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~\\~~~~'Q\~~ ~~~\~~\~'i.'

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE CAVE DIVING SECTION OF THE NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY c 1977 by the Cave Diving Section vol. 4, no. 1

UNDERWATER

SPELEOLOGY published bi-monthly beginning in February

by The Cave Diving Section of

The National Speleological Society

Membership in the NSS Cave Diving Sec­tion is open to any NSS member in good standing that is interested in cave div­ing and has paid the dues (53.00 for 1977). Persons not wishing to join may subscribe for 55.00 per year. Checks should be made payable to "NSS Cave Diving Section" and sent to Steve .Mae­gerlein, Rt. 14, Box 17, Bloomington, IN 47401.

Deadline is the second Friday of the preceeding month. Send articles and cor­respondence to the Editor, Sheck Exley, 1591 S. Lane Ave., Apt. 118C, Jackson­ville, FL 32210.

Opinions expressed herein are not nec­essarily those of the NSS Cave Diving Section.

CALENDAR

June 25-26: NACO Back to Cave Diving Seminar & Workshop, Gainesville, FL (Contact Mary Melton, Rt. 1, Box l75-M, Vero Beach FL 32960.)

July 3D-Aug. 5: Cave Diving Session and Annual Section Meeting at NSS Convention, A1Dena, Michiaan

Sep. 5-10: 3rd rn~ernational-Cave Div­ing Camp, Bristol. Great Britain. (This is just before the 7th Inter­national Speleological Congress -contact B.E.C. Travel Limited, 63 Dun Keld Road, Ellesall, Sheffield Sll 9HN Engl and.

June, 1978: Cave Diving Session and Annual Section Meeting at NSS Con­vention, Austin, Texas.

1979: 4th International Cave Diving Camp, Mexico. (Contact Eduardo Cas­tro Ruiz, Cerro de Tezonco 117, Mex­i co, D. F. )

COVER

The outstandinq cover photo, a first for underwater 5peleology, is courtesy of New World Publications, publishers of the new Divir;a Guide to Vnderu::ter Florida. The shot is of Ned DeLoach at a water depth of 70 feet near the Or­ange Grove entrance to Florida's Pea­cock Springs Cave System, and was tak­en by Pete Vel de. (Photo is copyright­ed by New World Publications.) For a report on 1976 investigations in Flor­ida's second lonqest cave, see "Pea­cock Progress Part II" in this issue.

INTERNATIONAL CAVE DIVING CAMP HELD

It appears that the report in our last issue that the 3rd International Cave Diving Camp had been cancelled is in error: Dr. Lloyd has communicated to us that the camp will be held, albeit "unofficially" due to problems with insurance. Interested persons should contact Tom Piskula, Nam. SNP 19, 614 00 Brno, Czechoslovakia. If problems arise in securing accomodations at the Camp, Dr. Lloyd has indicated that he will try to make arrangements. The schedule for the Camp will be printed in Underwater S~eleology.

ADDRESS CHANGES

Rick Rigg, 169 E. 25th. Idaho Falls, 1D 83401

India Fuller Young, Rt. 1, Ri voli Dr., Macon, GA 31204

Rallin L. Peck, Box 103, Co. A SB, USASCH, FC, APO San Francisco, CA 96557. Phone (808)624-2396

John R. Kessler, 22 Yardley Place, Apt. 2-B, Santurce, P.R. 00911

Terry E. More, 1302 Altamont, Mar­quette, Michigan 49855

Doug Carter, 33 Delhi Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5M 388

Curtis H. Wheeler, 7600 W. Manchester Ave., Apt. 426, Plaza Del Rey, CA 90291.

Ronald C. Spong, 1772 Ashland Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104

DON'T FORGET CA7E DIVING SESSION ~ SECTION MEETT!!.rl AT ALPENA NSS CONVENTION! 1 !

2 CDS NE~JSLETTER, Februd ry, 1977

SECTION ADDRESS CHANGE

Please note that the address given for sending membership and subscriptions on the preceding page IS INCORRECT. The cor­rect address is Stephen D. Maegerle;n, Box 60, Williams, IN 47470.

