steve2281
August 6th, 2006, 03:01 PM
We decided to give RBD a try even though we knew conditions might not be ideal. With 3 divers planning 2 days of cave diving, we were more than overloaded in a mini-van. We didn't bring enough gas for all the planned dives. We had contacted the dive shop in Waynesville and were counting on them for airfills.
8/4 Dive 1: We planned a brief dive into the lower tunnel. Since we were planning very limited deco, we left the 70% at the start of the main line. As soon as we entered, I knew the vis would be poor. The water had a greenish tint; vis was about 10'. We headed straight for the staircase and penetrated about 300' into the lower tunnel. Time is short down here; our 10 minutes in the lower tunnel left us with six minutes of deco. After a deep stop, we slowed the pace and did some sightseeing as we swam the shallow section. We all managed to do this dive on a stage bottle and a little deco gas saving the doubles for the next dive. 50 min total, 147 max, 700' penetration, water temp 60*.
Dive 2: Stayed shallow. Slow back to the staircase, jumped to go around the circuit, and back to the start of the mainline. After a brief discussion with handsignals, we decided 45 min was not enough and swam it again. 70 min, 70 max, penetration 500'.
We planned to get airfills and squeeze in a third dive. We headed over to the shop in Waynesville. The owner was friendly and eager to supply fills. However, anyone needing fills should be aware that this shop does not have any air storage; tanks are filled straight from the compressor. It took five hours to fill three sets of doubles and three stage bottles. No third dive today!
8/5 Planned a long dive in the lower tunnel and a shallow dive to finish our weekend.
Dive 1: Plan was to see how far we could get knowing that the "Big Room" was probably out of the question due to decompression time. We placed the 70% at the top of the staircase on this dive. Down into the lower tunnel, we paused every 2 or 3 hundred feet to check gas. Dive was turned at 1100', three hundred feet short of the Big Room. One computer bit the dust on the way out; 26 minutes in the lower tunnel left us packing a load. After the deep stops we picked up the deco gas and headed for the start of the mainline. Everyone agreed that we would pull the primary reel; this dive would be enough for today. Pretty cold before we got out. 87 min, 151' max, 1100' penetration, 42 min deco, 60*.
8/4 Dive 1: We planned a brief dive into the lower tunnel. Since we were planning very limited deco, we left the 70% at the start of the main line. As soon as we entered, I knew the vis would be poor. The water had a greenish tint; vis was about 10'. We headed straight for the staircase and penetrated about 300' into the lower tunnel. Time is short down here; our 10 minutes in the lower tunnel left us with six minutes of deco. After a deep stop, we slowed the pace and did some sightseeing as we swam the shallow section. We all managed to do this dive on a stage bottle and a little deco gas saving the doubles for the next dive. 50 min total, 147 max, 700' penetration, water temp 60*.
Dive 2: Stayed shallow. Slow back to the staircase, jumped to go around the circuit, and back to the start of the mainline. After a brief discussion with handsignals, we decided 45 min was not enough and swam it again. 70 min, 70 max, penetration 500'.
We planned to get airfills and squeeze in a third dive. We headed over to the shop in Waynesville. The owner was friendly and eager to supply fills. However, anyone needing fills should be aware that this shop does not have any air storage; tanks are filled straight from the compressor. It took five hours to fill three sets of doubles and three stage bottles. No third dive today!
8/5 Planned a long dive in the lower tunnel and a shallow dive to finish our weekend.
Dive 1: Plan was to see how far we could get knowing that the "Big Room" was probably out of the question due to decompression time. We placed the 70% at the top of the staircase on this dive. Down into the lower tunnel, we paused every 2 or 3 hundred feet to check gas. Dive was turned at 1100', three hundred feet short of the Big Room. One computer bit the dust on the way out; 26 minutes in the lower tunnel left us packing a load. After the deep stops we picked up the deco gas and headed for the start of the mainline. Everyone agreed that we would pull the primary reel; this dive would be enough for today. Pretty cold before we got out. 87 min, 151' max, 1100' penetration, 42 min deco, 60*.