It was important to the 8 Spring is located about 25 miles (Source: Springs of Florida., Department local cave divers that an informed east of Ocala, Florida on the Western of Natural Resources, Bulletin No. 31, decision be made regarding the site. Edge of lake George. The Bureau of 1977.) During the course of the last year, Geology places Silver Qen Spring in Silver Glen Spring was owned and several local cave divers convinced in the hydrologicSt Johns subregion. The operated by a private concern as a terested state and federal agencies that St. Johns subregion covers 11,310square campground for many years and scuba a subaquatic cave survey was the base miles and is known to include 51 diving was not allowed. In addition, tool for further study of the site. springs. Silver Qen Spring lies in the Marion County Code currently Support was solicited from the central part of the subregion prohibits and is tran scuba diving at Silver Glen. In NACO through the Chairman of the sected by Marion and Lake counties. the spring of 1989, the campground was Exploration and Survey Committee, Silver Glen Spring is formed in lim~ closed, which created some media in and the NSS-CDS through the Survey stone, typical in Florida's karst regions. terest in that the site was popular with Program Coordinator. The positive The main spring is contained within a boaters. The spring run continues to be support of both cav~iving organiza pool approximately 200' in diameter used by the boating public; however, tions was instrumental in the creation and is bordered by semitropical forest the surrounding property is posted. In of a formal survey proposal. at the base of the sandy Ocala National the early summer of 1989, it was an It has been necessary to Forest The spring flows east toward nounced that the owner was entering make hundreds of Lake George for approximately \-2 mile. into a contract for sale to the St. Johns phone calls, write many The spring's run has widths of more River Water Management District. This letters, complete permits, issue a license than 200' with an average depth of ap past fall the St. Johns River Water and select project directions. The Silver proximately 5'. Management District purchased the Qen Spring Survey Project has been of The cobalt-blue head waters dis site and has subsequently entered into ficially sanctioned by the NACO, and charge from two limestone openings. a management agreement with the U.S. the NSS.CDS Survey Program Coor The main pool has a depth of 21'. Ad Forest Service. Recently funds have dinator is providing special assistance. jacenttothemainpoolonthesouthwest been appropriated for the purchase of Since the project is associated with both edge lies the ''Natural Well," which Silver. Glen Spring by the U.S. Forest cav~iving organizations, participa flows from a vertical cavity about 12' in Service. tion is open to Full Cav~ed in diameter. Sand and shell material have dividuals. A number of other regula eroded into the discharge areas perhaps AVE SURVEY: During the ac tions have been requested by the dif from years of public use. This material C quisition stage a number of in ferent government agencies. Addition may be creating a restricting water flow quiries were made about the future of al information can be obtained by writ on an increasing basis. Shell mounds the site and it was suggested that a sub ing: surround the site and are suspected to aquatic survey would be beneficial to have been accumulated by Indians. the agencies involved. The underlying Bill Foote The average spring discharge is motivation was that decisions would be 1433 S.E. 8th St measured at 112 cubic feet per second, made about the future recreational Ocala, FL 32671 •
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEW PARENTS
ongratulations to our new cav~ lAmar and Lee Ann Hires of lake weight and a slate saying, "Call your C diver parents! Tom and Nancy City, Florida are the proud new parents wife," to the receiver of an old Morris of Gainesville, Florida are the of Gerard Hires, who successfully telephone, and lowered it down into the proud new parents of Scott Lee Morris, negotiated his first major restriction on water where L:lmar and his students who emerged from his first cave dive Jan. 11, weighing 7lbs. The story has it were decompressing. L:lmar read the on December 16,1990, weighing 8lbs. that Mark Leonard got the phone call note, took a quick look at his 7 oz. Tom was on his way to make an and knew that L:lmar was out teaching decompression meter, decided he'd 8-hour cave dive and got the call to go a cave class at Uttle River. So Mark done enough decompression, and to the hospital just in time. drove out to Uttle River, tied a drop dashed off to the hospital. •
Vol. 18, No. 1 • January /Februmy, 1991 • UNDERWATER 5PELEoLOCY • 5 CANAD,4:5 LONGEST CAVE DIVE: Ottawa River Caves by David Sawatzky, M.D. (NSS #30362)
he Ottawa River Caves are the zontally bedded limestone. The river takes "shortcuts'' under the peninsula T largest cave-diving system in generally runs in a northwest/south along the fault lines and bedding planes Canada, with over 4km (2.5 miles) of east direction, but in the region of the in the limestone and the caves are being passage rurrently explored and many cave it has taken a romplex S-shaped formed along a generally rectangular leads still to be checked. The caves are tum and runs northeast around a large grid with the romers rounded. There located on the Ottawa River, ap peninsula (lkm [0.6 miles] across at the are two major sinks, located at the upstream ends of Sumps proximately lOOkm (60 miles) upstream tip). The peninsula is relatively flat, tree 8 and 10, and at least 5 major resurgences on the from the nation's capital dty, Ottawa. rovered and 1-4m (3-12') above the nor peninsula or in the bed of the river. They lie under a large peninsula on the mal river level. The river is rontrolled There is also extensive cave develop Ontario side of the river, under several by a large dam upstream of the cave and ment under the islands. Divers from large islands in the center of the river when the river level is high about 50% Quebec have been actively working on within the province of Quebec, and of the peninsula over the caves is un the caves under the islands and have ex under the river bed itself! derwater. plored over lkm (0.6 miles) of passage The caves are developing in hori- Some of the water from the river so far. Where the cave has enlarged and developed too close to the surface (usually at a junction), the roof has rol lapsed and there is a pool. Every pool is a potential entrance into or exit from the system and often has more than two passages ronnected to it (Note: There are few female Canadiancavedivers[mywife,Sandra, is the only one who has been in this sys tem], but gender-free English beromes almost unreadable. Therefore, the male gender will be used to refer to divers of both sexes in this article.)