NEW MEMBERS

Walter F. Merrick II, MBN 129 Defense Intel School, Washington, D.C. 20374 (NSS 17644)

William S. Morse, PO Box 310, Daytona Beach, FL 32015 (NSS 17946)

J. Billy Young, 110 Coventry Road, Athens GA 30605 (NSS 17268)

NEW SUBSCRIBERS

Col. Van Hunn, PSC-2, Box 13155, APO San Francisco, CA 96311

Mr. France Sustersic, 66 232 Planina. c/o Rake~u, Laze 22. Slovenia, Yugo­slavia

Edward DeLoach, 6043 Greenberry Lane, Jacksonville, FL 32211

Pete Veld2, c/o 6043 Greenberry Lane, Jacksonville, FL 32211

NEW MEMBER

David B. Morrow, 3500 Staneybrae Or., Falls Church, VA 22044 (NSS 16997)

COLD WATER CAVING 'AND HYPOTHERMIA

In "Cold Water Caving" in vol. 18, no. 7 of Caving in the Rockies, Jim Plsa­rowicz discusses the problems inherent in exposure to 35 0 F water while cav­ing or cave diving. The article, which was printed in July 1976, goes 1nto good detail with regards to the meta­bolic changes involved and refers back to an article by Norm Pace in the March-April issue entitled "Hypo­thenni a II in whi ch Pace s ta tes "1 ower­ing of body temperature ... may lead rapidly and with little warning to in­capacitation and death." All the in­terest by Colorado cavers in hypothe~ mia is of course the byproduct of sig­nificant discoveries in Spring Cave. See the report in this issue. CDS NEWSLETTER, February 1977

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1976

The editor would like to take this opportunity to thank the many Section members and friends whose support helped underwater Speleolo~d last year, particularly the following au­thors who submitted articles: Tom Cook (3 artiCles}, Steve Wlikinson, Karan Exley, Terry More (2 articles), and Forrest Wilson.

Weld also like to recoonize the efforts of someone else who works very hard for underwater SveZeoZogu. While the editor has the fun part of getting the issues roughed out, Ste­phen Maegerlein does the "dirty work" of getting the material to the printer, then assembling the issue and mailing out copies. Thanks, Steve!

AIRPORT 177 IN WAKULLA SPRING --~--'-.;;;.,;......:...;;;.;...-

Airport 1 77, the new blockDuster airborne disaster flick starring Jack Lemmon and Jimmy Stewart, is centered around efforts to save passengers trapped in the fuselage belO'.y 100 feet of water. The under­water scenes were shot in Floridals Wakulla Springs, well-known as one of the U.S. IS most impressive under­water caves. Over $300,000 was budgeted for the underNater film­ing alone, which included sinking a life-sized fuselage in the large spring basin. According to a story in the FZorida Times-Union, some local divers were emoloyed to serve as lifeguards in case anyone got into tiouble or "wandered off into a cave." Lucky divers!

LITILE RIVER SPRING FENCED OFF

Floridals Little River Springs near Branford, one of the most popular cave dives in the area, has been fenced off by the owners. A 3-foct­wide gap intentionally left in the fence still perm; ts di.vers and swimmers to walk to the spring, and of course river access is still a­vailable.

3

~@®~@~& ~IT@@IT@~~ ~®IT~ ~~@ 0

more on the projec~ ~o survey the so-called "war Z-d I S Zonr;<?s t un.derwater cave"

by Sheck Exley

o 0

Operations resumed in the Peacock Springs Cave System in February of 1976 with continued efforts by Ned Deloach of New World Publications to pho­tographically document the cave and our work therein. Ned, Pete Velde and oth­ers in New World Publications had already produced an outstanding film on the 450 feet of passage connecting the Peacock and Pot Hole entrances, "Underground Underwater," which had been shown by several TV stations as well as the 1973 NSS Convention. An excellent series of black and white prints (see cover) had also been taken and used to illustrate books printed by New World Publications. The color slides Ned was now taking, of Dave Fisk 17149) and myself, were to be used to illustrate a paper Dave and I had written for the International Sym­posium on Hydrologic Problems in Karst Regions as well as a presentation during the cave diving session at the 1976 NSS Convention. These slides were taken near the Olsen and Peacock I entrances.

April fQund Court Smith (NSS 15394) and I exploring and surveying the nor­thernmost extremeties of the system, upstream from the Challenge and Orange Grove entrances. Perhaps the most significant new discovery was that of the primary stream passing through Challenge Sink. This passage was later explored by Court and Le",/i s Sollenberger (NSS 17572) to its termi nus in a small room blocked by 109S and rocks. Examination cf the topographical map revealed a large sink at this point.

Surveying on the night of April 23rd took us over the 3 mile mark, but mean­while surveying in the westernmost areas of the cave, where we hoped to connect to nearby Bonnet Spring Cave, was proving disaopointing. Instead of finding a connecting passage to half-~~le-long Bonnet, the cave stubbornlY turned north­ward to parallel the. source conduits feeding the Challenge and Orange Grove entrances.

Ken Hillier (NSS 17589) 3.na I began "mopping up" the few remaining side leads near the Peacock I and Pot Hole entrances in May. One interesti~g discov­ery was of the Lov/er Cisteen Bypass, which slightly shortened the distance be­tween the Cisteen and Pot Hole entr2.nces. This passage had actually been ex­plored a short distance by Court Smith and Lewis Holtzendcrff a couple of years earlier, but not until Ken and I had it en the map did we see how close we were to a connection and therefore finish the loop.

