Cave Diving Communications by Joe Prosser H. V. Grey with illustrations by Wayne McKinnon H. V. Grey Published by The Cave Diving Section of the National Speleological Society, Inc. P. O. Box 950, Branford, FL 32008-0950 TABLE OF CONTENTS All proceeds from the sale of this book beyond printing Acknowledgments iv and distribution costs are donated to the Cave Diving About the Authors v Section of the National Speleological Society, Inc. for use NSS-CDS Policy for Cave Conservation vi in continuing cave- and cavern-diver education and safety. Preface vii Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Chapter 2 Sound Signals 4 Chapter 3 Light Signals 6 First Edition, First Printing Chapter 4 Hand Signals 12 © 1990 by the Chapter 5 Slates 30 Cave Diving Section Chapter 6 Touch Contact 33 of the Chapter 7 Reels and Line Markers 37 National Speleological Society, Inc. P. O. Box 950 Branford, FL 32008-0950 Cave Diving and the NSS 55 U.S.A. NSS Publications 57 Index 58 Printed by PIP Printing, Venice, Florida All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or any portion thereof in any form. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ABOUT THE AUTHORS JOE PROSSER (NSS #24253) has been cave diving since This book does not pretend to be a trailblazing epic of heretofore 1966 and has explored underwater caves extensively throughout the unheard-of methods of underwater-cave communication. It is, rather, United States and the Caribbean. He was certified as an instructor in a compilation, summary, and discussion of the techniques and know- 1971 and was one of the original recipients of the Abe Davis Safety ledge that have been developed over more than three decades of Award for cave diving. He was also one of the first recipients of the cave diving in this country. As such, literally hundreds of people have ISCDA, the International Safe Cave Diver Award, which recognizes contributed to this growing body of information—by adapting existing the completion of 1000 cave dives. From 1983 to 1986 he served as open-water signals for cave use, creating new and unique ones, and the NSS-CDS Training Coordinator, and was editor and principal putting them all to the test in underwater-cave environments. In that author of the NSS Cave Diving Section's Instructor's Training Manual, sense it could probably even be said that there have been divers who which is now in its second edition. He has served on the NSS-CDS have given their lives towards this end, by proving that certain forms Board of Directors as Training Chairman since 1986, and in addition of underwater-cave communication do not work. to making extensive reforms and advances to the program, has Since its publication in 1977, the National Association for Cave authored and edited the Cavern Diver Course Instructor Guide, NSS Diving's (NACD) outstanding book, Hand Signals for Diving, authored Student Cave Diver Workbook, and NSS Cavern Diving Manual. He by Claudette Finley, Jamie Stone and Carole Vilece of the "NACD has done extensive coordination of cavern- and cave-diving programs Handsignals Standardization Committee" and with illustrations by for other national scuba-certification agencies. He has also written Carol Vilece and Cathy Murray, has been the definitive work on cave- numerous articles on cave diving and diver safety, and is a nationally diving hand signals. It has been reprinted repeatedly and is so good published cave-diving photographer. that for a very long time no other text specifically on underwater-cave communications was deemed necessary. However, with the growing H. V. GREY (NSS #23062) began cave diving in 1982; is an number of cave divers frequenting the caves, a need was seen for a Abe Davis Award Recipient; was elected for two terms to the NSS- more comprehensive text covering all forms of underwater-cave com- CDS Board of Directors; served as NSS-CDS Publications Coor- munication—including a discussion of reel, line, and line-marker dinator for six years; and was Editor of the Section's bimonthly protocols—to help standardize cave-diver education and use in the newsletter, Underwater Speleology, for five years. Credits include field. coauthoring and -illustrating the NSS Cavern Diving Manual; chapters The present work would not have been possible without the in the NACD's forthcoming cave-diving text, The Art of Safe Cave expert drafting skills of NSS Instructor Wayne McKinnon, who gene- Diving; and numerous articles and cartoons on cave diving that have rously supplied all of the technical drawings for the chapters on light appeared in a variety of caving and diving periodicals. signals, touch contact, and lines and reels, and the illustration for the front cover. Once again we hit Wayne up for some professional- quality drawings, and once again he swiftly and graciously complied. Acknowledgments would not be complete without a very special thanks to Steven Moore, John