PASSAGE DErAILS The cave system is rompletely flooded (phreatic passage) and the bed ding-lane passages are usually ronvex lens shaped in cross section, meaning that they are highest in the center of the passage and that the floor and ceiling meetatthesides without any real walls. Thus, the passage is often too low for a diver to pass near the walls. In addi tion, there are some passages that have developed along faults in the rock and these passages are more rectangular in cross section. Another feature of the cave is the current, which is faster in the center of the passage and slower near the walls. This means that any silt build up tends to be along the sides of the pas sage. Both of the major sinks are filled with large log jams. The logs reduce the rurrent through the cave and have been a major factor in the silt deposition. It The author standing by Pool #7 at law water. Photo by Marcus Buck. is fortunate that the logs are there, how- 6 • llNDERwATER 5PErnJLocy • Vol. 18, No. 1 • Januruy /February, 1991 ever, as thecurrentis3-5 knots in Sumps 8 and 10 at nmmal water levels, even with the logs, and exploration would be impossible if the logs were not partially obstructing the flow! The passage size in the system so far ranges from just barely large enough to squeeze through with dive gear, to 7m (23') high and 25m (100+') wide. The average passage size under the penin sula is 3m (10') high and 10m (33') wide, with a depth of around 3m (10') bellow the surface of the river or pools. Two passages (Sawatzky's delight and Reekie's passage) have formed on a deeper-bedding plane level and run at an average depth of 8m (26'). The very shallow depth makes diving safer as decompressiondoesnothavetobecon sidem:i.
HISTORY The caves have been known to local area residents for several decades but Kirk MacGregor standing by Pool #1 at law water. This is the anly cave organized caving first encountered of in Canada with Florida-style access! Photo by Dtroid Sawatzky. them in 1983. I (an active dry caver from western Canada) had moved to Petawawa (a one-hour drive from the diving in pool #1 (see map). That sum Ottawa River System are very different caves) and was taking my initial open mer and fall they ran ropes through from those in the springs in Aorida, and water diving training. The senior in Sumps 1 and 2 and realized that they we were still forced to develop our own structor, AI Shamess, was very inter were into a large, complex cave system. unique methods and technology. ested to hear of my dry-caving ex I had moved to Halifax shortly after perience and mentioned that he had being taught to dive by AI and not only EXPLORATION TEOINIQUES heard of several dry caves in the area done a great deal of open-water diving, Every pool is a potential entrance and one cave-diving site. but was cave diving in Nova Scotia into or exit from the system and every AI had been talking to some open (Diogenes Cave) and New Brunswick dive must start at one of them or at a water divers who told him that they (Underground lake). I had also been sink/resurgence in the riverbed. An had been diving in a cave along the trained as a military diver/supervisor exploration line is tied off securely and bank of the Ottawa River. The current and as a military Diving Medicine the diver swims upstream into the cave. was going in and they had gone about Specialist 0 am a Medical Officer in the Visibility is never more than 5m (even 30m (100') in on a rope. They had a very Canadian Forces), and was the obvious with a 75-watt light) and the diver ex difficult time getting back out and person for AI to ask for assistance in ex plores upstream whenever possible for refused to tell AI the location of the cave. ploring the caves. I made a trip to On two reasons. First, the silt that the diver AI persevered, however, talking to tario in 1985, and AI and I explored kicks up is swept behind him so that he everyone he met about the possibility Sumps 3, 4 and 5 as well as the branch always has the best visibility possible of caves in the Ottawa River valley. One in Sump 2. Fortunately, I was posted to going into new passage. Of course, that day he met a fellow who told him he Toronto in 1986 and have been leading means that visibility is near zero coming had pools on his property, on the edge a team of divers in exploring and sur back out! Second, the current will help of the Ottawa River, with water running veying the cave system since. him to swim back out If the diver ex through them. AI wasecstaticatfinally Neither AI nor I had formal training plores downstream, not only is he grop locating the caves, but due to the season in cave diving and the equipment, ex ing around in zero visibility, the current (there was 1m [3'] of snow on the ploration and survey methods we used pushes him into the cave and he has no ground!) he was unable to investigate have changed over time as we learned way to estimate how much air he will further for several months. from trial and error, reading books and use on the return trip, assuming that he In June 1984 AI visited the site for exchanging information with other ac can even swim against the current! the first time and was amazed to find tive cave divers both in Canada and As the diver swims through the several pools with the water boiling and around the world. In 1988, AI and I cave, he lays a thin exploration line off swirling around like giant cauldrons. went to Aorida and became certified as a dive reel to mark the way back. Even There had to be large cave passages cave divers in the Cave Diving Section this seemingly simple task can prove under the pools! He returned with two of the National Speleological Society. fatal. If the passage is large and the of his junior instructors and started However, the diving conditions in the visibility low (typical of Ottawa River
Vol. 18, No. 1 • January/Februaty, 1991 • lJNDERw..m:R 9'EIBJLoGy • 7 SURVEY TEGINIQUES The permanent line is surveyed with a compass, tape measure and depth gauge to give the familiar line survey of dry caving. The difference is that in an underwater cave >vith limited visibilitv, the line survev team often has no idea' where the walls of the passage are! The end result is a general idea of where the cave is located but no passage details. A significant part of the Ottawa River Cave Survey is still at this stage. Next the line survey is plotted to scale on an underwater slate. Using pieces of white plastic with the surfaces roughened by sanding as a slate and or dinary lead pencils to write with works very well. The pencil will not wash or ruboffbuttheslatecaneasilybedeaned on the surface with an eraser. In addi tion, the markings on the slate can be photocopied before they are erased to gave a permanent record of the original survey data. Line surveys require the same layout every time and one slate can be permanently marked for this purpose by etching the grid into the plastic and filling the grooves with waterproof ink. The actual survey numbers can be writ ten into the spaces with pencil and the slate erased without having to redraw the grid every time. Surveying the passage walls is a complex task. Two divers have to work David Sauxltzky and Dick Brauming prquring to survey in concert and the task loading is ex in Sump #8. Photo by Sandra Lenox tremely high. The divers are keeping track of up to three tanks, regulators, pressure gauges, depth gauges, lights, Cave), the diver will be unable to see to tum around when there is still lots of watches, knives, fins, mask, buoyancy the walls and therefore will maintain air so that the diver can deal with compensator, drysuit, etc. his direction by watching the current problems like this safely. and trying to survey in very poor visibility, with move silt that he stirs up on the floor After the exploration line has been cur rent, all underwater! with a finger. laid, the next step is to replace it with Before the wall survey can begin, the Unfortunately, if the passage does a heavier, permanent line. This line is run main line must be marked every Sm large S-shaped tum, the diver will as down the middle of the passage and is (16.4') along its length. Usually a small sume he has gone in a straight line be securely fastened. In many Ottawa cord is tied around the rope, using a cause he always swam straight into the River passages, V.z" nylon rope has been tape measure to place the ties, or a spe current The line he is laying will be used to enable the diver to pull himself cial low-stretch survey line knotted pulled into the side passage. When the against the current using the rope and every 5m (16.4') is laid out along the diver decides to tum back, he will tie to ensure that the line does not get main line. the end of the line off, cut the reel free broken from rubbing on the rock (much The next step is to survey one wall. and follow the line back in zero hanier and sharper limestone than in One diver takes the end of a tape visibility. If the passage has turned as F1orida) and/ or broken from the drag measure and places it on the first knot described above, the line will pass of debris washing through the cave that on the mainline. The second diver through areas near the sides of th~ pas will inevitably get caught on the line. takes the tape reel and proceeds out to sage that are too small for the diver to The exploration line must be removed the wall, ensuring that he is get through! limited time (air) and at the same time the permanent line is downstream of the knot He then pulls poor visibility make this a very installed, or soon thereafter, to prevent the tape tight and slowly moves up the dangerous situation. The answer is to confusion and/orentanglementduring wall until the diver on the line sees that tie the line off frequently going in and subsequent dives. the tape is perpendicular to the main 8 • U!\'DfRNAnR SPEI.B:x.oGY • Vol. 18, No. 1 • Janwuy /February, 1991 ·.