Perhaps one of the most significant by-products of our project came in July, when I led my 300th dbe into the Peacock Springs Cave System. tripling the old safety record of 100 cave dives in a single cave without incident set by six FSU divers at Wakulla Spring in the 1950's. Throughout our investisations at Peacock (which began in 1966) we have had no accidents whatsoever, not even any incidents of decompression sickness (which is largely uncontrollable no matter what deccmpression procedures are followed).

(conUr:..c.ed on page 6)

4 CDS NEWSLETTER, February 1977

The West's Greatest CAVE DIVING DISCOVERY

by Joseph Lieberz

(See also reports of previous cave diving efforts in vol. 2, no. 3 [po 15J and vol. 3, no. 1 [po 3J of Underwater SpeZeoZogy. Please note that the state­ment that these discoveries have transpired in the "Th under Road" section ap­pers to be in error.)

In late July 1976 nine cavers returned to Spring Cave which is located at 8500 foot elevation in the Colorado Rockies. They hauled scuba gear 4500 feet to the 250-foot-long sump which reaches a depth of 30 feet. Norm Pace (NSS 4676), Tom Taylor (NSS 12759) and Al CoJlier(NSS 14546) dived the 40° F sump, abandoned gear, and set off to explore the large trunk passage which reached 80-foot-wide by 100-foot-high proportions. After exploring 3000 feet of stream passage, they were met by the dark green waters of a second sumo. They had passed three side tributaries on the way in. Returning, they checked the two that did not require special climbing gear. They were able to add another 1000 feet, but were not able to bypass the second sump.

After six hours of waiting, the near-hypothermic support crew was greeted with news of the West's greatest cave diving discovery.

The history of diving in Spring Cave goes back to 1963, but the exact lo­cation cf that dive site has been lost. It is believed that it was a down­stream dive with hopes of reaching the spring 1/4 mile away.

Today's dives are going upstream with a vertical potential of 2000 feet. There are also reports of other areas in the cave that may be dive sites.

Plans for next July include cave diving surveyors, climbers, SUP90rt team, and push divers(for the second sump).

The above information was furnished by Norm Pace (NSS 4676).

* * * * * NSS CAVE DIVING SECTION FI~.N.CIAL REPORT FOR i 97.§. nNN

by Stephen D. Maegerlein, S~cret~d-Treasurer

INCOME Dues Publication Sales Donati ons

total

$117.21 121. 30

93.79 $332.30

EXPENSES Publication

total

$356.36

$356.36

Balance forward from previous year Net Loss 1976

$113.53 (211.06)

BALANCE AT THE END OF 1976--------------S89.47

CDS NEWSLETTER, February 1977 5

----------------------------------------------------------------------------~

PEACOCK continued from paqe 4

As far as the surveying itself was going, by the end of May Peacock was sol­idly entrenched in second place among Florida's long caves with 18037 feet of passage surveyed, only '63 feet short of the "all-dry" Warren's Cave ; n Alachua County. though our Peacock fi gure 'f/oul d be some't,hat shorter after convers; on to "true hori zonta 1. "

My cave di v·i ng cl asses and other proj ects interrupted further survey; ng work until 1977. Meanwhile, the tract of land overlying Peacock and all of its en­trances was sold by the Cattle Sreeders of Lake City to an investment group from Orlando after the state of Florida twice refused the purchase. a decision which still has many of us scratching our heads. Current plans, which would appear to be about the best possible decision as far as preserving the spring and cave under the present circumstances. call for the division of the high ground into v.'Ienty 2-acre homesites, with the balance of the property (includ­ing all entrances) available to all twenty owners on a 99-year lease. ihe area will definitely be closed to the public in early May 1977.

Anyone want to own a piece of the world's longest underwater cave?

* * * * *

CIRQUE CAVE l CALIFORNIA

If you haven't yet written your congressman with regards to protecting the many caves in the Mineral King area, please do so without delay. It apoears that at least one of the caves may contain excellent cave diving possibilities!

In "Trip to Mineral King .i!.r~a" by Rich ~Jiesbrod in the November 1975 The E=piorer (Southern Ca1ifornia Grotto) ;s an interesting article describing investigations of an underground lake ir. Cirque Cave. Paddling around in a rowboat. the cavers could plainly see two "large underwater" cave passages leading off from the bottom of the lake. Cirque is considered a very pretty cave for its sculptured walls of pure white marble. Sounds like an underwater photogrpaher's dream. However. there is one problem ... the water temoerature is estimated at 38 0 F.

