What really stands out in this video is that you run through the dive in a meticulous and complete manner. Never boring. no rubbish music track. Just plain cave diving. beautifully done. Simple and complete!
Meticulous my ass. He left his diving buddy casually without communication @17:28 and when his buddy is trying to be safe by laying a line he said "fuck you" to him @ 22:19. He should fuck himself instead.
Saw you on Dive Talk. Hopefully you get some financial support from the Dive Talk community to help offset some of the costs. I know it isn't much, but hopefully you will get lots of small contributions that make a real difference when combined. I have 💯 % respect for you.. lost my 5 year old son to brain cancer, and pediatric Anesthesiologists played a big roll in the 12 brain surgeries he went through while fighting it. You are a gift to humanity.
My son with DS had VSD repair at 6 weeks along with numerous other surgeries while in PICU. Agreed on how much my son relied on the pediatric anesthesiologists and their ability to work with the ever changing growing child’s needs. Thank you for sharing your story about your brave son.
Absolutely incredible; watched the whole thing on the edge of my seat. It’s so refreshing to hear commentary (honest commentary) rather than daft Europop in the background. That end point looks amazing- can’t wait to see where you go next. 🙏 thank you.
@Football Fan GGMU lmfao. Gotta love those videos (not this one which has no soundtrack) with the generic instrumental trap beats. Its become like the modern elevator music lol. But instead of making things "relaxing", it makes them "cool"
@@seeker7679 ...You would think. However, every minute matters, so you must find a way to make it meaningful while you wait. Ever think of how much bonding you would do while sharing that 40 min experience and HAVING to slowly contemplate it on your way back? It would be extremely visceral and maybe you'll have a clue as to why many of these divers have the relationships they do. I imagine if more people recognize the significance life and the world would be VERY different. Too many take things for granted.
Watching a lot of these to try and figure out the reason for taking up such a deadly hobby if not for scientific purposes...haven't found any yet...I think this is quite ludicrously risky for the dubious rewards...plenty of easy caves to marvel at that don't require diving or crawling thru tight spaces with well marked trail ...
Wow, some really breathtaking shots there. I appreciated the time you spent discussing the frustration over getting split up and how that affects dives, and that you almost stopped the dive because your mind wasn’t in the best place. Very cool.
I can remember when ginnie was undeveloped, just a place past a cornfield you had to know about and you’d have the place to yourself 90% of the time. Ditto devil’s den.
@@robertolesen5782 Yeah, so many have no concept of how rural and hidden so many springs were before the internet era... The internet and social media are squarely to blame.
I can’t wait to see him going thru that last cavern on the left as you mentioned was looking incredibly mind blowing and like a whole new level. Is that mean there are two ways going thru the cave which is one straight ahead where Craig was and the other where Richard wanted to go? I just wish they kept going whichever way was because even watching from here is mesmerizing but I’m sure safety is first.
I can't fathom the feeling of being so isolated and deep down in a hole filled with water in which one mistake can literally kill you, and there is no help. this is bravery on another level. This is very intense to watch, especially if you can tune into the facts mentioned above. Thanks for sharing this video!
I guess that must be part of the attraction; the challenge to build safeguards and redundancies and develop procedures, skills, teamwork, personal self control, balanced attention to cave dive like this. Very admirable work.
@@intrepidsouls You can drown in just a few metres of water outside of a cave, I saw one diver fatality in just eight metres of water with perfect visibility in bright daylight some years back. I think if you were to ask him whether it takes guts, the answer would likely be no. It does however rely on practice, planning, equipment including redundancies and contingencies. If he considered the risk levels were high he wouldn't do it and that's why just a few people like him can do what they do. The hazards are there regardless but these are planned in to mitigate the risk to near zero. You're 100% right that those with a lack of brain matter get themselves in trouble. I've been diving for a long time and neither extreme depth or caves hold any interest to me but we're all different.
@Someguy Something These guys have been in that cave numerous times already too. To me its wild to think that they are doing this re-breathers. Most re-breathers are only certified for recreational to minor deep depths like 80-160ft because the pressure could cause them to fail. I know they designed their own custom riggs for this but its still gnarly. Probably also the only way they could do this dive, since pressurized gas would be used far too quickly at those depths and would need dozens of tanks.
I'm quite happy living vicariously through you blokes, it just seems like a no-win scenario going places few people have been, the dangers just out weigh the rocks in the water. More power to the ones willing though, hope you stay safe.
Very reasonable point of view, but that is the whole point of exploration. To see things nobody has ever seen, and to try and understand the mysteries of such places.
I couldn’t be happier coming across this video. It takes real titans to go explore into this territory. I am a novice cave diver having learnt to cave dive in Mexico, watching this really gave me thrills. I was really on the edge of my seat. Only a cave diver would appreciate the type of complexity these sort of dives have to offer. truly amazing job.
I'm 61 now. Much has changed since my SCUBA diving days in the 80's and early 90's. My deepest 140' dive was a measly 42.5 meters. Great job and great video.
I will never understand the desire to go deep into the earth be it diving or walking. I can appreciate the determination to do so, the ability to keep calm under stressful situations and frankly the courage to do it. Me personally, I havnt lost anything in those holes and I dont plan on the first thing I do lose in one to be my life. Stay safe down there!
the immense amount of training you have to do to be certified to go to these depths makes it so you dont lose your life. Many of the ones who have are the ones who attempt these things without the proper equipment and training
@@elchibrolito4217 LOL you assume because I dont understand the desire to go deep underground that I live in some boring safe Leave it to Beaver land. There are other ways to get your adrenaline pumping. For all you know I have a fear of being underground but feel free paragliding, rock climbing, bungee jumping, racing etc etc etc.