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I line. It is the n!SJX>nsibility of the diver MAP PRODUCTION tions and then adjusted to correspond on the line to ensure that the tape runs Most computer programs available to the air photograph. This resulted in straight to the diver on the wall and to convert line-survey data to x, y, z a very accurate surface survey and all does not get caught on projections or coordinates demand clinometer read of the surface survey stations were then rocks on the floor. ings and are therefore useless for under considered "fixed" and were not The diver on the line then signals the water surveys. SMAPS fortunately will moved again (i.e., theentiresurfacesur diver on the wall via tugs on the tape handle depth-gauge readings and it vey was considered a "benchmark" to to tell him that he is perpendicular to was used to do the conversions for this which the cave survey was tied). The the line. A complete set of signals has map. SMAPS is an lliM-compatible cave survey was done in the field at a been worked out so that the divers can program butitcan be run on Macintosh scale of 1/500 and therefore the surface communicate and must be memorized computers is you also run a program survey in the computer was expanded before the divers enter the water. The called SoftPC. SoftPC is an MS DOS to this scale (takes seconds with Mac diver on the wall reads the tape and emulator for the Macintosh and allows Draw II). marks the wall location on the under you to run any mM program. Version The cave survey was then drawn in water slate with a ruler. He then signals 1.0 will not handle lliMgraphics butap the computer and each leg was adjusted the diver on the line to move to the next parently the most recent version will. to close to the surface survey at every knot (5m, 16.4') and proa!eds up the For this map, there were several entrance and exit (closures done with wall until the diver on the line signals kilometers of surface survey done to lo SMAPS). When entering him that he is perpendicular to the main the survey cate the shoreline, the pools, the roads, location, the map was line at the next knot. He marks the new expanded to a the trails through the bush and the scale of wall location on the slate and draws in 1/125, which allowed them to houses(notalldrawnonthemap) the intervening 5m (16.4') of wall that . This be located to the nearest 10cm (4")! data was then converted to x, y, he inspected as he moved upstream. z coor Another advantage of using a com dinates and This system works very well and is plotted with a Macintosh puter program to draw the map was surprisingly fast once the divers are program called MacDraw II at a scale that it was possible to put the surface well trained. Unfortunately, it becomes of 1/1700. An air photograph of the survey on one '1ayer," the surface fea even more complex and much slower peninsula was enlarged to a 2' x 3' print tures on a second layer, the cave survey when side passages are encountered, so that it was also at a scale of 1/1700. on a third layer, and the cave walls and the mainline makes a sharp change of The surface survey was printed, super features on a fourth layer. The program direction, or when the side wall is more imposed on the photograph and theob allows the order of the layers to be than 10m (33') from the mainline. The vious survey errors corrected. changed with a click of the mouse and other wall is done with the same tech After all of the major errors had been any number of layers can be viewed or nique via a second sweep of the cave removed, the multiple loops were printed as desired. passage from the downstream end after closed using SMAPS. The islands and The cave wall details were drawn in the silt from the first dive has cleared. shoreline were drawn in as approxima- by eye, the map scaled by to 1/SOO,each Underwater hand-held sonar has been used to survey some caves. When visibility is excellent, there is little silt, there are true walls and you only re quire a distance to the wall, sonar works quite well. In the Ottawa River Cave, however, the walls are out of sight, the passage lens shaped, and the silt banks usually found by the walls make sonar useless (it was tried). As is apparent from the above description, it takes a minimum of 6 dives through one length of passage to do a survey with passage detail, and most cave divers in Canada do not yet have the experience and skills neces sary to do a wall survey accurately and safely under these conditions. This is why the survey is proceeding so slowly and why the map is still incomplete after 6 years of diving and surveying (the author has spent over 115 hours surveying in this system!). In addition, surveying in the cave is only feasible from late June until September, and it is a 5-hour drive from Toronto. Duuid Sauutzky by Pool #2 at low UXLter. Photo by Marcus Buck. 10 • VNDERwATIR Sra!DLOGY • Vol. 18, No. 1 • January/February; 1991 section printed, and the printout held system. Exploration/surveying are #41 Wild Gingerway over a xerox of the original survey slate. proceeding rapidly and there are at North York, Ontario The walls were adjusted until the match present over 3km (10,000') of passages Canada M3H SW9 was perfect. Other features of the pro under the peninsulil and the river bed (416) 638-2058 (home) gram are that it will smooth lines, and nearby, and over 1km (3000') of passage (416) 635-2079 (work) correcting mistakes or adding items is under the islands. unbelievably fast and simple. Artistic As the survey is continued many WARNING: Please do not attempt to skills are no longer required to produce branch passages are being discovered find the cave and go cave diving by your.;elfl quality maps! and there remain many unchecked 'This is not only vel)' dangerous,as the caves When the map was complete at a leads. For example, Sump #1 is only are a maze and many of the lines go in scale of 1/500, the layers containing the 17m (56') long, but when the walls were circles, but illegal, as the caves are on private surface and cave features were copied surveyed a branch passage over 300m property and the owners do not want people unknown to them diving to another file and compressed to a scale (1 CXXJ') in length was discovered and the in the caves. of 1/2500 (at a scale of 1/500 the map walls of that passage have not yet been would cover fifty 81,1i' x 11" pages!). surveyed! From the information ac The title, lettering, north arrow, current quired so far and the geology of the About the arrows, etc. were added and the map area, the known passage length could Author: Major Sawatzky is the Head of Diving Medicine for DCIEM, printed using an HP inkjet printer (300 easily double or triple over the next few the Canadian Defence and Civil Institute of dots per inch). As the survey is con years. Diving conditions are very dif Environmental Medicine in Toronto, tinued, the map will be updated and a ficult and survey conditions even more Canada. He has done extensive under current version can be printed at any complex so progress will continue to be water surveying in the less-than~ptimal time. slow. oonditions of Candian caves and sumps, Anyone with cave-diving ex and has authored numerous technical ar CONCLUSION perience who is interested in helping ticles on both diving medicine and under The Ottawa River Caves are cur with the survey and exploration is en water cave exploration for UnderwUer rently Canada's largest cave-diving couraged to contact the author at Speleology and other publications. •
