Cave survey and cartography

[mattmexico]

yo

Most cave divers may wonder at the beauty of cave maps and may even use them for cave dive planning but few have learned how to make cave maps. I recently taught yet another survey and cartography cave course with Dirk from Germany. We both used CCR Rebreathers as our primary breathing device during the survey portion of the training program. The goal at the end of the program is to have a published map in your hand, made from your survey data.

Most people would think cave map making and the process of surveying is only for cave explorers but if you have a cave in your neighborhood that is already explored, if there are already permanently guide lines installed but no cave map does exist you many want to consider a survey and consequently producing a cave map. Permanent guidelines do not have to be taken out in order to conduct a re-survey. Knotted line can be used for the distance measurement or fiberglass tape for greater accuracy. The NSS-CDS published a great book called Underwater Cave Survey by John Burge with all the details needed to survey and cartography.

The full article can be read on the Protec Advanced Training Facility — Protec Blog

greetz
Matt

 

[The Chairman]

Cool stuff.

 

[Diver0001]

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[DiveNav]

......Most cave divers may wonder at the beauty of cave maps and may even use them for cave dive planning .......... I recently taught yet another survey and cartography cave course with Dirk from Germany. We both used CCR Rebreathers as our primary breathing device during the survey portion of the training program. The goal at the end of the program is to have a published map in your hand, made from your survey data......

Hi,
can I get some of your nice maps so we can put them in our simulator?

So far the only decent map we could find is the one for the Emergence du Ressel cave in France.

Here is our first dive there

Alberto (aka eDiver)

 

[mattmexico]

hi there

There are a number of cave maps available but I have the copyright on only two of them, Chak Mool and Xibalba.

greetings
Matt

 

[TSandM]

I think doing survey is a lovely way for divers to "give back" to the cave community. Fred Devos also teaches a survey class, and that's one of the few remaining diving classes on my list. There are a lot of places where, as far as I know, there are stick maps out there, but no wall maps at all.

 

[DiveNav]

...... but I have the copyright on only two of them, Chak Mool and Xibalba.....

PM sent

 

[mattmexico]

yo

I found that during survey dives, as I really dive very slow, I get a better look at the cave. I am not focused on the end of the line or a certain area but the walls left and right. I start to get a better understanding of the cave and cave system I am diving in.

When I started cave diving and I looked at cave maps and was just awed, and happy to have this tool in my hands to plan my cave dives.

When it was my turn to take up the oportunity to produce cave maps it was with the spirit of sharing with other cave divers who may use this map to plan their dives.

The QRSS, Quintana Roo Speleological Survey, has produced and protected the coyright of cave maps for a long time and is making them available to the public in authorized QRSS map distribution centers within the Rivera Maya. The proceeds of the sale is going back into exploration in terms of line and line arrows given to cave explorers.

I am just happy to be part of it.

greetings
Matt

 

[TSandM]

I had the good fortune to sit at dinner with Jim Coke before he got sick. The amount of work that goes into the production of the QRSS maps just awes me.

 

[DiveNav]

At Scuba Show I had a long meeting with Jose Morales (J2 Expedition).

He liked our work (we plan to release the first part of the Emergence du Ressel cave next week) and he promised to help us in getting more maps

Alberto (aka eDiver)