Into the Deep!

Destination report: Grand Cayman

The reefs of Cayman's North Wall are a great place for divers to learn and practice deep exploration diving techniques.  The bottom gradually slopes from the beach to a depth of 120 feet at the top of the wall,  just 200 yards from the shore. Beyond that it drops nearly vertical to depths of 800 feet and then to 4000 feet or more!

When I arrived on Thursday,  I was met by Karl Kinkead, Chuck Harden, and Rodney Brown who had just completed a "warm up" dive. It was apparent from their smiles that it had gone very well.  They had flown in the day before to check out their equipment and orient themselves, once again, to the drop-off in front of Cobalt Coast resort. They were scheduled to begin their Hypoxic Trimix Explorer course after dinner that evening!

The check in at the hotel was very efficient. Dora from the resort made certain that all of the details were in order and as expected.  I also had the opportunity to become reacquainted with my good friend Arie Barendrecht, the "owner, operator and handyman extraordinaire" who is, in my opinion, the most gracious host in the Caribbean!

It was then, quickly on to DiveTech headquarters (located on the hotel property) where I was greeted by Mojo, whose stubby tail was wagging in an invitation to play "fetch".  After a few tosses, I checked in and then met with Greg Beyette to discuss our gas requirements for the next day.  Each of the divers, and myself, would need an 80 cubic foot twinset filled with Trimix 18/30 (18% oxygen / 30% helium / 52% nitrogen) as well as two stage cylinders each, filled with EAN50 and EAN80.  We would be diving to 220 feet at 8:00 the next morning.

If you want happy divers, just give them great visibility and lots of good food! The meals at Cobalt Coast are incredible. And, after a delicious dinner, we got down to business. The SSI TechXR training materials really promote understanding of some pretty technical information. The hardest part is keeping students in their chairs when they could be night diving!

The next morning we finally pushed ourselves away from the breakfast buffet and headed for the dive shop to check our gas mixes. Each diver must verify that the gas in their cylinders has been blended correctly. After setting up our gear, and double checking placement and attachments, we dashed (well, would you believe ambled) down the dock with our fully assembled tech rigs which weigh in at around 180 pounds each.

The surface swim out to the reef takes a little extra time when wearing four cylinders. We made it out to the edge of the wall, suspended over the cobalt blue abyss nearly 800 feet below. After a final check, we started the drop, slowly at first, then accelerating to nearly 100 feet per minute. There's no way to describe the exhilaration you feel as you streak by the colorful corals, and sponges. It takes longer to inflate the BC at depth so you start a little sooner and use larger bursts as you pass 180 feet. With the skill gained in previous training, the team nailed the level-off and coasted the last few feet down to 220.

As you swim along you realize that it is truly an alien world. You are keenly aware of your breathing as you kick deliberately, conserving your gas supply which is gone oh so quickly. You learn to closely monitor your gauges and not to get too absorbed in observing the different species of plants and animals that are adapted to the lower levels of light. And then, a shocking discovery. There, tucked in one of the recesses between the coral, is a lionfish! This aggressive invader from the Pacific is thriving far deeper than we expected.

Much too soon, we have used up our bottom time, breathed our alloted gas supply, and we begin our return towards the brightly lit reef above. To signal our location and the fact that the team is still self-sufficient, we deploy a surface marking bag for the topside crew to see. If two bags go up, it means that the team needs assistance and a safety diver would dive down to meet us with an extra supply of gas to breathe. The return trip to the surface takes 63 minutes as we complete a series of increasingly longer decompression stops. It's a great opportunity to practice fish identification.

Four training dives later, the team of divers have added yet another cylinder to their kit.  They are now wearing five cylinders and heading for a depth of 300 feet. One of the cylinders contains a "travel gas". The back gas mixture (double cylinders on the back) now contains Trimix 14/50 which is suitable for breathing at the extreme depth and enables the divers to avoid oxygen toxicity. It can not, however, be breathed on the surface. With only 14% oxygen, the divers would pass out almost immediately. The travel gas is breathed on the the surface and down to the depth where a switch to back gas can be safely made. The 300 foot dive takes nearly two hours to complete. Our team of newly certified Hypoxic Trimix Explorers return to the surface knowing they have just been where few have ever gone before.

A total of nine extremely deep dives are made during the trip and, on the last day, the team visits the wreck of the Carrie Lee.  The remains of the inter-island freighter are precariously perched, with the bow hanging over the edge of the wall at 280 feet. During the last hurricane it slipped further towards the abyss and during the next storm, may well disappear forever as it careens to the ocean floor below. Before the dive boat made its way back to the dock, our team of adventurers began planning for the next great adventure.

Coming soon: a dive to the wreck of "The Queen of Nassau".