Cave Diving - Piccaninnie Ponds - Mt Gambier

[samajula]

im going here for a snorkel soon. now that ive seen it I WANNA GO NOW!!!!

now if i dont ask this now it will eat my brain tonight... whats this song?? ive heard it b4 but i just cant think of the name^^

[wavesncaves]

@samajula

'tis a nice site to dive. Have never snorkeled it before but if you can, try and go when there's some divers there. Could be nice seeing them descend below you into the chasm.

The song is Across the Nullabor by Tommy Emmanuel.

[s010306]

hi

the known depth is 85m or longer.would that mean that Piccaninnie Ponds is deeper than the blue lake.i have been to piccaninnie and is like is calm but underneath is full of info???

[wavesncaves]

Correct - Pic's is deeper than Blue Lake in Mt. Gambier.

The ponds themselves aren't that deep (around 10m or so), but it's down the chasm, where the max depths are reached.

[oldcavediver]

@s010306 I have been to 75 metres in Pics. It would be impossible to go any deeper as it is too narrow, On my dive we were hard up against the walls with only a crack in the limestone below us.

[wavesncaves]

@oldcavediver : It's not impossible. :-) We now have confirmed reports of explorers (Doc Harry, Grant Pearce and the expedition team) reaching 110m in the past year, and a second large chamber opening up below the cathedral.

[Webcauldron]

I hear lots of hearsay about it but I think the vid we are showing is the only recorded evidence of whats down there. Happy to have the myth busted but I think big chambers and 110m is wishfull thinking, from people who havent been there. I know Peter Horne says 100m and I respect him as an expert however he relies on others for much of his information.

[wavesncaves]

Hi Webcauldron,

Thanks for your reply. I understand your post however the legal standing does have exceptions to scientific explorations (as does diving in Blue Lake, Mt Gambier).

You may see more evidence of the above sooner than you expect. :-)

[Webcauldron]

With all the "legal" restrictions I don't know anyone that can prove what is beyond this point except to say that on air at this depth you are entering a realm that could be fatal. But realistically this is still in O2 safe zone so long as adequate deco is incorporated, and you can cope with the narcosis.. I believe Sheck dived to 83 m in the shaft in early 90's when he was out here before his untimely Mexican death, but I heard nothing about any penetration back then in Pics.

[Webcauldron]

Narcosis definitely present but the main danger at these depths is acute oxygen toxicity. The air is so thick at these depths its more like drinking than breathing. Dogsleg is basically silt free to 65m. If Sheck got past that little opening at the 68m sump then it may go to 80+m but it looked like it pretty tight. Happy to be proved wrong. Maybe Chris Brown knows. see youtube: Cave Diving - Picaninnie Ponds "Down to the Blue Room"

[wavesncaves]

I have recently heard that it extends to 110m, and there is a 2nd chamber twice as big as the Cathedral directly underneath it at this depth.

I have also been informed that the water is apparently warmer too at depth.

[talzypoo]

That is... amazing. I can't explan it any other way.

[vidmaster75]

are split fins good for the cave diving?

[wavesncaves]

Hi vidmaster75,

As a general rule we do not encourage the use of split fins in cave diving as the split can get caught in the line and cause diver entanglement.

Personally, I prefer a shorter stubbier fin for cave. (Makes it easier to turn around, etc) without knocking up as much silt.

Speed is not an issue with cave diving, and as there is no current we tend to use fins that work better in our environment over performance.

Where long distances are involved we tend to prefer DPV's.

Cheers

[dalidowicz]

Guys the maximum allowed depth in any part of Pics is 36.5m not 40m.

Dog leg was dived by Sheck Exley many years ago when he was out visiting. Think he got to 80 or so.

[wavesncaves]

Hi,

And thanks for your reply. Correct - the maximum Allowed depth at Pics is 36.5, but the Cathedral bottoms out at around 40. (Not that you're allowed to get to that depth in Pics)

40m is normally the maximum allowed depth for standard deep cavern, but an exception in Pics is ruled due to the dog leg.

[dalidowicz]

Deep cavern is suggested maximum of 40m depth unless otherwise specified by landowner eg Shaft or to your training level eg Adv nitrox or tirmix in Kilsby's

[s010306]

why does it get dangerous past the dogs leg?

i have heard that past the dog led it gets tighter or something. by the wat im from mt gambier and i have been to piccaninnie ponds

[wavesncaves]

3) A little further down is a tight restriction, which increases the risks of (1) and (2) above.

4) Besides one incident, the only deaths in Pics have occurred past the dogs leg.

Hope this helps.

[wavesncaves]

Hi,

There are a few reasons it gets more dangerous.

1) The dog leg undercuts itself and is very silty. Air rising from your regs will displace the silt, and could silt out the chasm. As the silt will fall, it can give the feeling that you're ascending when you're really not.

2) Nitrogen Narcosis Risk. (Depth, Darkness, Tempreature of water and the confined space).

[wavesncaves]

Hi Jaak44,

If I recall correctly, I don't believe anyone knows just how deep the chasm goes. I've heard reports of a known depth at 85m, however it gets dangerous past the 'dogs leg', where there have been a few deaths. Due do this, diving is limited to the depth of the dogs leg, which is 36.5m.

The Cathedral (the large cave area to the side of the chasm) has a maximum depth of afound 40m. We have a little more information on it under the "sites" section of our webpage at wavesncaves <dot> com

[jaak44]

Wow. How deep is it?