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I've just found a book called "Caves and Cave Diving" (first edition) which was published in 1956! It explains the equipment necessary for underwater exploration - the most necessary being a strong boat and lots of strong bags to put everything else in! It also states that the usual diving suit - fed by an air-tube from the surface - is not suitable. "The diver heavily encumbered by lead-weighted boots would often come to a stop due to the difficult nature of the new passages. Besides, the sharp blades of rock, cut by water action in the roofs or walls, would cause him to run very great danger through damage to his suit or to the air tube." It goes on to explain that the "light self-contained breathing apparatus admirably meets the requirements of the speleologist...the diver substitutes the human standing position for that of the fish. Furnished with Corlieu fins he can swim easily in the winding passages and with care avoid contact with the walls, since touching the walls could raise clouds of fine mud...these rubber fin invented by Commander Corlieu are absolutely indespensable to enable easy and rapid movement." "The eyes and nose are covered by a visor which does not cover the mouth. The air reserve is contained in one, two or three bottles, one having a capacity of five litres and normally empties of air at a pressure of 200 kg/cm2. ...The diver holds a mouthpiece between his teeth. This mouthpiece is made in such a way that the water cannot get in and there is no loss of air.....A number of cavers are of the opinion that this equipment must be modified in view of undergound exploration, particularly the air tubes and the addition of a pressure gauge which would indicate the pressure in the bottles at any time. The necessity of the addition of a pressure gauge appears to me to be debatable. Apart from the fact that it is uncertain whether from a practical point of view the diver would be better informed about his reserve of air, it is not easy to devise a method of connection which would be entirely satisfactory." Their torch appears to be a car bulb, mounted with a reflector but without a focussing glass and fed by a cable from the surface. It describes the suits - cut sponge rubber one tenth of an inch thick stuck on a cotton stockinet bathing costume of 1900 style. It also mentions a 'Tarzan' type of suit for low temperatures, consisting of "thick sponge rubber, watertight and covering all limbs." "A depth gauge is indespensible and a watertight watch is perhaps useful." There is a lot of emphasis on diving in teams who trained together and the streamlining of diving kit - especially the air-tubes. It also covers the use of closed-circuit breathing apparatus used by the English - but warns that the divers should be highly skilled! It looks kinda interesting... Dive safe... - Helen -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send list subscription requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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