* * * * *

RIO VERDE. MEXICO

Interested in cave diving in Mexico before the 4th International Cave Div­ing Camp or after the NSS Convention in iexas next year? The Blue Water Diving School of Houston, which is operated by Joe Jordan. periodically runs trips down to "new cave diving spots" near Ria 'Jerde. For infonnation I,"rite: Blue Water Diving School. 910 Westheimer, Houston. Texas 77006.

* * * * *

CAPE BRETON CAVES, CANADA

Wri te Jim Wil son, PO Box 130, Lou; sbourg. Nova Sccti a for i nforma ti on re­garding charter trips to a :lCave .!\rea" in the Atlant~c Ocean just out from Louisbourg Harbor on Cape Breton Island. 6 CDS NE:..JSLETTER, February 1977

-------------------------"'---------~------------ --

,

- .I

by Forrest Wilson NSS 16631

Bowen Siphon ;s at the end of Bowen Canyon, two miles from the commercial entrance of Organ Cave, West Virginia. Bowen Canyon is a stream passage one mile long beginning at the bottom of a 135 foot drop near the Waterfall Room. The siphon pool· is approximately 25 feet wide, 15 feet across and 4 feet deep.

After a reconnaissance and five trips a rough survey of the passage be­yond the siphon has been completed. The total passage surveyed ;s in excess of one mile (approximately 6200 feet).

a= the meat grinder~ b= bowen can­yon; a= start bowen siphon., d= end bowen siphon~ e= ha:ro ld ' s wateZ'­fan., f= exley's ecstaay., g= end of survey., 11/13/75., h= peanut room~ i-= aowa:rt' s arCllJ) Z., j= seek­ins' faUs., k= saa:ttlet pimpernel., 1-= overflow route (not surveyed)., m= second sWl'1p (impassable)" n= david's dungeon., 0= Zipps siphon" p= lower tipps" q= elysian fieldS" r= humphrey's entrance., s= dress­ing room., t= waiting room

SOUTHERN AREA • ORGAN CA TIE

to Lipps entrances

to .jcmes Canyon

(Based on information suppZied by members of D. C.Grotto., NSS)

to aomrrrerai at

Organ CcrJe en"f;ztanae

o a 1000

feet.

COS NEWSLETTER, February 1977 7

The project began in November 1975 when Paul Stevens (chairman, D.C. Grot­to) found out that a new member (Forrest Wilson) was a cave diver. Paul led Forrest on a reconnaissance trip to the siphon in November 1975. They deter­mined that the siphon was diveab1e by shining an electric light under the water surface.

In January 1976 Forrest led the first dive trip to the siphon (vol. 2, no. 6 of underwater SpeleoZogy, pp. 58~6l). It was believed at the time that the siphon might be a "duckunder.'" The first trip proved that the siphon went much farther than a "duckunder."

A second trip was, made in March (vo1. 32, no. 4 of D.C. SpeZeograph,p.12) but with lower water and poor equipment the divers were not able to find the original passage.

The whole idea might have been dropped at this time if not for the inter­est of Sheck Exley (cha.frman, NSS Cave Diving Section). With a little of his confidence, experience and encouragement a third party was assembled and the first successful penetration was made or. Nov. 13 (vol. 3, no. 5 of Und8~~ater SpeZeoZogy, pp. 45,49-50). The siphon was estimated to be 250 feet long (underwater) and about 3500 feet of stream passage beyond the siphon was surveyed at that, time.

The mos t recent tri p was made. Feb. 20, 1977. Sheck and Da vi d Morrow (NSS 16997) finished the pace and compass survey bringing the total passage surveyed to 6200 feet.

The new passage, Wilson's Wonderland, is mostly a canyon with a 2 to 4 ft. deep stream at the bottom. The passage averages 10-19 ft. wide and 15-20 feet high for most of its length. It ends in another siohon about 25 ft. wi de wi th a "mud choke" and a lower ceil; ng (6 ft.). The di vers caul d fi nd no exit large enough for a diver. This terminal room ("David's Dungeon") forms a loop which meets the main passage about 300 feet upstream. Break­down blocks the passage in several places, requiring climbing or crawling. The water ;s so deep in spots that some swimming ;s required.

Many interesting features were noted on the survey. "Exley's Ecstasy," near "Harold's Waterfall" contains several cOl1centrations of anthodites some with four inch needles. There is a flawstone cascade 20 feet hiGh and 30 feet wide. A series of small waterfalls through some potholes in the stream were named "Seekins Falls." There is a room about 25 ft. wide called the "Peanut Room" (because of its shape) with a 250-foot-long side passage "Cowart's Crawl." In several places there were blood-red stalactites and flowstone (such as the "Scarlet Pimpernel"). On the far side on Bowen si­phon there were two 10-inch-long reddish-brown salamanders and about 50 small black ones with gills. There were also two 2-inch-long earthworms. (It might be interesting to note that there was no visible life on the November trip.)