Wow! Just watching this video scares me. Diving through so many crevasses in total darkness to that depth of 245m but the length of dive was 600m in total and to spend 16hrs deco is amazing. I'm only ow with prob 20hrs dive in open ocean. You truly are on an extreme level of diving! Thank you for a great video!
I read about Pearce Resurgence in Martyn Farr’s The Darkness Beckons but this gives me a whole new level of appreciation. Thank you and thank you for sharing and narrating this video.
Thanks guys for the video and narration. Fascinating. I like the objective comment on the human factors. I've noticed irritation is quite normal in extended activities in dangerous environments that require focus and cooperation with others. Good work. Much admiration for cave divers and what they've learn and share.
Absolutely stunning! You gentlemen have my deepest appreciation for a place I will never see, along with billions of other people! Just amazing! Thank you!
Dr. Harris... Any update on the February expedition? I'm extremely excited to see what you guys uncover down there. This dive has me itching to learn to dive!
The February 2023 expedition saw the first use of hydrogen but no new exploration. I haven't been talking about it too much because it is the subject of a feature documentary we have made called 'Deeper', which I expect to be released in the first part of 2025.
Amazing, I couldn't stop watching, and your commentary was the best, especially explaining the hardships that you ran into and how you and your dive buddy overcame them. There is a lot to learn from that, for all new divers to experienced ones as well. And the honest remarks in your commentary is spell binding, so damn glad i found your channel :)
I was literally captivated. It’s so so lovely to watch. You guys must have nerves of steel. I can see where the years of training and practicing have come in to play. You make it look easy. I can’t even touch the bottom of the deepens in my local swimming pool. I had to subscribe because this is stinkin’ rad! 🤿 💯 👍🏾
This is the first cave diving video I’ve watched and I can totally see why people pursue the sport. It was just beautiful and there must be such a sense of excitement when you get to unexplored sections and be the first people to ever see them. Subbed and looking forward to seeing more of your adventures. Thank you so much for sharing!
I really enjoyed it this video! I watched it on Dive Talk earlier today, including the interview. I had to visit your channel and watch the whole video, and I'm not even a scuba diver. Even if I were a diver I don't think I'm cut out for this extreme depths in tight spaces so I really appreciate that you give me a chance to watch places that is so inaccessible. I find it interesting from an technical point of view and the only thing I missed in this video more details about how the habitats works, why you get shaky hands on these depths, and so on. I understand that this video is primarily made for other divers that know all this already, but a little bit more detail for those of us non-divers would be great. In this case I got a lot of details from the Dive Talk reaction and interview. I have smashed both the like and subscribe button. Greetings from Norway. 🙂
I've just discovered your channel and it is stunning, your videos are amazing, I can't stop watching them all! Btw I want to congratulate and thank you for all the effort you are putting on these, I hope you continue with these long videos, I watch them in my TV as if they were films. Thank you, ( An average diver, who in the future would love to do cave diving, cenotes, mines etc)
@@_narcosis essentially zero narcosis because we only breathe 4-5% nitrogen. The rest is helium which has no perceptible narcotoc effect at these depths.
16hr deco gives me nightmares. Saw you on Dive Talk and super respect for owning up to mistakes along the way. Ego is deadly in anything like this, way to set a very positive example. Awesome!
@@DrHarryH I wish people like that could see them as opportunities to learn. To me it's very humbling to see one of the best in the world checking his ego at the door and, I guess take ownership of mistakes? Owning up to a mistake is a huge part of the learning process, in my humble opinion. And perhaps they should keep in mind how few people on earth do this at this level - this is astronaut stuff. I still remember thinking "I'm pretty bad-ass" after a 3hr deco flooded mine dive which makes me giggle a bit now. Levels to the game. Finally, a sincere thank you for pushing the limits of our limits and understanding, and letting us come along to see true cave exploration.
Astounding! The depth and length of this dive, beautifully narrated too 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 The skill and preparation needed to safely explore the depths of the Earth water passages never ceases to impress me. The bravery of these great explorers is utterly impressive too! 😊👍👍
As someone who knows a bit about diving how much money do you think each of them have on them for a dive like this? From the scooters, rebreathers, tanks , lights etc
Wow that was absolutely amazing to watch! Thanks for putting that together for us. Great achievement, congrats to both of you. Im sure that little separation must have racked up a decent amount of deco time.
That’s an amazing dive! I’m impressed with the level of professionalism, competence, planning, etc. What you guys are doing is no different than climbing high mountains in terms of planning, complexity, competence, etc. Youre a great diver and an amazing man! You’re actions in Thailand were nothing short of heroic, mate. You’re my daughters hero! She signed up for OW classes yesterday after watching the doc on the rescue. Keep it up!
Where to start…. Wow. So many things I loved about your video. 1. We have arguments underwater lol, our confidence gets shaken, we need to regroup, and there’s always something you didn’t talk about on the surface. I really love how you included that. I just did a dive to 65M and my dive partner and I had a similar“thing”. 2. Second guessing and about as relaxed as you can feel… yeah. 3. The footage is awesome, really great commentary 4. GoPro? Do you have a special housing? Mine won’t go past 55M. 5. Loved your explanation on the gear. I’m sidemount still and building up experience… dual rebreathers? Omg… so above my skill set currently. Just awesome video. I’m starting a channel so if you want to see some basic stuff lol
Hi we returned in ealry 2023 but only dived to 230m, primarily for film making purposes and to test hydrogen as a diving gas. There is talk of another expedition in early 2025.