THE SAFETY LINE: Abe Davis Safet__Y --~ Awards ~
by Wendy Short (NSS #30802). Safety Coordinator south
n 1977,theCaveDivingSectionofthe Further, by encouraging the novice Curt DeRemer I NSS decided to create the Abe Davis to keep records of his activity to apply Terry DeRouin Cave Diving Safety Award in honor of for the award, he will be indirectly Samuel R Ferra America's first known cave diver. This motivated to be more methodical in his David R Janes award is presented to any cave diver dive planning and analytical toward his John Jay who has demonstrated a genuine dive performance, thereby making his Tracy Jay dedication to cave-diving safety as cave diving safer. Robert Justesen, Sr. evidenced by the successful completion Hopefully, this is only the beginning Thomas E. McDonnell, Jr. of at least 100 cave dives. to a stronger commitment to cave Steve L Meadows By making this award available to diving safety in these recipients. Marvin E. Perdue all cave divers, it is hoped that the Teresa Petty award will have a unifying influence on Tom Petty The CDS the American cave-diving community. proudly announces the Nancy Pike 1990 recipients: This award will also provide novices Chris Rouse David Sawatzky with positive motivations to plan and John Bateman Kurt A Terry execute their dives as safely as po5sible John Bussell HarveThom while they are in the relatively high-risk Lorie Beth Conlin Toni Thorn area of their experience-the first 100 John P. Delaney, ill RonWmiker • cave dives. Doug Del Castillo
Vol. 18, No. 1 • January /February; 1991 • UNDERWATER ~ • 11 A REPORT FROM MEXICO -or How I Spent My Summer Vacation by Jill Yager, Ph.D.
ajestically, a frigate bird soars quired four pack horses to transport cial lambs-it is dived by hoards of M along the shore .... gentle waves tanks and camera gear!! Quite an im tourists. While we were there a group break on soft fine sand the color of raw pressive sight going down a narrow of seven arrived-complete with 20-lb. sugar .... every sweat pore in my body jungle trail. weight belts, lights, no reels, and gigan is working overtime as I'm walking Once geared up and underwater, tic knives strapped to their legs! This along a jungle trail. Hold it! I'm not on our team quickly learned to communi activity is causing an alarming ecologi vacation! I'm on location! cate "film talk" and we got the lighting cal event. Some of the surface fish in It all began with a phone call from and camera angles down to a fine art. habiting the entrance pool are becom Minami Tamura in Ottawa, Canada, as My excitement came when I was given ing accustomed to divers and follow king if I would consider taking part in a light on day two and became an in their lights into the twilight zone and a television dorumentary for Nippon stant underwater '1ighting technician." beyond. There the fish voraciously Broadcasting Company in Tokyo, Better yet was the day I was handed a devour the cave crustaceans!!! In addi Japan. She said it would involve going camera and filmed Bill filming tion to this, the remipedes that were to Mexico-the Akumal area-to ex Uchiyama filming Mike!! Because we once very common in the Chamber of plain my research in submerged caves were using video we could swim out the Ancients have recently been on the and my remipede work. After careful and look at the footage on location. The decline. The surface fish have even consideration of about five seconds I little dive hut at the mouth of Nohoch agreed. been spotted in this location and may was packed with dripping divers, Minami asked if the Japanese could in part be responsible for fewer Japanese crew, and Mayans gathered film me in the caves doing my work but remipedes. This situation will be close around a tiny monitor, talking in three I explained it was impossible unless ly monitored. languages! they were trained cave divers. I sug Speaking of remipedes, I can report After more filming in Carwash and gested she contact Jim Coke and Mike that more is being learned about their the Temple Madden, both with considerable cave of Doom, I was finally able biology. I spent the month of July doing to do some research. diving photographic expertise. The Chuck Stevens research at the National Museum of purpose of the program was to show a and I made several dives into Carwash Natural History, Smithsonian, Japanese point of view about the to collect water chemistry information. Washington, D.C. I focused on the in Yucatan Peninsula, so the problem was This cave has become one of the sacrifi- ternal anatomy of a species from the finding a Japanese cave diver. When the producer couldn't come up with one they decided to use Ryu Uchiyama, an underwater fish photographer, and train him. The Akumal cave divers were divided into two teams. Jim Coke and Tom Young were in charge of teaching Uchiyama to cave dive and to docu ment his instruction. The second team consisted of Bill Carlson, Mike Madden, Chuck Stevens, and myself (as well as Bruce Schadow on several occasions). Our job was to film Mike exploring, me doing my research, and Uchiyama taking pictures of cave fish. The adventure began with the fabulous Nohoch Nah Chich system. 'This cave is not only the most awesome cavern snorkel but an incredible cave dive. We had the luxury of multiple long, shallow dives-lots of time for setting up scenes and getting footage. Getting ready to On the day that Uchiyama and the en for the uxzlk Nohoch is the awe-diving fibn crew: Bill CArlson, Otuck Stevens, Mike Madden, tire production team joined us, it re- and Jill Yager, plus Masa Okajima, Assistant Producer.