I would like to thank all the oeople who carried gear for this project, especially Carl Cowart and Dennis Seekins who did more than their fair share. I also thank American Water Sports of Virginia for allowing us to leave their tanks at the siphon for a month.

8 COS NEWSLETTER, February 1977

iOOOOOOOOQQQQQoodoodaOOOQOOQOQQoooooooodQQOOQQQQOOQOOOd5doddQoddQdoQodooodoooooijoooOOOQododooooooooc

As is the case with so much of cave diving equipment ar~.prooedures~ there is no one ''best way" to install and handle guidelines in every cave diving situation. The cave diver should seek as muoh information as possible on the subject~ then decide which prooedures are best for his own particular situa­tion and needs. The following papers by members and subscribers of the NSS Cave Diving Seotion, deal with various aspeots of line handling that have largely never before appea:red in print. For good discussions of the f.;.nda­mental p~;nciples of line handling in cave diving~ the reader is referred to the following publications:

1. Cave Diving~ Rick Rigg~ NSS Caver's Information Series No. 27, NSS, 1972, p.4. 25¢ from NBS, Cave Avenue, HUntsville AL 35810 .

. 2., Safe· Cave Oiving~ NACD, 1973~ pp. 56-57~ 93-110~ 133-136~ 141. $7.50 from NACD .. 2900 NW' 29th Ave., Gainesville, FL 32601.

3. A Cave Diver's Training Manual, Oliver C. Lloyd, M.D., Technical Re­view No.2, The Cave Diving Group .. 1975, pp. 26-29 . . 4.pprox. $10.00 from Editor~ C.D.G. Publications~ Withey House .. Withey Close West .. Bristol BS9 3SX Great Britain.

ACCESSORY EQUIPMENT : THE JUMP REEL

-- J. Billy Young (NSS 17268)

The well equipped cave diver utilizes several accessory items on a typi­cal cave dive. Such items as slates, compasses, backup lights, etc., serve a primary or secondary function. The secondary or backup light ;s very im­portant to the diver's safety in case of a primary light failure. Each ac­cessory item serves a distinct purpose. and the value of that item, if need­ed in an emergency, certainly outweighs any inconvenience of carrying it a­long on the dive. One accessory item, often overlooked by cave divers, is the jump reel.

Many divers have used this item for some time. However. the jump reel is a relatively new accessory to the cave diving community. Not all cave div­ers use one, nor does the current literature concerning cave diving list the item as necessary equipment for cave diving. Therefore. this discussion 'I/ill serve to acquaint the reader with the purpose and value of the auxiliary reel.

The construction, size, and weight is slightly different from the conven­tional guide line reel. The jump reel ;s much smaller to avoid bulk and size problems. The spool is compact, yet large enough to accomodate 200 ft. of no. 18 nylon line. A small soind1e is used and buoyancy chamber deleted. A three­sided frame is constructed of a lightweight, but rugged material, such as aluminum or plexigiass. The handle ;s small, yet large enough to grip com­fortablY. The turning knob ;s either stationary or rotating and ;s located on the edge of the spool on the open side of the frame. It is important that CDS NEWSLETTER, February 1977 9

the reel be free from binding. A line guide will help eliminate problems of jamming due to loose line.

The jump reel has four important functions: bridging line gaps, exploring offshoots, adding permanent line, and as an aid in locating a lost diver. In addition, one might also find uses in open water, where a larger reel might be too cumbersome, such as securing a dive flag and float or search and re­covery.

The safest method of jumping from the main line to an offshoot iine is to bridge the gap between the two lines. This method provides a direct link to the surface, in case of light failure or a total silt-out. The bridging line, along with directional markers, provide positive directional reinforce­ment. The process of bridging a line with a jump reel is quick and easy and accounts for very little time loss. Another very important function of the jump reel is that a diver can use it to explore offshoot tunnels for a short distance. In this case, the cave explorer can get a good idea as to the size and configuration of the tunnel. He can then decide if permanent line should be installed on successive dives.

On exploratory dives, the jump reel can be used effectively to install short segments of permanent line without having to carry a la~'ger reel. f., well designed small reel can actually be easier to handle, making it easier to 'tlr-ap and tie on to projections. Using a jump reel can save time and en­ergy on longer dives,. where small segments of line were being installed.

One of the most important functions of the jump reel is its value in an emergency situation where a team member is lost or separated. A search pro­cedure could be used more successfully, being able to search in all direc­tions and always with a direct link back to th~ main line, insuring the safety of the searching team members. The lost diver could also use the small reel to search for the line without risk of further disorientation.