@@DrHarryH It's eye opening to hear that in other parts of the world Covid is still preventing activity. In good 'ol 'murica we've essentially forgotten it ever happened.
Wow this was fascinating, thanks for sharing. I wish I had the gonads to do this sport cause it looks absolutely mind blowing. Sadly I don't like water, I'm scared of the dark and mildly claustrophobic so it's probably not a great fit. Thanks again, Richard!
New to watching cave diving videos- but just wondering why noone’s laying a new line earlier in case the place gets silted out? Awesome video though. Well done!
Watched this video and consequently went down an absolute rabbit hole between the cave itself, and the MIT article about your use of hydrogen in your last dive. Incredibly fascinating, you have me at the edge of my seat sir and I have never even been cave diving. Cannot wait to see what you accomplish in that cave in the years to come. Best of luck.
Amazing video with very informative commentary. Thanks for sharing!! There is something I have always wondered... Is the water pressure in caves the same as in open water, or is it a little lighter due to less water being above you?
16 hours??? you get 40 minutes of fun and then spend 15 hours in that water going back up??? what?? some more explanation of that would be amazing I am so intrigued how that woks, thats SO long
The deco was over 15 hours, utilising the 4 habitats as we returned to the surface. The cave is still descending at -245m, so if I am to guess based on what we know about the geology, it may be 260-300m deep.
I honestly have a real trouble to understand how so insanely trained cave divers manage to do so many elementary basic mistakes of cave diving... To a point that watching this video is just stressful... - Buoyancy control is inexistant fins are banging all over the place. And even if in a high flow cave it's less of a concern... How about conservation ? - Diver #2 passing in front of diver #1, in addition to flood light on DPV (reducing ability to communicate with primary lights) which lead to team separation (it's already bad on an easy cave dive... But gosh that dive is fairly extreme...) - You guys get near entangled multiple times - Diver #1 deploys a reel with absolutely no tie offs... It's floating and turning around... The line would just be useless in case you need to follow it by touch contact ... - What happens to "keep a continuous guideline to exit"? ------ I understand sometimes rules can be bent to adapt to the environment... But come on... What kind of example does it set? Not even the worst cavern student would do even half of that... And the thing is... Given how insanely trained you guys are. You know all of that, you consciously decide to ignore and publicize extreme diving while ignoring the most elementary rules of cave diving... And with that you make video to teach people "which gas to use" or "which primary light to pick"? Seriously... What kind of role model do you guys set... Please do as I say, not as I do... People like you (so trained, so knowledgeable) should do better. You have a responsibility to foster save diving practices! You may be okay with that risk level, you may be comfortable breaking rules where you believe it is sort of safe. Your videos will inspire someone to swim in a cave without a line, to disregard buoyancy (for safety and conservation), that having a team separation is no big deal (you can always come back and find your mate). What you do privately, I don't really care. Please understand you are not sharing this video with your mates, and your recklessness may influance someone (probably far less trained) the wrong way... Anyway...I wish you to stay safe...
Yep, all fair criticisms. Hence my description of a warts and all look at the dive. I'm not hiding from any mistakes or inadequacies. I would suggest that by the time someone else reaches the point where they perform a dive like this they will know the rules and make their own risk decisions. Your criticisms about buoyancy, finning and cave conservation are not valid in my view given the equipment, cave topography and very hard marble of the cave...however I accept it looks ugly in the video. The line laying was better than it looks also, I believe the bit you are referring to is in a near vertical shaft and it was fine to follow on exit. The non-continuous line in parts is undoubtedly the most contentious part of the dive, and as I explained in a another reply it is a compromise made be able to do this exploration, but we made a personal decision based on many factors including the risks of patching line at depths between 150-200m. I would not encourage anyone to take such a short cut, and if it caused an accident I would not expect any sympathy. We are also working on how to efficiently avoid doing it again. I could choose not to show dives where we don't do everything correctly and perhaps that would be more socially responsible. Anyway I appreciate your comments.
@@DrHarryH don't get me wrong. I totally understand that we didn't climb the everest by respect every climbing rules. But there's a difference between you doing something where you can judge your comfort level and assess what risk you are comfortable with. And showing on an "education medium teaching less experienced divers which gas to use / which lights to use" arguable/dangerous practices for most. If someone start doing the same in a cave at 20m in Mexico or Florida, because if they think you can they should... It's a drama waiting to happen... It's nice to be "transparent" and owning your mistakes... Though you guys have a role model and the responsabilities that it comes with... I wish you that your work and channel inspire a generation of cave divers and explorers. People who know when and how to break rules don't need anyone to show them 😊. Anyway, I'm fully aware maybe the situation wasn't "as bad as it looks", my message was more about "teaching by example" than actually criticizing diving skills of someone who obviously know a TON more than any of us in the comments...
The coolest part of this dive is you are probably the only person to have been there. Maybe ever too. That’s a pretty awesome feeling. Literally to go where no man has gone before.
