Cave Diving Group - Accomplishments

Accomplishments

During the 60s, with the abandonment of National Service, there was an increase in caving activity by the post-war population bulge. Readily available commercial scuba equipment was adapted to cave diving. The process was accelerated by the Cave Diving Group's publication of "Cave Diving on Air" by Mike Boon and the formation of the Independent Cave Diving Group.

Divers began to dive deeper and further, and inevitably there were tragedies. Two innovations were introduced in the interest of safety. Separate cylinders, each one with an independent demand valve; and the adoption of the "Rule of Thirds": one third in, one third out, with one third kept as a safety reserve.

In the early days of cave diving in the UK there was always the hope of finding a way into the cave for the benefit of dry cavers. Amongst these must be mentioned Swildon's Hole, Stoke Lane Slocker, Ogof Ffynnon Ddu II and Little Neath River Cave.

Progress and development of equipment and techniques have always come in phases, and with this progress, although still hoping to discover dry caves, came diving of a purely exploratory nature. This has led to advances at Wookey Hole and Cheddar Gorge caves in Somerset.

In Derbyshire a great deal of effort has produced significant discoveries in the Peak Cavern/Speedwell Cavern system. In South Wales many kilometres of Daren Cilau were first trodden by cave divers; and the link with Elm Hole and Pwll y Cwm was another major feat.

In the north of England, divers have made discoveries such as Boreham Cave, Notts Pot II and the connection between Gaping Gill and Ingleborough Cave and that between Gavel Pot and Pippikin Pot. Keld Head in Kingsdale has been the scene of operations over many years and the 2,000 m (6,600 ft) dive through from Kingsdale Master Cave represented a world standard. Later the dive was started from King Pot in the same cave system, a different route with a distance of 3,050 m (10,010 ft).

In Ireland CDG members dived the connection between Noon's Hole and Arch Cave, and between Prod's Pot and Cascades Rising and between Polloughabo and Polbehan.

Several expeditions have connected two or more caves together. This tendency to explore water filled caves has been extended abroad to such places as the Bahamas, where there are flooded ocean Blue Holes. These have been explored by British divers since the early 1980s; several have been connected. CDG members have been active in exploring many sites in Europe and further afield, often using or pioneering the cutting edge of technology.

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