HANGLINE

Issue #09-11_________________ARCHIVES___________________Posted October 10th, 2009

A few years back I had the opportunity to see two worlds of diving technology come together in a fantastic spectacle of science and exploration. For me it emphasized the reason why anyone would want to get into the sport of diving in the first place. During my residency on Grand Cayman I spent a great deal of time exploring the reef walls on a closed circuit mixed gas rebreather. One section of the wall I frequently explored was off of the Sunset House Resort – a shore-accessible site that boasts some of the best diving on the island. It begins at around 15MSW (49FSW) and drops to many thousands more in stepping ledges that flow into a trench filled with diverse marine life. The experience of cruising along this wall in the most sophisticated diving equipment available, can only be surpassed by a walk on the moon (and even then I am not sure).

On one particular dive I had the luck of being paired up with diving legend Tom Mount. As we cruised along the wall at 80MSW (263FSW) we felt discouraged that we had not brought along cameras. The visibility, bright ambient light and a plethora of fish made for awesome photo opportunities. In the fear of losing the moment we began modeling for each other and taking pictures using imaginary cameras. The entire experience brought upon a realization that the degree of effective exploration is directly related to the intensity of one’s looking ability. Searching for that ideal underwater shot without a camera led us to a vantage unhampered by restrictive viewfinders, not to mention the absence of task loading by fiddling with F-stops and strobe angles. I still have some of those images of Tom posing next to a four-meter barrel sponge burned solidly in my mind.

But perhaps the most incredible part of the dive was during our ascent. As we worked our way to the top of the ledge I was marveling at how easy technology had made this dive for me. It was those thoughts that primed me psychologically for the next event in an already eventful dive. When we slowed to make a deep stop at around the 30MSW (100FSW) mark near the top of the walls ledge, our silence was broken by a deafening ‘ping’ and ‘whirrr’. Glancing over our shoulders we saw a white mammoth emerge from the abyss, level out on the ledge and face us as if to say – “Wanna Play?” It was an awesome sight to first see only its front view port peak up over the wall before the remaining 20 meters (65 feet) of steel technology followed. It was like the sun rising over the horizon.

The temptation was too great. It only took a quick glance between Tom and I convey our shared desire to ‘stalk’ the biggest dive propulsion vehicle (DPV) one could ever ride. We waved and smiled to the pilots and passengers and when the moment was right, we cautiously slid up next to the viewing ports shadowing the sub like Remoras clinging to a nurse shark.

Atlantis XI, one of the many submersibles in the Atlantis Adventure fleet runs tours all over the world and represents another form of technology too often over looked. This particular vessel weighs the same as a 737 plane and can cruise up to two knots carrying forty-eight passengers and three crew to over 40MSW (132FSW) while maintaining a one atmosphere environment (dry and comfortable). Along with the Atlantis XI, the operation in Grand Cayman has two deep submersibles capable of 305MSW (1000FSW) deep dives. Together the three subs take thousands of people diving along the Cayman Wall every year. Looking in through the windows at the faces of all the dry people inside, I found it interesting that we were all using the similar technology to gain the same experience.

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