Amazing. Massive respect guys, wow 245 meters down. Nice to see you just filmed the dive, simple. I scuba dive for fun, dived a few cenotes in Mexico ,but this is a different league ,literally😂. Great video. 👏👏👍
Just finished watching interview on dive talk. Doc is their like a case study on how the Thai cave diving rescue was done. E.g ketamine dose ages, IV lines placed, complications of those locks, flushes of saline after bolus. And thank you for all the pioneering that you and the rest of the Cavies do.
Awesome video Richard. What an amazing place and you surely are very lucky to be able to be the first ones to see that cave. Looking forward to the next one 👍
Extremely cool thing to have done and video. Can’t help but wonder as to how two professionals loose each other jeopardize the dive! Get mad at each other again jeopardize the dive! And then finally pull it together!!!!!!!!
Incredible dive. I get scared at 40M in open water without arguments. You have some serious composure and control operating with all that gear in confined space. Legend.
Awesome to watch and vicariously go thru too …Thankyou so much ! Came from Dive Talk when you were on ..late to it but loved listening to you talk. Much respect 🫡🙏
This is the most amazing thing Ive ever seen. These guys have more ability and talent than all of the government agencies and they are doing it by themselves. The diving technology is also amazing.
"Rank Stupidity" and a ersatz gong, haha. I reckon a few people probably won't get that reference, but it was awesome. Great dive mate, you're an absolute legend.
What really stands out in this video is that you run through the dive in a meticulous and complete manner. Never boring. no rubbish music track. Just plain cave diving. beautifully done. Simple and complete!
You're telling me that intro didn't stand out to you?
@@ChadDidNothingWrong yûuygggg hii uuu I your u uyyyyyyyyyyyyy Ch funny in ing u
Yeah
@@ChadDidNothingWrong 🤣😂😅
Meticulous my ass. He left his diving buddy casually without communication @17:28 and when his buddy is trying to be safe by laying a line he said "fuck you" to him @ 22:19. He should fuck himself instead.
Thanks!
Thankyou!
As someone who will never cave dive, I am fascinated to watch your adventure. Thanks for sharing.
Never say never
Saw you on Dive Talk. Hopefully you get some financial support from the Dive Talk community to help offset some of the costs. I know it isn't much, but hopefully you will get lots of small contributions that make a real difference when combined. I have 💯 % respect for you.. lost my 5 year old son to brain cancer, and pediatric Anesthesiologists played a big roll in the 12 brain surgeries he went through while fighting it. You are a gift to humanity.
Thankyou for your kind words and I am so sorry to hear about your son.
My son with DS had VSD repair at 6 weeks along with numerous other surgeries while in PICU. Agreed on how much my son relied on the pediatric anesthesiologists and their ability to work with the ever changing growing child’s needs.
Thank you for sharing your story about your brave son.
what costs?
These guys should be given unlimited resources as needed by government - and sponsors. They've earned it.
im sorry you lost your son. we lost our son at age 8. tough road. :(
Absolutely incredible; watched the whole thing on the edge of my seat. It’s so refreshing to hear commentary (honest commentary) rather than daft Europop in the background. That end point looks amazing- can’t wait to see where you go next. 🙏 thank you.
**Europop has left the chat**
@Football Fan GGMU lmfao. Gotta love those videos (not this one which has no soundtrack) with the generic instrumental trap beats. Its become like the modern elevator music lol. But instead of making things "relaxing", it makes them "cool"
Much nicer than the documentaries which consist of 40min talking on shore and 5 min diving footage. Thanks for sharing.
wow 40 min of dive and a total of 16hrs to decompress. you guys are amazing. can you make a decompress video time laps sometime
What do you do during decompression? Just sit there for 16 hours? If so that's' such a shitty deal, dive for 40min and sit around for 16.
That would be an awfully boring video. 😉
@@seeker7679 ...You would think. However, every minute matters, so you must find a way to make it meaningful while you wait. Ever think of how much bonding you would do while sharing that 40 min experience and HAVING to slowly contemplate it on your way back? It would be extremely visceral and maybe you'll have a clue as to why many of these divers have the relationships they do. I imagine if more people recognize the significance life and the world would be VERY different. Too many take things for granted.
There is a lot of staring into space and wishing you could warp time!
Watching a lot of these to try and figure out the reason for taking up such a deadly hobby if not for scientific purposes...haven't found any yet...I think this is quite ludicrously risky for the dubious rewards...plenty of easy caves to marvel at that don't require diving or crawling thru tight spaces with well marked trail ...
Wow, some really breathtaking shots there. I appreciated the time you spent discussing the frustration over getting split up and how that affects dives, and that you almost stopped the dive because your mind wasn’t in the best place. Very cool.
Glad it was helpful!
@@DrHarryH how long did you spend down there?
@@hoogstraten4271 at the end of the video hes says how long
@@DrHarryH Out of curiosity, would a beeper help, with which you courd communicate via morde code even without being in direct line of sight ?
I grew up cave diving in Florida, USA. Stopped about 30 years ago. I can't believe how far the sport has come since then! 245m! Wow.
I can remember when ginnie was undeveloped, just a place past a cornfield you had to know about and you’d have the place to yourself 90% of the time. Ditto devil’s den.
@@robertolesen5782 Yeah, so many have no concept of how rural and hidden so many springs were before the internet era... The internet and social media are squarely to blame.
That last cavern and the shaft to the left with silt blown out must have had you planning the next dive, awesome video thank you so much
I can’t wait to see him going thru that last cavern on the left as you mentioned was looking incredibly mind blowing and like a whole new level. Is that mean there are two ways going thru the cave which is one straight ahead where Craig was and the other where Richard wanted to go?