12 • llNDERwATfR SPEl.EoLOGY • Vol. 18, No.1 • January/February, 1991 Bahamas. I'm looking at the "poison gland" that may help them capture prey. It's still unclear, but I'm making progress. As for remipedes in general, so far they are only recorded from the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean region. Only one species has been collected form Mexico and Belize. I'd like to ask anyone cave diving anywhere in the Caribbean to keep your eyes open for remipedes. The animals are easy to spot The body is long and slender, with legs everywhere! They S\-\im with the same motion as a centipede walks. They have not been found in freshwater and are usually found beneath a density interface, where less salty surface water floats on top of more dense salt water. If you think you've seen one, please let me Don Ptrlro looks an as his two sons lnad a pad< horse with tanks and film gear. know!•
LESSONS FROM OVERHEAD: A Comparison of Cave and Wreck Diving Part I - By Bernie Chowdhury (NSS #30691)
very certifying agency agrees that Not everyone is psychologically should lead the diver to resist being E safer, moreenjoyablediving can be and physiologically prepared to dive in tempted to dive in these areas unless achieved by divers continuing their overhead environments. The thought specifically trained for them. This aquatic education. Nowhere is this of confined spaces is enough to make paper will compare the wreck and cave more applicable than in overhead en some individuals uncomfortable. The environments, conservation considera vironments such as caves or wrecks. reality of diving into such a space could tions~ di\-'ing techniques, equipment re The diver who finds himself in an over be disastrous for these people. Above quired, and differences in sanctioned head situation forfeits the least compli all, balance is required: good judgment training. In no way is this to be con cated method of reaching the surface: and physical conditioning, coupled sidered an exhaustive study, nor is it in direct and unhindered ascent. It is with solid diving skills, are the founda tended as a substitute for sanctioned alarming to note the incidence of tion upon which overhead-environ training conducted by a competent in trained open water divers who have ment training and experience may be structor. perished because they chose to explore built. There is literally no room in an We shall consider a wreck to be any facets of the underwater world well overhead environment for buoyancy manmade vessel, vehicle, or platform, beyond their training. Witness the control problems, neurosis, or overin e.g., oilrig, that lies permanently signs placed at the mouth of readily as flated egos! Knowing what is involved flooded underwater. A cave will be sessable caves: "S1DP! PREVENT in di"mg into caves and wrecks is im considered a tunnel-like passageway or YOUR DEATII. GO NO FURIHER. portant in making a decision about room that has been formed by nature UNI.ESSCAVETRAINED ..." Divers whether this type of activity is for you. and exists underwater. By definition, a wishing to explore overhead environ The similarities and contrasts of cave starts at the point where natural ments require both knowledge and diving in caves and wrecks are marked light cannot be seen by the diver. training to survive the experience. The and warrant further examination. Be Water-filled mines are not considered ever-increasing popularity of these uni cause a diver may be trained to dive in caves for the purposes of our discus que and exciting em'irons is attested to caves does not mean he is also trained sion. Solution caves are the most by the growing number of divers un to dive in wrecks, and vice versa. prevalent and are distinguished by long dergoing sanctioned training. Knowledge of the two environments and intricate passageways. Lava, sea
Vol. 18, No. 1 • January/February, 1991 • U!'.'DERWATIR SI'El..F.OLOGY • 13 and coral caves are not usually as ex cave diver. For the most part, detailed sinking ships to attract both marine life tensive, nor will they be covered in this maps of underwater wreck sites are not and tourist income. discussion. produced. Sketches of wrecks may be Divers need beware the different The most striking difference be drawn, or blueprints published, but types of marine life indigenous to a tween caves and wrecks is the fact that maps listing distances underwater, given area, especially when diving on the fonner are manmade, while the lat exact depths and existing structural and in wrecks. Many types of life terarearesultofnature. Thisdifference configurations are nonexistent as far as camouflage themselves and are difficult means that wrecks are constantly disin wreck divers are concerned. Perhaps to detect. The unknowing or careless tegrating, while caves are constantly this is because caves evolve extremely diver may inadvertently come into con forming. Wrecks disintegrate as iron slowly, with sudden, dramatic changes tact with a concealed organism that and steel rust and organic materials, being uncommon at best. Wrecks, on may have sharp spines or teeth as its e.g., wood, are eaten by microscopic the other hand, may change spec defense. Stonefish, monkfish and eels marine life. This results in silt Caves, tacularly as bulkheads collapse, or the are examples. on the other hand, develop over a ship suffers the consequences of water Although generally not a problem, period measured in thousands or even movement, as previously mentioned. the appearance of sharks on some millions of years. Much has been writ Detailed surveying would then serve to wrecks may be a bit unnerving. Bar ten about cave formation. Briefly, caves record a history of what the wreck racuda are more common. Activities are thought to be formed by one or looked like at a given time. By virtue such as spearfishing or feeding marine more of the following: chemical inter of the dynamic nature of wrecks, per life in the presence of sharks or bar action between sedimentary rock and manent records of structural configura racuda are definitely not recom water; mass movement of water; and tions for use by divers planning excur mended. shifting of the earth's plates. For a more sions are not possible. Other types of marine life that in complete discussion of cave formation, Another great difference between habit wrecks include lobsters, clams, the reader is directed to Chapter 2 of the caves and wrecks centers on the type of mussels, scallops, octopi, crabs, kelp NSS Cave Diving ManuaL aquatic life found in and around these and other seaweeds, corals, anemone Besides material breakdown, sites. Wrecks attract a variety of marine and a plethora of fish species. In short, several other causes are responsible for life and become artificial reefs, whereas a cornucopia of life. Most lifeforms ex wreck destruction. In sport-diving the harsh environment of the cave is less isting on wrecks are resilient and suffer depth, wrecks fall prey to water move conducive to a proliferation of or man's presence well. ment because of storms, currents, and ganisms. Life in caves is sparser than on surges, which serve to hasten the Entire ecosystems develop around a wrecks. Where water flows into the wreck's demise. Should the site pose a wreck, which may be useful for scien cave system (a siphon), more life can be hazard to navigation, man himself will tists in theirstudyoftheunderwateren found than in a spring, where water destroy the structure, either by wire vironment. The May, 1976 issue of Na flows out of the system. The reason for dragging or by explosives, reducing the tionlll Grographic magazine (Vol. 149, this lies in what the water carries: a area to a junkyard. Salvage operations No. 5) featured