PUT YOUR COKES DOWN NOW!

The following was sent to me by an Australian friend.  It is from an Aussie
magazine, I think called Dive Log Australia.  This is from their Teknical
(sic) Diving section and is titled Australia Wakulla 2 Team Leave For USA.

Andrew Poole and John Vanderleest leave for the USA to join an
international team of cave divers to explore and map the infamous Wakulla
Cave.

The Australian team will meet with their US counterparts a few week (sic)
prior to the start of the project to engage in additional training and team
building.  During this time, the team will refine the techniques needed to
maximize the outcome of the project.

The nature of the project demands on (sic) the best and most advanced
equipment be used. With a depth of 100m and cave penetration of several
kilometers, there is no room for error.  Where appropriate technical
equipment is available, it will be used, otherwise it will be designed and
built.  To this end, the Australian Wakulla 2 team has already elected to
use Poseidon regulators, drysuits and thermals, Sunnto ADW computers and
Polar Heart Rate Monitors.

The project itself is classed as the biggest underwater exploration in
living history and will set the stage for all future projects for the next
decade.  Approximately 8-10 semi-trailer loads of equipment will be needed
to service the expedition, ranging from a high-tech mobile workshop to
mission control.  Security at the springs will be at a maximum with no
unauthorized personnel allowed into the compound area.

Whilst the WKPP has been exploring and mapping the cave for quite some time
now, the effort required to map a cave at these depths using current
methods is extremely limiting. To alleviate this, the project has built a
special 3D digital array mapper which will complete a 360 degree sonar
array of the cave every 1 meter travelled  (sic).  For the longer
penetrations, the team will be saturation diving, returning to a
pressurized habitat at the end of each day.

The life support system for the penetration team will be the Cis Lunar Mark
5P rebreather itself currently driven with Poseidon 1st stage regulators. 
This life support system has 3 independent  on board computer control
systems which monitor and report to the divers even in the most extreme
conditions including a total flood of the system!  Even if all three
systems fail, a final independent backup continues to give the diver
critical PO2  data.

Intensive training for the Australian contingent commenced 18 months ago. 
Throughout this period, Richard Taylor (head of Technical Diving
International, Australia & New Zealand) provided the necessary logistical
support needed.

As the project progresses, DIVE Log will receive comprehensive on line
internet reports and photo's from the Australian team.

Training and of course the project itself promises to be intense and full
of surprises and new experiences.  The Australian team hopes to bring as
many of the experiences back to the Australian divers as promptly as
possible.  In the mean time, the team wishes to thank Dive Log and the many
supporters who are continuing their support throughout the many months the
project will run.

For those interested updates will be available in a few weeks at
www.wakulla2.com or people can email the Australian dive team on
dive_tech@cs*.co*.



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