I just wish they kept going whichever way was because even watching from here is mesmerizing but I’m sure safety is first.
I can't fathom the feeling of being so isolated and deep down in a hole filled with water in which one mistake can literally kill you, and there is no help.
this is bravery on another level.
This is very intense to watch, especially if you can tune into the facts mentioned above.
Thanks for sharing this video!
I guess that must be part of the attraction; the challenge to build safeguards and redundancies and develop procedures, skills, teamwork, personal self control, balanced attention to cave dive like this. Very admirable work.
Bravery or mitigating risks?
@@byteme9718it takes guts to do that. Or lack of brain matter, but those don’t survive.
@@intrepidsouls You can drown in just a few metres of water outside of a cave, I saw one diver fatality in just eight metres of water with perfect visibility in bright daylight some years back.
I think if you were to ask him whether it takes guts, the answer would likely be no. It does however rely on practice, planning, equipment including redundancies and contingencies. If he considered the risk levels were high he wouldn't do it and that's why just a few people like him can do what they do. The hazards are there regardless but these are planned in to mitigate the risk to near zero. You're 100% right that those with a lack of brain matter get themselves in trouble.
I've been diving for a long time and neither extreme depth or caves hold any interest to me but we're all different.
Its alot of careful calculations, one small mistake could be the end of the adventure.
I've never done any sort of diving and I still found this spellbinding. Cave diving seems very challenging and rewarding. Thank you for sharing.
You should try it! I scuba dive and also cave dive. It’s all amazing!
It's a crazy way to die if you ask me
@Someguy Something These guys have been in that cave numerous times already too. To me its wild to think that they are doing this re-breathers. Most re-breathers are only certified for recreational to minor deep depths like 80-160ft because the pressure could cause them to fail. I know they designed their own custom riggs for this but its still gnarly. Probably also the only way they could do this dive, since pressurized gas would be used far too quickly at those depths and would need dozens of tanks.
@Someguy Something no.
I'm quite happy living vicariously through you blokes, it just seems like a no-win scenario going places few people have been, the dangers just out weigh the rocks in the water. More power to the ones willing though, hope you stay safe.
Very reasonable point of view, but that is the whole point of exploration. To see things nobody has ever seen, and to try and understand the mysteries of such places.
Roger that
Life struggles to find places to live.
I couldn’t be happier coming across this video. It takes real titans to go explore into this territory. I am a novice cave diver having learnt to cave dive in Mexico, watching this really gave me thrills. I was really on the edge of my seat. Only a cave diver would appreciate the type of complexity these sort of dives have to offer. truly amazing job.
I'm 61 now. Much has changed since my SCUBA diving days in the 80's and early 90's. My deepest 140' dive was a measly 42.5 meters. Great job and great video.
I will never understand the desire to go deep into the earth be it diving or walking. I can appreciate the determination to do so, the ability to keep calm under stressful situations and frankly the courage to do it. Me personally, I havnt lost anything in those holes and I dont plan on the first thing I do lose in one to be my life.
Stay safe down there!
the immense amount of training you have to do to be certified to go to these depths makes it so you dont lose your life. Many of the ones who have are the ones who attempt these things without the proper equipment and training
Then live your safe boring 21st century life :) They dont ask for understanding. If you dont get it, you never will.
@@elchibrolito4217 LOL you assume because I dont understand the desire to go deep underground that I live in some boring safe Leave it to Beaver land. There are other ways to get your adrenaline pumping. For all you know I have a fear of being underground but feel free paragliding, rock climbing, bungee jumping, racing etc etc etc.
@@mikhail2400 Hey good for you, those are good leisures. But if something goes wrong well.... you die as well.
I’ll never scuba dive down even 3 meters but is this video not enough to make you understand the desire to do this?
Keep up the good stuff Richard! You and dive talk have gotten me hooked on learning about scuba and all the science that goes into it. Thank you!
Wow! Just watching this video scares me. Diving through so many crevasses in total darkness to that depth of 245m but the length of dive was 600m in total and to spend 16hrs deco is amazing. I'm only ow with prob 20hrs dive in open ocean. You truly are on an extreme level of diving! Thank you for a great video!
I read about Pearce Resurgence in Martyn Farr’s The Darkness Beckons but this gives me a whole new level of appreciation. Thank you and thank you for sharing and narrating this video.
Thanks guys for the video and narration. Fascinating.
I like the objective comment on the human factors. I've noticed irritation is quite normal in extended activities in dangerous environments that require focus and cooperation with others. Good work. Much admiration for cave divers and what they've learn and share.
No way…..one of the dive vids I have seen……bloody amazing……..will watch again and again….just wish it was longer….best Nicky C
Absolutely stunning! You gentlemen have my deepest appreciation for a place I will never see, along with billions of other people! Just amazing! Thank you!
Absolutely Brilliant. Can see why you two are the Dynamic Duo. Beautiful clean dive perfectly executed. Well done. Cheers from Michael. Australia,
Dr. Harris... Any update on the February expedition?
I'm extremely excited to see what you guys uncover down there. This dive has me itching to learn to dive!
The February 2023 expedition saw the first use of hydrogen but no new exploration. I haven't been talking about it too much because it is the subject of a feature documentary we have made called 'Deeper', which I expect to be released in the first part of 2025.
@@DrHarryH Looking forward to that
You guys are absolute mad lads - how you kept going after getting separated at 180m is beyond me - keep enjoying what you do!