* * .,.. * *

THE HOLTZENDORFF SYSTEM

-- Sheck Exley (NSS 13146)

After a tragic accident at Peacock Spring III Cave in 1975 in which a diver became disoriented while following a permanent guideline, Lewis Holt­zendorff resolved to do something to prevent future mishaps of that nature. After long discussions with many cave divers and some experimentation, he devised the below system of indicating direction on guidelines, then spear­headed a project to install it in Floridals underwater caves. One of the first caves in which Lewis installed these '''Dorff markers" was the complex Devils Eye Cave System.

On Feb. 13, 1977, a diver became lost approximately 800 feet' from the closest passable entrance to Devils Eye. By the time he made it to the surface, he was down to less than 150 ps;g in his double tanks. How did he make it out? "I finally fi gured out that the white pieces of tape on the lines was pointing out ... '1

In selecting a system of indicating direction on pennanent gljidelines

10 CDS NEWSLETTER, February 1977

in caves, it was desired to conform ~s fully as possible to the criteria in the following table:

VI Q)

0. ..... VI !'.. >=

+-l 0 VI .....

+-l Q) "' >, l::

"C ..... ..Cl

~ E o 0

U +-l >= +-l

..... 0

"' >= 0. """

r­

"' +.> Q)

E

"C Q)

..Q ..... ~ u VI c -VI

~ s­s­iC -::: Q) VI o

.r::::.

c:::: Q)

"C ~

"' en

VI

e5 ~ So..

"' -::: VI 0.. ..... r-U

s­o

..... Co VI Q)

..::::. +oJ o r­U

VI ~ o !'.. !'..

"' Q)

0.

"' +-l

easily seen----------------------------------------- yes yes yes yes yes yes

easily felt----------------------------------------- no yes yes no yes yes

cannot be moved to point the wrong way-------------- yes yes no no no yes

cannot damage the line------------------------------ no no no no no yes

can be a ffi xed in the \'Ia ter to avoi d rep 1 aci ng literally dozens of miles of guidelines---------- no no yes yes yes yes

inexpens;ve------------------------~---------------- no no no no no yes

easily understood----------------------------------- no no yes yes yes yes

does not deface the cave---------------------------- yes yes yes yes yes yes

TABLE: EvaZuation £l. Line Marking Systems

As can be seen in the above table. the use of tape arrows is the only pro­posed system that meets ali of the above criteria. All of the other systems fail in at least 3 areas, such as damage to the line - dyes and paints usu­all1 contain compounds that damage nylon, knots reduce rope strength 30% to 50%, and the weight of metal arrows, garden hose and clothespins can cau~e (and has caused) lihes to part. particularly if exposed to water current.

'Do~ff markers are triangles of reflective tape, usually white but some­times red in white-walled caves. Carried on slick backing paper. they are easily removed and folded over the line as in the figure on the next page, so that the glued side comes into contact with itself. Once affixed in this fashion, the markers form an arrow of sorts and cannot be removed, only de­stro~ed.

, angle, James- "Line Handling and the Cave Diver," Safe Cave Diving, Ga; n~s vill e, Fl a., NACO, 1973, p. 134.

2Mr. Nangle has also reported that a common cause of transoceanic cable parting is "strumming" from a change ;n vibration frequency at anchor points. CDS NEWSLETTER, February 1977 11

2" 1. Fold

2. Place on line and pinch together

4t - to nearest entrance

FIGURE: Holtzendorff Line MaI'king System

deeper (further) into cave

-

In closing, when diving along guidelines with 'Do~ff markers, it is im­portant to remember that they ordinarily point to the nearest entrance by the shortest possible route. In mulitple-entrance caves this may not be the same entrance that the team entered by. It i5 always best to observe the direction of these arrows throu9hout the dive, as well as obtain a map of the cave before diving so that the relationship of passages and entrances can be understood and changes in arrow direction anticipated.

*. * * * *

STANDARDIZATION OF PROCEDURES FOR JUMPING LINES IN CAVES

by Eddie Head

Introduotion ..

The purpose of this paper is to show a need of standard procedures~ to use in jumping lines, and to propose some specific procedures and hardware to use while jumping lines in caves.

Reaent History And Perspective

Although NACO does not advocate jumping lines, in their publication Safe 12 CDS NEWSLETTER, February 1977

A. B.

A. Notch side is way ou.t

B. Notch side is CIITOW pointing way out

FIGURE 1: Clothes pins with exit notches

Cave Diving NACO says " ... the risk of orientation problems exist. To prevent these problems it is mandatory that lines do not interconnect, or in other words main lines should not have any other lines tied to it or criss-crossing it. Generally speaking, a gap of ten, to twenty feet should exist between the main line and the offshoot lines ... " Since these gaps do exist there should be a standard way of negotiating them.

The most popular method of indicating the way out when jumping lines-is with clothes pins attached to the permanent line. Each clothes pin is marked in some way showing the direction to the entrance. This sounds like a good method but it is not standardized by all divers. For example, most divers cut a small notch in the clothes pin on the exit side, and some divers cut an ar-

KEY

tempO'I'a:t"d tine permanent tine jump gap ........

