Diving Devil's Throat and Columbia Deep

[Ron Lee]

Out of air in the few seconds that you are not readily able to share air? How the heck will that happen at the beginning of a dive?

Ear squeeze? You are already at 85 feet to so at the start. The change in the throat is trivial.

Get scared before starting it? OK, I have helped a couple of folks go around since I am usually last.

 

[ggunn]

It's not a big deal as long as nothing goes wrong.

However if something does go wrong, an OW diver has no valid emergency options, and will soon discover that "swim-through" is another word for "cave" and that they have zero training for handling emergencies in a cave and especially a cave that's generally single file. In fact, if they were cave trained, they wouldn't have done the dive because the gas is insufficient.

I'll just add this request: unless you are the last one in line going through a swimthrough, please do not stop. I don't care how good a picture it would be; if you can't snap it as you pass, let it go.

 

[cvchief]

Rental gear! Now that's funny....... Really just taking what I need for the dive. I always keep my DAN card on me and also an old driver license in my wet notes. Who knows I might need it or if I'm found in Cuba they could send me back. This is a clean rig with everything tucked away.

Everything tucked away? reggers: Ok, but do you look like you are smuggling basketballs?

One recent trip we were at Palancar pier and I was looking in a six pack boat and saw a rig that was loaded. They had it on a tank and I guess the crap was out to dry or something. I NEVER saw so much Batman, Q Branch looking stuff in my life. There were magnifying glasses and screwdrivers and scissors and all kinds of tools and implements handing on strings. I thought MAN that diver has a tool for anything. I think there was even a blender and an electric meat slicer and wheel grinder. I mean it had it ALL. I have NO clue what it was all for and if you could find anything to use half the stuff on in Cozumel, but it was cool looking. Think it was on a two tank rig too. I thought I would love to have it, but I don't know I could stand up for a giant stride wearing it.....

That wasn't you was it?

 

[Mayor]

Everything tucked away? reggers: Ok, but do you look like you are smuggling basketballs? One recent trip we were at Palancar pier and I was looking in a six pack boat and saw a rig that was loaded. They had it on a tank and I guess the crap was out to dry or something. I NEVER saw so much Batman, Q Branch looking stuff in my life. There were magnifying glasses and screwdrivers and scissors and all kinds of tools and implements handing on strings. I thought MAN that diver has a tool for anything. I think there was even a blender and an electric meat slicer and wheel grinder. I mean it had it ALL. I have NO clue what it was all for and if you could find anything to use half the stuff on in Cozumel, but it was cool looking. Think it was on a two tank rig too. I thought I would love to have it, but I don't know I could stand up for a giant stride wearing it.....That wasn't you was it?

Many cave divers and technical divers follow a less is more kind of mindset. I follow the GUE gear requirements and locations because in a team it works very well. Pocket (wet suit or dry suit) contents change as the dive profile changes. Nothing is dangling or out of place. Things are clipped off and tight to the body which helps reduce drag. Single tank or doubles the foundation is the same for every dive.The only thing maybe out of place on the rig is my camera which spends much of it's time clipped off to my crotch strap till I see something to shoot. Hate taking pictures and video but love to relive the experience. Over the years it has been modified to a compact setup. For a point and shoot it does a good job as long as I get the strobe distance/setting right.

 

[Mayor]

Out of air in the few seconds that you are not readily able to share air? How the heck will that happen at the beginning of a dive?Ear squeeze? You are already at 85 feet to so at the start. The change in the throat is trivial.Get scared before starting it? OK, I have helped a couple of folks go around since I am usually last.

It scares me a little that you think you could not have a failure at the start of any dive. When planning my weighting for the trip I plan an OOA and a total wing failure when i first get to depth. Can I swim up the rig from depth at the worst moment when my weight is maxed out. The steel 120 goes from -11 to -2 so that quite a bit of extra weight I would need to kick up. Add in the rest of that rig and It could be close to -20. So yes it could happen and should be planed for as a diver.

 

[MMM]

I think it must have belonged to DandyDon. Did you notice a coffee pot and thermos? Although I DO have a magnifying glass in my pocket.

One recent trip we were at Palancar pier and I was looking in a six pack boat and saw a rig that was loaded. There were magnifying glasses and screwdrivers and scissors and all kinds of tools and implements handing on strings. I think there was even a blender and an electric meat slicer and wheel grinder.

 

[ggunn]

I think it must have belonged to DandyDon. Did you notice a coffee pot and thermos? Although I DO have a magnifying glass in my pocket.

Yo tambien. It's especially useful at Colombia Shallows where I can sidle up to a coral head and hang a few inches away. With my glass I can examine the fine structure and look for teeny tinies.

 

[flots am]

Your depth numbers are a bit off, the exit isn't as deep as you're suggesting. You certainly do not have to breach the recreational dive depth limits of 130 ft. nor especially have to hit 135 ft.

The only commitment to go 'down' is in the entry to the throat itself, once you go down the little drop off you level off and remain at that depth, within a few feet plus or minus. Also the only 'squeeze' would be the actual drop down in the throat itself. The 2 or 3 seconds it takes to fin this drop is the 'worst' part or the most dangerous. However, it's only about what? 6-7 linear feet?

Maybe it was a language problem and I have the name wrong, but I was definitely taken on a long, pitch black, single-file swim-through that came out at a touch over 130' (opened into a beautiful view, BTW).

flots

 

[ggunn]

Maybe it was a language problem and I have the name wrong, but I was definitely taken on a long, pitch black, single-file swim-through that came out at a touch over 130' (opened into a beautiful view, BTW).

flots

There are several different paths one can follow in that section of Punta Sur. You are probably both correct with respect to your experiences.

 

[Mayor]

There are several different paths one can follow in that section of Punta Sur. You are probably both correct with respect to your experiences.

Let me understand this better.... The DT section is a nice size section that has quite a bit of natural light with a sand bottom in about 80ish feet of water. After this part you can swim out to the right or go to the left and down a dark somewhat tight area also sand bottom which drops you out at Devil's Ledge around 130ish. This is the dive?