an article by Dr. Sylvia siphon brings bacteria and microscopic also may be employed, and the wreck A Earle in which was described organisms into the cave, which can be maysuffertheindignitiesofbeingpried scientists' efforts toward measuring consumed by fish. Crayfish, eels, cat open to yield valuables. In extreme marine growth on shipwrecks at Truk. fish, and shrimp may be found in caves. cases, the wreck may be raised, which At least 66 Japanese military and mer Beyond the light zone (which is where is utterly silly since ships look infinitely chant ships were sunk during a U.S. one enters a cave) aquatic life needs to better underwater! raid on Truk, February 17, 1944. Be develop special methods of survival. Blueprints and pictures of a ship cause we know the precise moment at These methods have included adapting prior to sinking show us exactly what which any given ship was sunk at Truk, to the lack oflightin the cave by becom the structure was once like. Of course, the entire Lagoon has become a ing almost exclusively reliant on sens the cause of sinking may have resulted laboratory in which growth rates for ing water movement or chemical chan in drastic alterations: a fire might con given species of marine life can be as ges in the environment to detect prey sume most of a ship before its rescue by certained and compared with growth or predator movement in the vicinity. the sea; a torpedo or other exploding rates in other parts of the world. The question of preservation applies ordinance may have disintegrated a The maturing wreck, developing to both caves and wrecks. Man's in once-proud vessel; perhaps the weight into an artificial reef, also becomes an trusion invariably results in change to of the ship crashing into the bottom excellent source of food. Fishermen any environment. Underwater caves may have caused it to break into pieces. engage in both sport and subsistence are subject to scarring because of contact Anyhow, we have some record of what fishing at wreck sites. Invariably, with tanks. Stalactites and stalagmites the vessel once looked like, which is a monofilament line and nets become may be destroyed. Silt may be stirred great aid in planning a dive to the site. snagged, creating a hazard for divers. up and settle on the sides of a cave, par Blueprints of caves do not exist until Wrecks also become an important ticularly on scalloped walls. Pollution man discovers, explores and surveys source of revenue for commercial in the form of lost line markers, severed the area, which may consume a consid fishermen and charter-boat operators. guidelines,brokenequipmentstraps,or erable amount of time. Intricate maps Many areas have followed the example trash carried into the system by water may be made available to the trained of Horida' s Broward County and are flow, as in a siphon, contribute to the 14 • liNDERwAil'R SPa.roLocY • Vol. 18, No.1 • January/February, 1991 altering of a cave. they will be lost forever. As we have silt on the bottom. The drawback to this Perhaps the most severe violation of seen, wrecks are prone to disintegrn kick lies in the muscles involved: prac caves occurs when untrained in tion, so there is merit to this argument. tice is required to strengthen the leg. Of dividuals remove archaeological On the other hand, many people course, practice was required to per treasures such as Indian remains and point out that wrecks may be vandal form a standard flutter kick properly, fossilized animal bones. This robs the ized during artifact removal. There is too .. . ! entire community of kriowledge that merit to this: an object that has been un The frog kick is extremely effective may be gained as a result of careful derwater for any length of time will be and should prove useful to most divers, study of the area by archaeologists, difficult to remove if still attached to the open water or otherwise. This kick is paleontologists and other scientists. wreck, and some degree of destruction best performed when thediverisslight Vandalism, whether intentional or not, is entailed to retrieve the artifact. This lypositive, with the head lower than the permanently alters an environment that viewpoint sees wreck preservation as legs. It is the same kick used when may have taken millions of years to benefitting current and future divers swimming the breaststroke: the legs develop. Responsible caving organiza because it leaves the site in its natural are simultaneously extended outward tions, such as the NSS and the NACO, state for others to see and enjoy. Na from the knee while the thighs thrust have a standing commitment to con tional Underwater Parks, such as those back (the legs form a wide ''V") and serve caves. Toward this end, all divers at Tobermory and Truk Ligoon,are fine then the legs are brought together are urged to leave caves exactly as they examples of wreck preservation. Of sharply. Unlike other kicks, the bottom found them. course, there are other arguments that of the fins are the surface area used to Wreck preservation has become a one may consider. For our purposes create propulsion. In open water, this highly politicized issue. With the pass this would lead us too far astray. kick can be even more effective in ing of the Abandoned Shipwreck Act of Various techniques are employed propelling a diver than the flutter. In 1987 (S. 8.58) by the Congress and the when cave and wreck diving. In over very narrow areas of a cave or wreck, Abandoned Shipwreck Act Guidelines head environments, modifications to where even slight movement would (54 FR 13642) by the National Park Ser standard open water techniques are re create silting, the frog kick can be vice, an attempt has been made to quired. During basic open-water da!r modified so that only the ankles and define legally acreptable conduct in and ses,studentsaretaughttodeliverstrong fins move. This provides less forward around shipwrecks. Unfortunately, the flutter kicks, with complete follow propulsion, but caution and slow laws are couched in ambiguous lan through on the downstroke. A dolphin movement are preferable to a siltout! guage. Given diametrically opposing kick is usually taught as an alternative. As with the modified flutter, the power viewpoints, this makes for interesting In overhead situations, both techniques of the frog kick is directed up and away maneuvering by various factions in the would result in a siltout because the from the bottom. political arena. power of the kick is directed to the floor, The side-to-side kick is the same as The American Sport Divers _Associa where silt or day rests. In open water the standard flutter, with a slight twist tion (ASDA), led by the intrepid Cap dives, the flutter or dolphin kick will the diver performs this while swim tain Howard Klein, has hired legal also stir up silt or sand when the diver ming on his side. This directs the counsel to have the Abandoned is swimming near the bottom. It is power of the kick to the side, which is Shipwreck Act declared unconstitu surprising how far away a diver can be useful in largeroomsofwrecksorcaves. tional. Captain Klein cites the prere from the bottom and still kick up sedi Propulsion is fast and the change of kick dentof Admiralty Liw as a cornerstone ment. In clear-water reef situations, may be welcome to our muscle groups, of the ASDA's contention. A test case most divers don't notice this until the preventing a cramp. is now in the courts. Other organiza reef dies as a result of being asphyxiated The shuffle kick is another form of tions, such as the Canadian based Save by sand settling on the coral. The solu modified flutter. The diver, in a hori Our Shipwrecks (505), fight for the tion to this is the same as preventing silt