I~~ • • c

PLAN VIEW OF CAVE

FIGURE 2: E:::amp La of Une system in ca:ve

COS NEWSLETTER, February 1977 13

A. B. C.

!J]red A. "Diver on reel. "Din" ~

E. "Le ft jump on line p7:n"

c. "Right jump off line pin" white

FIGURE J: Various proposed pin markers

row pointing to the exit side (see figure 1). If the divers on the team are from different schools of thought there could be a misunderstanding as to which way is out. There is also a case where the jump could be left or right of the base line (see figure 2). For example, a diver at point "0" ready to exit the cave would at point "c" need a marker to tell him to jump right. There is no standard type marker for this type jump and it is different for almost every dive team.

Assessment

We see from the above that there should be standard procedures and hard­ware developed and taught to all cave divers to deal with jumping gaps in permanent lines.

Reeommenda:i;ions Proposed Procedures

I propose that wherever a temporary reel is tied off where permanent lines start that a marker be placed to show that a team is in the cave. This would all ow two groups of one team to enter 3. cave on the same temporary reel. When the first group exited the cave they would remove their pin, the next group would know that they were the last to exit (only their pin would remain). and therefore retrieve the reel.

I also propose that every time a gap in a permanent line ;s jumped that a marker be placed on the line so that there would be no doubt as to which ~/ay to go to exit the cave. ihese ~/O procedures should be followed by cave div­ers at all times.

Proposed Pin Markers

I propose we adopt the clothes pin and standardize its shape and color to represent different meanings. There are several things that a pin could mean:

14 CDS NEWSLETIER, February 1977

(1) jump left or right on a line, (2) jump left or right off a line, (3) div­er on reel, (4) number of jumps to the entrance of the cave.

~et's refer to figure 2. to see where the pins are needed. At point "A" a "diver on the reel pin" would be placed (see figure 3A) to show all divers not on the same team that the "abandoned" reel is being used by a team now in the cave. Since the symbol for "diver on reel" (see insert lower left-hand corner figure 3) as designed by Robert Goodman (NSS 17260) is round, I have cut a large hole in one arm of the pin. This hole is to enable the divers to understand the pin's meaning in a sightless environment. This pin, as should all pins, has a symbol on it to expedite its meaning in clear visibility sit­uations.

As the dive progresses at po.int "8" (see figure 2), a "left jump on line pin" (see figure 38) would be placed, and would have one notch showing it was the first jump Of the dive and be colorcoded green with an arrow pointing the way out. The same pin would be used for a right on line jump but would be clipped on the line tur.ned the other way.

When the divers reach point "C" (se€: figure 2), a "right jump off line pin" would be needed (figure 3C) if the divers were swimming toward point "0", This type of pin has a serrated edge on one arm of the pin; the serrated arm would point to the exit of the cave.

Lastly the pins should have a method of showing the number of jumps made. This could be accomplished by a color code and the number of notches on the side of the pin. The code would be: green & one notch for one jump; yellow & two notches for two jumps; and red & three notches for three jumps. Stan­dards of construction should be a notch cut into one side of the pin denot­ing the exit side. One notch is for one jump, two notches for the second jump etc. The physical size of the pin should be no smaller than 1" x 2.5" and genera 11y no 1 arger than 1. 5" x 3.5".

ConcZusion

There is a need for a standard piece of equipment and standard procedures to be used when jumping lines. The ones I have proposed in this paper cover most circumstances, including: .

(1) diver on reel (2) jump left on line (3) jump right on line (same pin as #2) (4) jump left off line (5) jump right off line (same pin as #4) (6) number of jumps to reel

Use of this hardware and these procedures should reduce the chance of con­fusion wh'ile jumping and make cave diving safer.

Bib tiography

1. NACO - Safe Cave Diving, Gainesville, Florida; NACO, 1973, p. 107.

* *. * * *

COS NEWSLETTER, February 1977 15

SAFETY WRAPS CAN BE DEATH TRAPS! !

by Sheck Exley (NSS 13146)

"During the penetration ••. Line shouZd be reseaured by the sU9-port diver periodicaUy by looping it ctI'ound handy pro:jections." -- Sheck Exley, Di:::ie CJI)ern Kingf!L Cave Diving Manual.(1969),p.42

The above quotation has been paraphrased in all of America1s later cave diving manuals. such as Safe Cave Diving by NACO. However, the following experiments have indicated that not only might the above advice be a bad idea, but also safety wraps can conceivably cause fatalities.