It takes a special kind of self control and mental strength to do this.
Places like this are so alien to humans. To almost all living things actually.
Amazing, I couldn't stop watching, and your commentary was the best, especially explaining the hardships that you ran into and how you and your dive buddy overcame them. There is a lot to learn from that, for all new divers to experienced ones as well. And the honest remarks in your commentary is spell binding, so damn glad i found your channel :)
Absolutely the best cave diving video on youtube. This cave captures my imagination like no other cave.
I was literally captivated. It’s so so lovely to watch. You guys must have nerves of steel. I can see where the years of training and practicing have come in to play. You make it look easy. I can’t even touch the bottom of the deepens in my local swimming pool. I had to subscribe because this is stinkin’ rad! 🤿 💯 👍🏾
Respect for everything you are doing!
Many thanks, more content to come I promise.
@DrHarryH no worries, you've already done plenty
This is the first cave diving video I’ve watched and I can totally see why people pursue the sport. It was just beautiful and there must be such a sense of excitement when you get to unexplored sections and be the first people to ever see them. Subbed and looking forward to seeing more of your adventures. Thank you so much for sharing!
This is easily one of the most mind-blowing things I've ever seen. Wow. My hat is off to you, gentlemen.
I would personally love a series of more technical videos discussing your planning and risk assessment for dives like this.
thanks for giving a thorough and honest narration while sharing neat footage. i really enjoyed this video
I really enjoyed it this video! I watched it on Dive Talk earlier today, including the interview. I had to visit your channel and watch the whole video, and I'm not even a scuba diver. Even if I were a diver I don't think I'm cut out for this extreme depths in tight spaces so I really appreciate that you give me a chance to watch places that is so inaccessible. I find it interesting from an technical point of view and the only thing I missed in this video more details about how the habitats works, why you get shaky hands on these depths, and so on. I understand that this video is primarily made for other divers that know all this already, but a little bit more detail for those of us non-divers would be great. In this case I got a lot of details from the Dive Talk reaction and interview.
I have smashed both the like and subscribe button. Greetings from Norway. 🙂
Yes I also want to see more of want the ascent looks like/how it works
I love the commentary. Can’t say much more than that other than thank you for this beautiful dive! Legends
I've just discovered your channel and it is stunning, your videos are amazing, I can't stop watching them all!
Btw I want to congratulate and thank you for all the effort you are putting on these, I hope you continue with these long videos, I watch them in my TV as if they were films.
Thank you,
( An average diver, who in the future would love to do cave diving, cenotes, mines etc)
Thanks very much. I assure you we are just average divers too, just fell in with a bad crowd!
@@DrHarryH after what you guys did in Thailand I would say you are a little more than average.
How would you describe narcosis at 245m?
@@_narcosis essentially zero narcosis because we only breathe 4-5% nitrogen. The rest is helium which has no perceptible narcotoc effect at these depths.
WOW this video had me on the edge all the time. Can't recall the last time that a video made me feel like that!
Richard, this is a crazy human feat! Crazy good you kept pushing on! Please be extra extra careful when you go back beyond 245m!
16hr deco gives me nightmares.
Saw you on Dive Talk and super respect for owning up to mistakes along the way. Ego is deadly in anything like this, way to set a very positive example. Awesome!
Thanks I appreciate this. Not everyone so complimentary about showing the f%*! ups!
@@DrHarryH I wish people like that could see them as opportunities to learn. To me it's very humbling to see one of the best in the world checking his ego at the door and, I guess take ownership of mistakes? Owning up to a mistake is a huge part of the learning process, in my humble opinion.
And perhaps they should keep in mind how few people on earth do this at this level - this is astronaut stuff. I still remember thinking "I'm pretty bad-ass" after a 3hr deco flooded mine dive which makes me giggle a bit now. Levels to the game.
Finally, a sincere thank you for pushing the limits of our limits and understanding, and letting us come along to see true cave exploration.
Astounding! The depth and length of this dive, beautifully narrated too 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 The skill and preparation needed to safely explore the depths of the Earth water passages never ceases to impress me. The bravery of these great explorers is utterly impressive too! 😊👍👍
This is just incredible ... I cannot imagine the feeling of diving in caves and in such depths ... mesmerizing ...
Absolutely amazing shots. Iam just getting into Tech Diving but this seems to be on another level , really interesting video !!!
As someone who knows a bit about diving how much money do you think each of them have on them for a dive like this? From the scooters, rebreathers, tanks , lights etc
What a privilege is to be a diver at the same time you are making history. You are a very kind super human. Godspeed!!!!!
Amazing video and great dive! Do you have a video on the ascent explaining the deco habitats? Thank you.
ua-cam.com/video/uJ4ViSqZiJ4/v-deo.html
What a great video, thanks for sharing and the step by step narration!
Wow that was absolutely amazing to watch! Thanks for putting that together for us. Great achievement, congrats to both of you.
Im sure that little separation must have racked up a decent amount of deco time.
That’s an amazing dive! I’m impressed with the level of professionalism, competence, planning, etc. What you guys are doing is no different than climbing high mountains in terms of planning, complexity, competence, etc. Youre a great diver and an amazing man! You’re actions in Thailand were nothing short of heroic, mate. You’re my daughters hero! She signed up for OW classes yesterday after watching the doc on the rescue. Keep it up!
Hi Colin, so pleased to hear your daughter is giving diving a try!
