Lot & Dordogne September/October 2006
Team: Roland & Robin
The day after arrival we did our obligatory familiarization dive this time at St.George and dived with a nitoxstage on foot to the restriction at 425m.
We then drove back to Domaine Gayfie and packed the car for the next day and discussed the program for the next day over a beer and had a multi-course dinner.
We planned to finally complete the circuit in the deep part of the Ressel and to dive the T completely from the deeper route. At the last tour we had some material failures and could not close this gap completely. This should change.
So our plan was again to follow the corridor profile in the deep part to the left and to reach the T at 1160 m (measured from the shallow route) from this side, in order to know how much time and which amount of gas is needed, and then in the next step to add the circuit from the two single dives regarding the amount of gas.
We planned again as follows: Roland on the RB 80 with D20 and a trimixstage 17/55 along with 3 deco gases and Robin OC with D18 with 4 trimixstages 17/55 and also 3 deco gases (Oxygen, 50/25, 35/35). We used 4 standard gavins, 2 scooters were carried by us as backups scooters.
As a result, we pulled action this time without losing any material, covering an oneway total penetration of about 1300 m, since the approach via the deeper route is slightly longer than via the shallow route. We left the water after 240 min and completed the deep circuit in full.
In perfect/better conditions, which we unfortunately didn't have in parts with 3-5 m visibility, OC could have saved a BM stage, but since we had to stop more often and weren't constantly on the trigger, it cost time and gas accordingly.
The action was already borderline in the visibility , but doable. We reached a maximum depth of 67 m on this dive. The average depth was correspondingly lower, since the return path is shallower from the depth profile.
A few Dutchmen who also dived at the Ressel, asked whether we now first make a setup TG to put down the stages... we answered no, we bring everything in at once and then go diving nicely. The colleagues were a bit irritated.
We made this weekend still the frustrating attempt to dive in the St. Sauveur, we had yes still some Stages with appropriate MOD's and a set Dekogase, which we want to lead to an orderly disposal. After we were fully dressed and all the stuff was in the pool we checked the visibility. The visibility was okay, but the flow at the entrance restriction was so violent that the gravel stones flew around. No chance, so the whole maneuver aborted and the 11 stages and the 4 scooters back into the car and off home. Very sad.
In this sense,
Your Cavebase
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