Wohlforth, and Rick Czar of PIP Printing in Venice, Florida for their invaluable efforts; and to Sergei Rach- maninoff, Sergei Prokofiev, and Daniel Elfman for their . moral support. Joe Prosser, NSS-CDS Training Chairman H. V. Grey April 1, 1990 iv NSS-CDS POLICY FOR PREFACE A cave-diving buddy of mine once confessed that secretly, deep CAVE CONSERVATION down inside, he was actually kind of glad that voice communication systems were not yet a practical reality for sport diving; that that's what As geological, hydrological, archaeological, and biological win- he went cave diving for in the first place: a little peace and quiet. No dows into the earth, caves have unique scientific, aesthetic, and recre- talkingl A laudable sentiment no doubt—unless you just happen to ational values which we believe should be preserved for future genera- get separated from your buddy off the line in a total siltout, or get tions to study and enjoy. Although young geologically speaking, most yourself so idiotically entangled that you can't even signal with your caves have formed over the course of hundreds of thousands of years. light, or blow a critical O-ring just as your buddy disappears beyond Once defaced or destroyed, they cannot be repaired or replaced. A the next bend. fragile cave formation, such as a stalactite or stalagmite, that may That effective underwater voice communication would be a have taken thousands of years to develop, can be destroyed forever tremendous boon to all facets of cave diving is undeniable. I'm sure in an instant. that all of us, even that antisocial cave-diving buddy of mine, eagerly As members of the National Speleological Society (NSS) and the await the day when it might become a reliable and affordable reality. NSS Cave Diving Section, we pledge to do nothing that will deface, Think of the tremendous help it would be just on routine training and mar, or otherwise spoil the natural beauty and life forms in caves, wet sightseeing dives, let alone, in advanced exploration, surveying, or dry. The NSS-CDS motto is: photography, and scientific study and documentation. However, until such halcyon time, we are obviously forced to rely Take nothing but pictures, upon our current forms of visual and tactile communication. Even if Leave nothing but bubbles, underwater voice communication does become widespread, there will Kill nothing but time. still be some aspects of underwater-cave communication, such as reels and line markers, that will remain visual and tactile. And a final, We urge you to do your utmost to dive "gently," to be considerate inevitable consideration will be that, in the event of the failure of any and protective of the caves. Pay special attention to "danglies" and sophisticated voice system, we must have a comprehensive, practiced stage bottles, so that they don't scar the floors, and use handholds form of backup signals. sparingly and judiciously. We also ask you to respect the property We need to say a few things about the limitations of this book. rights of cave landowners by seeking permission to enter their proper- First of all, the techniques suggested in it are by no means the final ty and abiding by their wishes. Some of the most beautiful underwater word on the subject. We are presenting a way of communicating in caverns in the world have been closed because of irresponsible be- underwater caves, not the way. We have tried to present signals and havior on the part of divers and other casual visitors. We urge you to systems that are commonly being used and taught in the United do everything in your power to keep these natural sites beautiful and States, and that are, at least in theory, basically logical and consistent. clean, and to continue the welcome that divers still enjoy. We hope But you are certainly at liberty to use any sort of system that works that by setting a good example, we may stimulate others to good well for you and your buddies. The only criteria that are really impor- conservation habits and attitudes, and so preserve this wonderful tant are that 1) you have a comprehensive system of visual and tactile underground heritage. signals, 2) all team members are thoroughly familiar with it and agree upon it before the dive, and 3) all team members practice it regularly enough so that they will be able to perform and understand it even in an intensely stressful situation—because, unfortunately, that's the time when communication really becomes critical. Obviously, using a simple, logical, and widely standardized system of signals will facilitate vi vii this, but it's not mandatory. The second limitation is that this book is written not for the general public, or even for the general diving public, but for cave divers and student cave divers—or more precisely, for people who have had, or who are in the process of receiving, cave-diving training under the guidance of a certified cave-diving instructor.