Continued and increased access to caves requires an ongoing effort. Public image and good landowner relations are obviously important. Divers have died in most caves. Divers have died in the ocean, lakes, rivers and quarries also. Divers have died in their beds and bathtubs as well. The Wakulla 2 project is talked about as if they were dropping like flies due to their methods. I think the real death toll was one. I believe it was a solo dive on a rebreather in shallow water (not in the cave). I don't think the dive even had anything to do with the project. I am speaking from memory here. I have heard the story many times but don't recall all the details. The point is that those guys were GI's competition in the system. Wakulla for all practical purposes is closed. The WKPP has done a good job of securing access for the WKPP. I am unaware of any work they have done to benefit the cave diving community as a whole. There may, of course, be things that I am unaware of.
Some things to think about...
The first thing one must have in order to achieve a penetration record is a long enough cave. There are not many of those.
If other teams were in the cave, they would have a shot.
World records sell equipment like scooters and rebreathers.
If a connection is made to another window the record in Wakulla will be sucure (at least in that system).
The work done by Exley and others lead to safer diving and a better public immage. The NACD and NSS attempt to work for cave diving (cave divers) and conservation. GI openly expresses his dislike for them. He may be on to something in that if we put an end to cave diving and there are no cave divers there will be no deaths in caves. We don't need anymore help like this. It may be appropriate to limit access sometimes for conservation or even safety but I don't believe thats what we are seeing here. There are other 300 ft deep caves that have not been walled out and we have access. I think if GI ever wants to dive them he will first go after exclusive access. I have no desire to dive Wakulla (today) but I do wish to see the sport and the caves continue. I will support divers and organizations who work toward that goal.
I don't think GI is our freind.
