The Cathartic Cave Diver29 November 2010 It has been a great couple of weeks in the world of cave diving and the dive industry as a whole. The NACD conference was one of the best (if not the best) I have attended; likewise with DEMA. Although I did not like going to a land-locked area for a dive industry trade show and I have grown to no longer enjoy Las Vegas, I was able to learn a lot about new tools for diving as well as see old friends and make new ones. Here are some great things I saw at DEMA:
So I have been going through some life changes and have been thinking a lot (I know, not smart if you are a cave diver). Recently, I was compelled to go dive Eagle’s Nest and my buddy bailed on me at the last minute. Since I was already close to the Nest, I decided I would do a solo dive. I know that many people don’t like solo diving and I am not a practitioner of it. We have all been in solo "situations" both in caves as well as in open water. 50-100’ away from a buddy is a long way to swim if you are out of gas or have a gas casualty. I am usually diving sidemount (both open circuit as well as on my KISS Classic rebreather) so my I feel I have gas management covered. If I were diving backmount, I would have employed a "buddy bottle" for safety. Many know that neither the NACD nor the NSS/CDS condone or condemn the practice of diving solo in caves. I am not here to lobby for or against but rather provide my experience. The first thing I noticed when I arrived at the Nest is that I was not feeling like I was pressed for time. This is usually the case as I end up gabbing too much and everyone else is ready before I am. I also noticed how much attention I paid to my gear; more so than usual (I will remember that). I analyzed my gases on site (again) and went through all of my gear meticulously. After taking my bottles to the water I suited up in my drysuit and Armadillo. I went to the water and sat; shining for alligators. Honestly, gators were my ONLY concern for the dive – if a bottle has an issue, I have another – one light fails, I have 3 more – lose my way, I carried an exploration reel. For this dive the only thing I took with me out of norm was an extra light and an exploration reel. The reel I took with the intent of using it for safety if needed. OK, no red eyes on the water. Time to go diving! I kitted up slowly and deliberately; it felt great. I entered the crap-viz, pea soup basin and made my way to the "log" to drop off my 02. I did another set of bubble checks on my bottles and down the shaft I went. After clipping my 50/20 mix to the line at 75’ I dropped to about 10’ above the mound. I was surprised how lucid this dive was. I noticed things I never had before. I was completely engulfed by the dive. I had no reason to rush and no one else to worry about! My dive plan was to go upstream a bit (gas constrained), then go back around the mound and go downstream to the Lockwood Tunnel jump. Throughout the dive I was surprised how much better my breathing rate was; I guess I really was relaxed. I completed the dive without incident and started my long deco out. That is a major concern that should be given CAREFUL consideration – deco! If you have an issue and no one is topside waiting for you, it could mean some serious complications. Although I was completely alone I did use a common dry caving practice of leaving a callout. I called my buddy and let him know when he should hear from me. This would be akin to a flight plan if flying or a float plan if boating. I am still not an advocate for solo diving and I don’t know if I will ever dive Eagle’s Nest by myself again. For one, I would have rather had someone with me in the basin looking for that monster gator that never appeared; oh how I knew he was out there lurking, watching me. Waiting for the opportunity to come over and scare the hell out of me. However, I am pleased with my dive and it gave me the catharsis I desperately needed. As always, if you see something on the site you would like added or changed, please feel free to let me know. |
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