zontal position, executes a restrained preservation of wrecks. This organiza outs in caves or wrecks: use either a flutter using only one leg to kick while tion argues that artifacts should only be modified flutter, or a frog kick, when holding the other leg such that the fin recovered and restored by state ap swimming near the bottom. is directly underneath the fin of the proved professionals. Besides the modified flutter and frog kicking leg. This acts to disperse the The wreck-diving community has kicks, several techniques are used in power of the downstroke. been divided by calls for restraint in overhead environments: side-to-side The ceiling push-off involves be removing artifacts from wrecks. On the kick; shuffle kick, ceiling push-off, fly coming positively buoyant, head slight one hand, it is pointed out that divers walking, and pull-and-glide. Descrip ly down, with the feet resting on the who remove and restore artifacts are tions of these methods are listed below. ceiling. The feet alternately "push-off' preserving the past for future genera The modified flutter involves bend the ceiling. When properly done, this tions. Many artifacts are displayed in ing the knees at a 90- Vol. 18, No.1 • January/February, 1991 • Ul';'DERWATER SPaEOLOGY • 15 with a silty bottom and a aillingoffering body. One must carefully evaluate the similar. Amazingly, however, this many available handholds. For that existing conditions at the site and deter doesn't hold true, at least in recent matter, the bottom needn't be silty if the mine the best way to dive it. For ex years. ailling offers handholds, and one en ample, if a current is present at the In the August, 1989 issue of Under joys the unique sensation of traveling wreck site, one may swim on the side current magazine, the serond in a series upside down! Fly-walking requires opposite the current and thus use the of articles entitled 'Why Divers Die'' slight positive buoyancy, with the diver wreck as a shield. Or, if one is swim dealt with wreck-diving deaths occur in the face-up position and the body ming with the current, the knees may ring in '86 and '87. The National Un held horizontally. The finger tips are be bent upward at a 90- 16 • UNOFRW~ SPE!.roux;y • Vol. 18, No.1 • January/February; 1991 L E T T E R 5 Impartial all should. Safety Issues I also question whether a diver [Letter to the Editorl Investigation should be allowed to go through the en of January 3, 1991 tire eight-day Cavern, Intro Cave, Ap I would like to respond to the article, Accidents prentice Cave, Full Cave rourse at one ''What Has Gone Wrong?" which was [Letter to the Editor1 time. Granted, some very good cave printed in Underwater Speleology, Vol. January 4, 1991 divers have emerged from this exhaus 17:6. Within the past year, two UWS ar tive eight-day rourse, but many more I made a romment a while back, ticles depicting the deaths of trained have not concerning the growing number of cave divers (Oiepolder Sink #f2. and Sac Once a diver has rompleted Cavern divers who are not taking cave-diving Actun) have gained my attention. Both and lntro Cave, I believe that diver seriously of these "Accident Analyses" were should be required to accumulate some Some divers are receiving their cave written in the third person and ap experience, prior to proceeding to Full training without sufficient open-water peared to be official NSS-CDS reports. Cave. experience, while other divers are cave My roncern regan:ling these articles is, I believe that cave-diving fatalities or diving very infrequently, after hemm both were authored by divers who had accidents among certified cave divers ing cave certified-neither of which is been participants in these tragic inci are going to occur at an increasing rate, ronducive to good, safe cave diving. dents. Not readily apparent to a reader until cave divers take the sport more For a long time, certified cave divers of these articles by title or text was the seriously and rontinue with their train were ronsideredan elite group of divers authors' involvement The last line of ing, experience, and education. small print in the San Actun article is who took cave diving very seriously and cave dived almost the only indication of the author's par exclusively This Sincerely, is no longer the case. Many of ticipation. these Frank Lavallee (NSS #2.7829) new cave divers A well-established rule of fact find are just putting another Plant City, Florida ing/accident analysis, practiced by or C-Can:l in their wallet and saying, '1'm ganizations at all levels of government a Cave Diver." • and nonprofit agencies is that of impar I am very much in agreement that • • tial reporting. It is imperative that the our cave-diving instructors need to NSS-CDS provide its members with evaluate their students, prior to train credible accident analysis free of any ing, and not just look at the $$$ signs. NSS Membership possible bias. For cave divers to learn For example, how long has a person [Letter to the Editor] from these tragedies, information ob been diving and how many dives has January 3, 1991 tained by a rompetent, uninvolved that person logged? Why does that I'd like to romment on the letter thin:l person is a necessity. NSS-CDS person want to berome cave certified? from Danny Mackey criticizing the trained recovery divers and cave How rommitted is that person towan:ls Cave Diving Section's membership diving law-enforcement personnel cave diving? Is that person willing to policies (published in both the Nov. throughout the cave- Vol. 18, No. 1 • January/February; 1991 • UNDERWATER SPELEOLOGY • 17 of the case for the CDS maintaining its traditional "all NSS" policy. As at least a few of your Section's members know, the NSS recently has (again) been considering modifying its long-standing, if rather ignored, rule that all members of Society "internal or ganizations" (i.e., grottos, sections, etc.) must also belong to the NSS--or join within a year, anyway. (Currently, the only official exception pertains to "stu dent grottos," a somewhat nebulous category.) The policy in question was one of the fundamentals of the late NSS founder, Bill Stephenson. He strongly believed that the NSS should be a nationwide association of individual <:avers, rather than a loose confedera tion of clubs, as has been the rule in most countries. (Indeed, while there seem to be no valid statistics, a large percentage of NSS members-possibly a majo rity-belongtonogrottoorother"lO.") The last time consideration was given to changing this policy was about seven years ago (if I recall correctly). The Board of Governors at the time presumably was impressed by Bill Stephenson's appeal to maintain the status quo. Now that Bill is no longer with us, the latest push to amend the membership policy arose from the Con gress of Grottos. (For what it's worth, my own opinion is that some of the per sons most vigorously demanding relaxation of the "1 00% rule" have been motivated by general disgruntlement with the NSS over issues [e.g., the Trout Cave controversy] having no direct cor relation with this particular matter). At its most recent meeting. the NSS Board narrowly decided to keep the "100%" policy-at least for now. The "Whilt a strange stalagmite ... " - by Mikhail Aljukov basic vote was a tie; President John Scheltens thus was able to cast the deciding vote. John didn't clearly state encouraging "LO.'s" to see to it that all his personal position on this issue but current practice-if not right away, then indicated in effect that, since feelings their members join the NSS and provid within a few years. (I suppose there are were so divided, he shouldn't provide ing wider public recognition for the a fair number of CDS members