Plura Cave Concert Tech and Training Main minion Thu, 14/03/2024 - 20:44 The Cave Music team would like to thank its partners Plura Valley, Bødo2024 European Capital of Culture, Smelte Digelen, and Äänirasia; dive brands Mares, Santi, Seacraft, Xdeep; sponsors Rana Gruber, Strand Shipping, Kunnskapsparken Helgeland, Rana Utvikling, Cargill, Mo i Rana, Sparebankstiftelsen Helgeland, and SpareBank Helgeland; Vegard Sandvik and Western Norway University of Applied Sciences; composer and lead saxophonist Håkon Erlansen, bassist Davide Bertolini and all the musicians, divers, volunteers and au ..read more

Nuttlar Slate Mine Tech and Training Main minion Sat, 14/10/2023 - 13:48 Nestled in the mountainous area of Bestwig in western Germany is the Nuttlar slate mine, which offers divers an intriguing opportunity to step into the past. Kurt Storms gives us a glimpse of the underwater passages in the mine. Kurt Storms Diver explores the Nuttlar slate mine in Bestwig, Germany. It was time to dive an old slate mine. So, we headed to Sauerland in Germany, where there is a little town called Nuttlar. The town, which has about 1,700 inhabitants, is a district in the municipality of Bestwig, loca ..read more

Wild Diving in the Komati Springs of South Africa Tech and Training My Minion Sat, 08/04/2023 - 23:57 If you have ever wondered how dark the earth was before humans discovered fire, then spend some time in the forest. The night arrives shortly after 6 p.m. and the sun rises around 5 a.m. In this period of time, you may feel enveloped by the darkness in this part of South Africa. Andrea Murdock Alpini shares his adventure diving the Komati Springs. Andrea Murdock Alpini Exploring a side tunnel on the third level of the mine at Komati Springs There was not even a star in the heavens ton ..read more

Yucatán: Special Treasures in Mexican Cenotes Travel & Trips My Minion Thu, 19/01/2023 - 12:00 There is no doubt that Yucatán in Mexico is a fascinating region. Not only for its culture, its unique nature and wildlife or the archaeological sites of the ancient Maya, but for the simple fact that it is a cave diver’s paradise. Pierre Constant has the story. Pierre Constant Dive guide Max with the mushroom stalactites in Cenote El Zapote It was my fifth time visiting Yucatán in the last five years. Back in 2017, I had taken part in a TDI Sidemount Cave Course in Playa del Carmen. In ..read more

Dive community up in arms over Tren Maya railway project Larry Cohen Mon, 14/02/2022 - 16:21 Travel & Trips The planned intercity railway, which will traverse the Yucatán Peninsula, is being routed through protected wildlife habitat and cave-diving country, threatening to cause permanent damage to the environment, Mayan villages, and archaeological sites, as well as the caves. The underground water is the Yucatan's only source of fresh water Photographer, source or credit Larry Cohen Mexico The first time I went cave diving in Mexico's Yucatán was over 22 years ago. I will n ..read more

Solo Cave Diving in Slovenia Tech and Training My Minion Fri, 18/06/2021 - 18:07 Freedom! That was the feeling I had in June 2020 when I left my home to go on a trip alone. Caves, abandoned mines, alpine lakes and a few wrecks were in my plan for a great adventure. Andrea Murdock Alpini The author after a dive at Bilpa Cave, Slovenia. Photo by Andrea Murdock Alpini The first lockdown was over a couple of weeks ago. I was scared, yet burning to get out and meet people. Social distancing had left a wound inside. Closing my the door to my house behind me, I loaded up my “wreck van” with ..read more

IPE in Technical Diving — Risk & Response Matthew Meier Tue, 05/01/2021 - 05:33 Tech and Training While recent incidents have brought immersion pulmonary edema (IPE) into the limelight, it has always been a significant hazard to divers with pertinent risk factors, and doubly so for divers exploring overhead environments, or incurring significant decompression. IPE is the abnormal leakage of fluid from the bloodstream into the alveoli, the microscopic air sacs in the lungs. Symptoms include shortness of breath, coughing up bloody sputum, and respiratory distress. Lea ..read more

Cave Diving? Not Me! – Reactions to Thai Cave Rescue Features Tech and Training My Minion Mon, 24/10/2022 - 12:00 It may be more than four years since the 2018 Thai cave rescue dominated headlines, but the recent movie and miniseries releases have generated highly emotional reactions once again. Are divers being put off cave diving, and why should any diver consider going underground? Yvonne Press takes a closer look, interviewing several divers and technical diving instructors for this report. Audrey Cudel What constitutes a tight space tends to change as a diver’s experience and comfo ..read more

Belgium's Laplet Slate Mine: First Visit in Over 100 Years Tech and Training My Minion Wed, 20/04/2022 - 20:03 For a cave diver, it is always an exciting moment to be the first to dive a location that has not been visited by other divers before. The Laplet slate mine in the Belgian Ardennes was such a location for our small group of explorers. Vic Verlinden Diver in Laplet Slate Mine at the start of the dive Historically, in southern Belgium, especially in the 19th century, the extraction of various types of rock from the subsurface was an important industry. In particular, marble and ..read more

Dive community up in arms over Tren Maya railway project Larry Cohen Mon, 14/02/2022 - 16:21 Travel & Trips The planned intercity railway, which will traverse the Yucatán Peninsula, is being routed through protected wildlife habitat and cave-diving country, threatening to cause permanent damage to the environment, Mayan villages, and archaeological sites, as well as the caves. The underground water is the Yucatan's only source of fresh water Photographer, source or credit Larry Cohen Mexico The first time I went cave diving in Mexico's Yucatán was over 22 years ago. I will n ..read more