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To: techdiver@aquanaut.com George, I owe you an apology! Please forgive me for being so stupid. I read your last posts, and was about to put pen to paper� While trying to maintain a typically British stiff upper lip & formal politeness, I was intending to point out the following: (a) I understood that the traverse record of Bill Gavin & Lamar English (with Bill Main & Parker Turner ?) from Sullivan to Cheryl Sink in 1988 was a distance of 2591metres (8486 ft), but that a traverse between King Pot & Keld Head by Geoff Yeadon & Geoff Crossley (following some fine exploration diving by this pair and John Cordingley, Russell Carter & Rupert Skorupka � assisted by others) was a distance of 3100 metres (10,152 ft). This dive was done in August 1991, and thus became the then current record. As you rightly pointed out, the Big Dismal to Cheryl Sink dive of 4167 metres (13,647 ft) in 1999 by you & JJ & T Cole, then superseded this to take over the record. If I was mistaken here (my �screaming joke� as you so eloquently described it), I apologise. (b) Changing tack slightly, I�m sure that I read somewhere the following comments: �Nearly all styles of gear configuration allow the average diver to access a cave.� I quite agree - but some configurations are better than others for certain types of cave. That�s all we are saying here. �Equipment choice like most things is a cost vs. benefit analysis in which one must weigh the potential risk against the perceived benefit. The difficult part and in fact the thing that really defines a safe and effective diver is their ability to accurately evaluate the benefit while candidly weighing the acceptable risk.� Again I quite agree � but this means you must always keep an open mind. �Manifolds are, in general, the best method to manage your air supply. The only exceptions are, in my opinion, solo diving and side mount. If you are not pursuing either of these options then you should not configure as if you are. I caution you to be wary both about using independent valves and about diving with those that dive independent. It requires great care and superior gas management capabilities to effectively monitor independent cylinders and experience has shown that most people are not capable of proper management.� Once again I would broadly agree with that statement. What I find interesting is the perception that �it requires superior gas management capabilities� to dive side mount & solo. Interestingly, none of the deaths using side mounts/ solo diving, in British cave diving has been a result of careless gas management (although, in fairness, one or two are believed to have been a result of �exploration fever� leading to deliberately exceeding the �thirds rule�). Perhaps gas management is a basic skill which we acquire at an early stage, because from the outset we learn to dive side mount & solo, and realise how important a skill it is. All three of these comments appeared in a well-reasoned, well written and persuasive article on Hogarthian rigging by JJ. What the article does NOT do is dismiss solo & side mount diving out of hand. (c) In response to your comment �The most important aspect of the dive light is the signaling capability�, I was about to respond : �So lighting up the cave & line is a less important aspect then, is it?? But then when I read again your posts, especially the bits saying �There is very little reason to expect to need one (a helmet) in a horizontal cave situation.� and �There is no reason you can not climb or negotiate (a cave?) with a goodman handle. I made one with a strap when I went dry caving last.� That�s when the penny finally dropped � because no-one who had ever been in a cave (unless it was Santa�s Grotto) would say such a thing. Re-reading it all, I realised�..it�s all a joke! You little tinker, George! You�ve been trying to wind us up, haven�t you. You suckered me in with a jibe at the Brits, and then used your sharp wit to amuse everyone. And I was stupid enough to fall for it! I must say, I was almost getting to the point where I thought you were being a touch arrogant, a little insulting, and (dare I say it?) rather foolish yourself. And now I realise it was all a pretence, it is me that feels rather stupid. To make amends therefore, I will try to emulate your sense of humour and style of wit, to say: �I can understand now why an idiot like you doesn�t need a helmet � it�s �cos your skull�s so thick. Sure you dive underwater a long way to great depths - but then so do whales, and look at the size of their brains compared to their bodies. So what gives you the right to pontificate on everything. What do you know about British cave diving, you moron? Have you ever been here? No, of course not � because our caves are too hard for the likes of you. And if you think you can dive as good as us, bring your gear and your Florid ass over here, and we�ll see! In the meantime, I am not prepared to waste any more of my time arguing with anyone as ill-informed as you!� There, how did I do? Perhaps I should have thrown in a few more *@$-� or &%~# phrases? Still I hope everyone appreciates the joke & has had a laugh. Good. But, on a serious note, we in the CDG always welcome to our shores ALL cave divers - whatever gear configuration or philosophy they choose � or what country they come from. We will always try to arrange a cave dive for you in an appropriate cave for your abilities and wishes. We will always take the time & trouble to show you what we do and why we do it that way. Just let us know you are coming, and hope that the weather is kind to you. I would also welcome from someone (anyone?) more information on the DIR approach to side mount & solo diving . I believe there is always room for improvement in everything. Nothing/ nobody in this world is perfect. I am now leaving this argument to others. Best Regards Scoff Cave Diving Group of Great Britain. -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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