who the critical vote for a change at the time. groups which do so--preeminently the share Danny Mackey's feelings, more In all probability the matter isn't dead, Cave Diving Section. or less.) sothosewithargumentsonewayorthe I for one have been concerned that I'm not all that familiar with the his other should make themselves heard. modifying the "100%" rule could tory of the CDS or the "independent'' Everyonerecognized thatthe"100% weaken ties between the NSS and the cave-diving groups and how the cur NSS" policy isn't enforced and I don't CDS. Of course, even if the NSS relaxed rent relationship between divers and perceive that anyone argues that it the current policy, the CDS (or other "dry" <:avers evolved, as touched on by feasibly can or should be. Normally, groups which currently uphold "all Wayne Marshall (other than to recog I'm not in favor of unenforceable rules NSS") wouldn't necessarily have to fol nize that personality conflicts among or laws; but in this case voted to uphold low suit. Nevertheless, it would seem <:avers are inevitable). It's clear enough, the old custom. I do feel that the NSS probable that the CDS especially should anyway, thattheCDSisan organization at least could do a betterjobofpositively come under pressure to abandon its which very well could appropriate!y be 18 • liNDERwATIR 5PaF.oLOGY • Vol. 18, No. 1 • January /February, 1991 unaffiliated with the NSS. I think that NSS Membership tides planned for publication, for UWS the current ties between the NSS and and many other publications. With the [Letter to the Editor] the CDS are noteworthy and mutually quantity of articles I receive, my most January 3, 1991 beneficial, in the ways which Wayne typical method of critique is to hand I am writing in response to Danny emphasizes. I'd certainly be disap write in the side bar my suggestions, Mackey's recent letter to the NSS in pointed to see the diving community evaluations, and, if you will, points of which he expressed his dissatisfaction drift away from cavers overall. ponder. This you are aware of from with his membership and what he er our While Wayne points out several prior collaboration on other subjects. roneously perceived to be their ap respects in which the CDS has benefited My critique of an article parent lack of interest in the Cave should not be by its association with the NSS interpreted Diving Section. as being coauthor of that or (capitalizing on NSS prestige or scien any article. Rest assured that, in the fu tific credentials, at least), I've tended to Although I am now and forever will be ture, should I coauthor any article you think that the NSS has been getting the a cave diver first and foremost, I believe that will know about it directly from me. better end of the deal and tends to take the ideologies of our dry brethren are synonymous with our I would appreciate you passing this the Section too much for granted. H this on to the readers of UWS. dialogue helps clear the air, very good. own. I also believe that most NSS members echo these same sentiments In particular, I for one recognize and Sincerely, have pointed out that the much-bal toward their cave-diving counterparts. Mr. Mackey fails to Joe Prosser (NSS #24253) lyhooed NSS membership growth in appreciate the need Training Chairman recent years undoubtedly is due in no for this kinship by overlooking the active role that the NSS Miami, F1orida small way to the prosperity of the Cave has played and continues to Diving Section-and of course, its ob play in the Cave Diving Section. servance of the "100% NSS" policy! Therefore, although I can relate • • • to In particular, I'm glad to note that Mr. Mackey's specific cave-diving in terest Wayne Marshall believes it's desirable J cannot understand his narrow minded perception Diving the for there to be at least one diver on the of NSS member NSS Board of Governors. Indeed, I ship and dry caving. Yucatan Mackey made this suggestion to a CDS official Mr. states that he gets very [Letter to the Editor1 little from several years ago, which evidently his NSS membership. My April1, 1~ response to that is resulted in Wayne running for Direc "can't never could I have just returned from a week of until he tried." tor--once, unsuccessfully, so far, cave diving in the Yucatan. The "new In my case, anyhow. I'm encouraged that Wayne is my recent NSS member frontier;' as it is often described, is an ship, the newfound friends therein interested in running again and hope and awesome array of bright white tunnels, subsequent dry Vol. 18, No.1 • January/February, 1991 • UNDERWATER SPaEOLOGY • 19 much of their time finding, then obtain ing, the necessary dive support." From the traveler's point of view, Steve and Tony's operation made the trip hassle free and let us concentrate on diving. My second commentary deals with diver care for the environment and the level of expertise required for this trip. You do not need to be the world's most experienced cave diver to dive the sites we covered. You do need to be techni que oriented and environmentally con cerned from the time you leave the paved road on the treks into the dive sites. The terrain supports an ecosys tem under pressure from social development The dive sites are fragile and formations are easily destroyed. Pull-and-glide should be minimized or forgotten for these dives. In fact, on all of the dives made, following the guide (Reading First Aid Book) "Drowning ... Drowning ? Drowning!" got us to where anyone wanted to go. -by Mikhail Aljukov Divers had merely to concentrate of their best swimming techniques and enjoy the sites. months prior to the trip. UWS Submissions My last point concerns overall In conclusion, the diving there is preparation for a trip such as this. Pack great and all cave divers need to do it \Ak welcome news items, articles, letters ing carefully is essential and the use of at least once. Unfortunately, there are to the Editor, photography, art, humor, and rigid containers for things such as lights already signs of wear and tear in these other contributions of interest or importance and regulators is highly recommended. caves. Careless divers, wanting to see to the cave-diving community for considera Standard dive bags for all else is fine. it all on one trip, in their haste have tion for publication in Underzwtcr Speleology Fitness is equally important. The taken away an opportunity for some from all members, subscribers, and other in weather was overcast and cool most of one coming after them to enjoy this un terested persons. the time for this trip. Some of these derwater splendor. Remember our We can read lengthier submissions in walks with gwr were more than 100m motto of "Take nothing but pictures, several IBM and Macintosh formats,and will over rough terrain. With a clear day and Leave nothing but bubbles, Kill nothing soon be able to dovvnload material~ dill'd:ly bright sun, it would have been tough to but time," and these caves will remain from CompuScrve. However, no one impossible for those people who think as a last frontier for many years to come. should feel that his typewritten or hand writ the climb out of Olsen Sink is difficult. ten contribution~ arc not equally weloomed My recommendation is bring good Yours truly, and encouraged. For additional informa solid booties and if you need it, walk Norman S. Brinsley tion, please rontact the Editor (addn:!ss and with gear as a training program for 2-3 Fort Benning, Georgia telephone listed on inside rover). • Cave Diving Section of the National Speleological Society, Inc. NON-PROFIT A fKTPolil scienfic and educalonal aganizalon recognized by ,. IRS ORGANIZATION P.O. Box 950 • Branford, FL 3~50 U. S. Postage PAID Miami, FL Permit No. 849