E=reriment Ona. 10/3/76. Six divers with experience varying from 31 scuba dives intluding 20 cave dives to 300 scuba dives including 175 cave dives walked through a forest with their eyes closed, following a guideline one at a time with physical hand contact. To induce stress a time f~ctor was introduced (a race to see who had the shortest time) and the instructor (author) talked to the divers to confuse them. Included in the route is a double safety wrap around an oak tree with a diameter of approx. 3 feet. Results: all six divers had long delays-.at;-the oak'. Two of the six "drowned" by heading in the wrong direction from the oak tree (ie., back to the start­ing point). (Each diver had only one trial.)

experiment TWo. 10/3/76. The same subjects as in experiment one followed a line in shallow open- water with blacked-out masks in three groups of 2, 2 and 3 divers. The "Rimbach method" was used to keep the divers together and communicate. Included was an "easy" double safety wrap around a small log with a diameter of approximately six inches and several other singie safety wraps. Results: all three groups experienced difficulty with delays as well as line entanglements caused by the li~e going slack when the saf~­ty wraps were accidentally "unwrapped." Two of the groups, including the 3-d; ver team, 'I drowned" when they mi stakenly headed back toward the starti ng point from the six-inch log with the double wrap. (Each team had only one tri a 1 . )

Experiment 1"1!T'ee. 1/21/77. Four groups of 3-4 di vers w; th experi ence var­y;ng from approx. 30 scuba dives including 10 cave dives to 1891 scuba dives including-laOl ca'Je dives followed a temporary line approx. 150 feet from the "Double lipSIl section- af the Devils Eye Cave System to the vicinity of the river entrance. Each group was under the control (and assistance) of an experienced diving instructor. The line itself was installed by a highJy ex­perienced cave diving instructor to actu~lly be used in a cave dive that he made later in the evening (not to provide the four groups with difficulty). Included were four single or double safety wraps of minimal (one foot or less) diameter. Each group swam along the line to near the "Lips," giving each diver an opportunity to study the position and condition of the line, then the lights were turned off and they exited using the "Rimbach method." Results: long delayswereenco_untered at each safety wrap. On each dive one or more of the wraps was unwrapped, causing even more serious delays fro~ line entanglements due to the resulting .slack in the line. Spot checks re­vealed that members of each group used approximately twice as much air and time to exit the cave as was spent entering, despite a strong outflow assis­ting in the exit. (Each group had only one trial '.)

16 COS NEWSLETTER, February 1977

.- ... --.-------_________________________ ----.J

.. L ~ ._

On the basis of the results of the above three experiments plus past ex­perience, this writer would strongly recommend that safety wraps be employed only as a last resort to keep a line from drifting into an impassable area. Only single wraps should be used (one loop of line around the anchor point) and the diameter of the wrap should be as small as possible without causing the line to come into contact with sharp edges. In the case of permanent guidelines it may be best to affix the line to the anchor point with a good knot, etc. so that the line cannot be pulled loose.

* * * * * LINE CHANGES AT PEACOCK SLOUGH*

by Robert W. Goodman (NSS 17260)

Peacock Slough is perhaps the most heavily dived site in the Southeast. Novices from allover the United States come down to dive the beautiful spring. One blacked-out dive was all it took to realize that the novice line from Peacock Springs I to Pot Hole was a death trap. Robert Goodman and John Zumrick decided to take on the personal project of renovating the novice line.

Early efforts to install a new line were thwarted when the Suwannee River rose and flooded river water into the spring. Then in February when the water level dropped, work on the line began again. Don Davis, Tex Chalkley (NSS 17279), Robert Goodman and John Zumrick were responsible for working on the line. Air for the dive was contributed by the Dixie Divin Shoppe in the in­terest of the safety of the diving community. Plans are made to occasional­ly check the line and maintain it.

* also known as the Peacock Springs Cave System - editor

* * * * *

FLORIDA BARGE CANAL DEFEATED

The Cross Florida Barge Canal has recently been dealt two serious blows which could signal an end to the partially completed waterway, long a sub­ject of heated debate between canal supporters and environmental groups. The first blow came on December 7, 1976 when the Florida Department of Natural Resources called the canal environmentally IIdangerous ll and an economic "fail­ure. 1I The second and b-iggest blow came when the state cabinet voted 5-2 to withdraw its support of the project despite strong pressure from industrial lobbyists. It is considered extremely unlikely that Congress would extend funds to a project whose state cabinet refused to endorse.

Besides serious damage to the Oklawaha River, one of Florida1s most sce­nic, unspoiled spring-fed streams, the canal would have breached the Floridan Aquifer in the center of the state. including a primary source· for Silver Springs, usually considered to be Florida's largest clear spring in terms of quantity of discharge. Surveying by cave divers in the spring, later confirm­ed by extensive dye tracing studies, provided important data to support the opposition to the canal. There has also already been evidence of salt water intrusion in the completed portion of the canal entering the Gulf of Mexico.

CDS NEWSLETTER, February 1977 17