After months of talking and research
we got enough information gathered to make our next
exploration trip. We wanted to explore some cave systems
in the Northwestern parts of
Thailand.
If
any of you diving enthusiasts are looking for some new
challenges, cave diving just might be the very thing
for you! But it's not for everyone: it takes discipline,
special training and a lot of hard work.
For example, we recently explored some cave systems
in northwestern Thailand. After months of research and
preparation we were finally ready to make our next exploratory
cave diving trip. Two trucks were to provide our transportation,
one for all the nitrox tanks and equipment, the other
for the divers.
Our
arrival time was about 6:00 p.m, which, it has to be
said was a bit later then we planned. The first thing
we needed to do was go down to the lake and find a reputable
captain, and tell him what time we wanted to leave and
where we wanted to go.
It appeared that the boatmen where more then happy to
help us out and were as excited as we were to find out
what was really down there.
Day 2 started at 6:30 a.m. The equipment was assembled
so everything was as streamlined as possible. A couple
of stainless steel clips were replaced with string,
since there should be no metal to metal connections
when entering in a cave. The tanks were analyzed and
everything was ready to go. Now there was just time
to check on the other team members.
Our boat captain, or should I say longtail boat driver,
was waiting for us to arrive. We backed up the trucks
and got everything loaded and ready to go. We instructed
the boatman where the first dive site was and off we
went. It was about a 30-minute boat ride.
When we where not far from the entrance of the cave
we got kitted up and ready to go. (getting into the
water was a big relief since it was, as always, hot,
and the thick wetsuits weren't exactly helping matters!).
Our equipment familiarization checks were completed
and we headed for the entrance.
Once underwater, we completed our checks, looking for
stray bubbles and making sure all our lights worked
properly. As it happened there were not many places
to put our first tie-off but finally we found one just
outside the entrance not far from the surface that would
almost guarantee us a direct ascent.
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Not
laying a line is one of the most common mistakes for divers
when entering caves and wrecks. I have heard that some
agencies that train in overhead environments teach only
progressive familiarization during the course. I prefer
have the addition of lines during my cavern and wreck
courses. Proper selection of equipment is another important
factor and we both used jet fins with spring buckles so
we would not get caught up on anything.
The
visibility was about 3-4m which I felt quite comfortable
with since the viz. around our local dive spots is not
much more! Looking for a second tie-off was a bit more
of a challenge since all we could see were large boulders.
Frog-kicking slowly and trying not to stir up any silt,
we approached the bottom at 12m. At the bottom we saw
quite a few catfish swimming around, not something we
normally see in the ocean around Pattaya! At first, the
cave was quite dark, but it soon started to get light
again and we could see that we were heading to another
entrance. As we approached it there were some tree stumps
and as we swam around them we noticed that we had reached
our turnaround point, I signalled my buddy, Mike, to re-trace
our route and we headed back to the entrance of the cave.
Back on the boat we went over the dive and we were happy
that everything went exactly as we had planned it. We
arrived at the second site and thankfully, were able to
pull into the cave and out of the sun to get ready. This
spot was a bit more spooky since we could see the bats
flying around overhead, but none of them bothered us.
We kitted up and got into the water. All the equipment
checks were completed and down we went.
The first objective was to find where to place the primary
and secondary tie-offs. Once this was done we continued
on, to find many passageways, a lot of which were quite
narrow, so we continued in single file. I led the way
with my buddy close behind. It was like a maze, and sometimes
I thought I was going round in circles. I felt more comfortable
in the fact that I was carrying an extra cylinder in case
of bail out, some of the passages where very tight and
I could have very easily broken off a hose connection.
Once we were out of the maze we started to head for the
entrance. Just as we reached the end of the line I noticed
another exit, so I signalled Mike. I checked our air pressures:
we had plenty of air and time left, so we headed to the
other entrance. I could tell the room was larger then
the other ones and that is what I was hoping for. Mike
could see the smile on my face as I entered.
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Once
we were both inside I continued to lead the way, reeling
the line out, and Mike followed with his light shining
on mine so I would know where he was at all times. There
was plenty of room for both of us to swim through quite
comfortably. After about 5 minutes I decided it was time
to turn around and head back.Once
back on the boat I was totally wiped out, it seemed like
we had been swimming through those passageways for hours!
During the dives we discovered some weird looking fish
that I have never saw before, some were completely blue
and others had black spots and red eyes.
Later
Mike said he waved his hand in front of them and they
did not move, as if they were blind. Another thing I noticed
was that unlike most ocean diving there were some pretty
impressive thermoclines in this lake.
On the way back to Bangkok I wanted to check out another
site I want to do dive, a sunken city where there is a
temple, a hotel and a school. However when we arrived
the area was closed off and we could not enter after dark.
I am hoping to get this dive in before the end of the
year. It will be to about 120m and each diver will have
to carry 6 tanks to complete it safely. The dive time
will be around 3-4 hours, depending on how long we decide
to spend at the bottom.
We will be running an exploration trip to two different
wreck diving sites later in the year. One wreck has a
100m hull and is in about 75m. The second is a drill ship,
sunk during typhoon Gay back in 1988. All divers need
to be fully qualified Trimix divers in order to participate.
If you are not already qualified, we do offer the full
range of technical courses at Neptune Dive Center. All
follow the ‘American Nitrox Divers International' (ANDI)
system, one of the leading technical diving agency's in
the world.
If anybody would like to join us on a cave exploration
trip, or take a cave diving course, you can contact me
or stop by at Neptune Dive Center on Second road, Pattaya,
where we will be offering the full range of cave diving
courses in the very near future.
Special thanks to Mike Doyle who bought along some excellent
diving lights from "Ocean Management Systems"
of Southeast Asia to help us find our way through the
dives.
WARNING:
Cave Diving is dangerous and requires extensive training
and experience. Do NOT enter caves unless properly trained
by a certified agency
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