Where to start…. Wow. So many things I loved about your video.
1. We have arguments underwater lol, our confidence gets shaken, we need to regroup, and there’s always something you didn’t talk about on the surface. I really love how you included that. I just did a dive to 65M and my dive partner and I had a similar“thing”.
2. Second guessing and about as relaxed as you can feel… yeah.
3. The footage is awesome, really great commentary
4. GoPro? Do you have a special housing? Mine won’t go past 55M.
5. Loved your explanation on the gear. I’m sidemount still and building up experience… dual rebreathers? Omg… so above my skill set currently.
Just awesome video. I’m starting a channel so if you want to see some basic stuff lol
We use the 300m housings from Golem gear which have proven very reliable.
Has anyone explored anymore since? The cave is absolutely stunning and many thanks for filming this!
Hi we returned in ealry 2023 but only dived to 230m, primarily for film making purposes and to test hydrogen as a diving gas. There is talk of another expedition in early 2025.
Awesome footage, and an amazing achievement, never realized how deep it was. I assume you will be planning another trip to explore further?
COVID permitting, yes. The last 2 trips have been cancelled but 2023 should be a goer.
@@DrHarryH ....did not see any on the video , but do you notice any blind cave fish or other critters ?
@@DrHarryH It's eye opening to hear that in other parts of the world Covid is still preventing activity. In good 'ol 'murica we've essentially forgotten it ever happened.
I've never been diving in my life and this is honestly one of my favorite videos on YT.
Wow this was fascinating, thanks for sharing. I wish I had the gonads to do this sport cause it looks absolutely mind blowing. Sadly I don't like water, I'm scared of the dark and mildly claustrophobic so it's probably not a great fit. Thanks again, Richard!
This entire, Entire video mini-docu-drama??? Was absolutely, unbelievably outstanding!! Bravo 🙌 Bravo 👏 Bravo 🙌 Men!!!
really enjoyed this video. gotta figure out how to get dive talk to react.
That was the greatest introduction in UA-cam history!
Saw this on vimeo, all I want to know is, when are ya'll going back? This is an awesome cave!
Hello. These deep-sea dives are always impressive! But what a show! ! Many thanks to all the contributors for your deep dive. Sincerely.
New to watching cave diving videos- but just wondering why noone’s laying a new line earlier in case the place gets silted out?
Awesome video though. Well done!
Watched this video and consequently went down an absolute rabbit hole between the cave itself, and the MIT article about your use of hydrogen in your last dive. Incredibly fascinating, you have me at the edge of my seat sir and I have never even been cave diving. Cannot wait to see what you accomplish in that cave in the years to come. Best of luck.
Amazing video with very informative commentary. Thanks for sharing!!
There is something I have always wondered... Is the water pressure in caves the same as in open water, or is it a little lighter due to less water being above you?
Yes, the water pressure is the same. Fresh water is less dense than salt so very slightly less pressure at the same depth compared to the ocean.
Nice to see a dive footage with interesting commentary and no blazing music track, thanks for sharing.
16 hours??? you get 40 minutes of fun and then spend 15 hours in that water going back up??? what?? some more explanation of that would be amazing I am so intrigued how that woks, thats SO long
I'm speechless, amazing video!
Would love to see more on this cave! Do you plan to film more explorations on this case in the future?
Hope to return early 2023
"To boldly go where no man has gone before."
You lads are in rare company.
I wanna learn to dive after seeing this. So crazy that it takes that much to decompress. How deep do you suspect this to go??
You guys are most couragous. Thanks for sharing it's the 3rd time I watch it and it is still breathtaking. Cheers!
shout out to dive talk
Awesome to see a cave dive in NZ. So much to learn about the country I live in.
This is absolutely incredible footage!😍
Very cool! I get spooked in the space of an elevator. Defitnitely couldn't do this myself. Thank you for the video.
Amazing! How long was your deco? How deep do you think this cave was?
The deco was over 15 hours, utilising the 4 habitats as we returned to the surface. The cave is still descending at -245m, so if I am to guess based on what we know about the geology, it may be 260-300m deep.
@@DrHarryH would love to find out more info about the habitats and how such a long deco happens. Do you have a video about this by any chance? thanks
@@DrHarryH 15 hours to discuss the "separation Incident" LOL
@@maxmouche Yes I can put some "habichat" video up.
@@maxmouche A bit of video about the habitats going up now.
I usually tense up watching cave diving videos, your comentary made it relaxing and it looks stunning!
I honestly have a real trouble to understand how so insanely trained cave divers manage to do so many elementary basic mistakes of cave diving... To a point that watching this video is just stressful...
- Buoyancy control is inexistant fins are banging all over the place. And even if in a high flow cave it's less of a concern... How about conservation ?
- Diver #2 passing in front of diver #1, in addition to flood light on DPV (reducing ability to communicate with primary lights) which lead to team separation (it's already bad on an easy cave dive... But gosh that dive is fairly extreme...)
- You guys get near entangled multiple times
- Diver #1 deploys a reel with absolutely no tie offs... It's floating and turning around... The line would just be useless in case you need to follow it by touch contact ...
- What happens to "keep a continuous guideline to exit"?
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I understand sometimes rules can be bent to adapt to the environment... But come on... What kind of example does it set? Not even the worst cavern student would do even half of that...
And the thing is... Given how insanely trained you guys are. You know all of that, you consciously decide to ignore and publicize extreme diving while ignoring the most elementary rules of cave diving... And with that you make video to teach people "which gas to use" or "which primary light to pick"? Seriously... What kind of role model do you guys set... Please do as I say, not as I do...
People like you (so trained, so knowledgeable) should do better. You have a responsibility to foster save diving practices! You may be okay with that risk level, you may be comfortable breaking rules where you believe it is sort of safe. Your videos will inspire someone to swim in a cave without a line, to disregard buoyancy (for safety and conservation), that having a team separation is no big deal (you can always come back and find your mate). What you do privately, I don't really care. Please understand you are not sharing this video with your mates, and your recklessness may influance someone (probably far less trained) the wrong way...
Anyway...I wish you to stay safe...
Yep, all fair criticisms. Hence my description of a warts and all look at the dive. I'm not hiding from any mistakes or inadequacies. I would suggest that by the time someone else reaches the point where they perform a dive like this they will know the rules and make their own risk decisions. Your criticisms about buoyancy, finning and cave conservation are not valid in my view given the equipment, cave topography and very hard marble of the cave...however I accept it looks ugly in the video. The line laying was better than it looks also, I believe the bit you are referring to is in a near vertical shaft and it was fine to follow on exit. The non-continuous line in parts is undoubtedly the most contentious part of the dive, and as I explained in a another reply it is a compromise made be able to do this exploration, but we made a personal decision based on many factors including the risks of patching line at depths between 150-200m. I would not encourage anyone to take such a short cut, and if it caused an accident I would not expect any sympathy. We are also working on how to efficiently avoid doing it again. I could choose not to show dives where we don't do everything correctly and perhaps that would be more socially responsible. Anyway I appreciate your comments.
@@DrHarryH don't get me wrong. I totally understand that we didn't climb the everest by respect every climbing rules. But there's a difference between you doing something where you can judge your comfort level and assess what risk you are comfortable with. And showing on an "education medium teaching less experienced divers which gas to use / which lights to use" arguable/dangerous practices for most. If someone start doing the same in a cave at 20m in Mexico or Florida, because if they think you can they should... It's a drama waiting to happen...
It's nice to be "transparent" and owning your mistakes... Though you guys have a role model and the responsabilities that it comes with... I wish you that your work and channel inspire a generation of cave divers and explorers. People who know when and how to break rules don't need anyone to show them 😊.
Anyway, I'm fully aware maybe the situation wasn't "as bad as it looks", my message was more about "teaching by example" than actually criticizing diving skills of someone who obviously know a TON more than any of us in the comments...
FANTASTIQUE!!! Thank you very much for this great video that took us almost there
I take my hat off to you guys, you guys are great, I have a lot of respect for your work, thanks for a great film.
The coolest part of this dive is you are probably the only person to have been there. Maybe ever too. That’s a pretty awesome feeling. Literally to go where no man has gone before.
Amazing. Massive respect guys, wow 245 meters down. Nice to see you just filmed the dive, simple. I scuba dive for fun, dived a few cenotes in Mexico ,but this is a different league ,literally😂. Great video. 👏👏👍
Thank you so much for this video. Can't wait to see what you and the whole team will achieve with further exploration in this amazing cave system.
I have scuba dived in Gran Canaria and Malta...going next week to Malta for 8 dives...this video is amazing
Hi Richard. It's amazing cave. There's no have life in this one down! Congratulations!
Brilliant video with brilliant commentary. Thank you and well done.
Love the Minecraft villager sounds when you're arguing around 21:00 lmao. Great video and an incredible cave as well. Good work
Don’t know why this was in my feed but wow. Now I have so many questions. Amazing video and even better commentary. Very brave.
Just finished watching interview on dive talk. Doc is their like a case study on how the Thai cave diving rescue was done. E.g ketamine dose ages, IV lines placed, complications of those locks, flushes of saline after bolus. And thank you for all the pioneering that you and the rest of the Cavies do.
Awesome video Richard. What an amazing place and you surely are very lucky to be able to be the first ones to see that cave. Looking forward to the next one 👍
Exceptional work gents. The lack of hyperbole is a New Zealand delight.
Extremely cool thing to have done and video. Can’t help but wonder as to how two professionals loose each other jeopardize the dive! Get mad at each other again jeopardize the dive! And then finally pull it together!!!!!!!!
Yes well, clearly not professionals!
Incredible dive. I get scared at 40M in open water without arguments. You have some serious composure and control operating with all that gear in confined space. Legend.
Love Craig rocking the good old Mares Avanti Quattro fins. Can't wait to see what's down that next shaft!
Choice of champions, I have the same.
Awesome to watch and vicariously go thru too …Thankyou so much ! Came from Dive Talk when you were on ..late to it but loved listening to you talk. Much respect 🫡🙏
it's amazing average people just see a stream and you divers show us another world. tough men for sure.
Thanks for sharing this. Please continue sharing future adventures
This was fantastic. Thanks. hopefully we get the chance to see whats further............
Looking forward to seeing deeper into the cave
Cave Diving! Guaranteed goosebumps and claustrophobia! Thx for this very well detailed narration. 😵💫
This is the most amazing thing Ive ever seen. These guys have more ability and talent than all of the government agencies and they are doing it by themselves. The diving technology is also amazing.
Been diving since the 80s and watching you I feel like I know nothing. Great video.
"Rank Stupidity" and a ersatz gong, haha. I reckon a few people probably won't get that reference, but it was awesome. Great dive mate, you're an absolute legend.