Here for your viewing pleasure we present the Helmetcam video from the dive on the Derwent last week. You will be able to spot the deliberate errors and problems:
1. Despite having 2 50W HID video lights mounted on the scooter, I left the lid of the battery at home on the charging bench, so the whole thing is lit by a normal dive light instead.
2. Over a minute and a half wasted trying to clip the strobe to the large diameter shot line.
3. I ran my scooter into some red fishing line and had to cut it free.

The Wetmules. Lurching from crisis to crisis.

On Thursday 12 April, Dave, Sandy and Craig dived the former HMAS Derwent west of Rottnest Island, Western Australia, which lies in 200m of water. The descent took 6 minutes and just under 9 minutes was spent on the wreck. Then 7 hours and 45 minutes decompression for a total runtime of 8 hours almost to the minute.

While Dave, Sandy and Craig were bouncing down to 200m on the wreck of the Derwent last week (wow!), Harry and Ken took a more leisurely dive with good friend Liz Rogers. The Rapid Bay jetty is a big dive, no doubt about it. Air diving to 9m (at high tide) can be fraught with peril, especially when the Mules cobble together some random dive kit to attach a single tank to. Harry nearly git away with it except he forgot a wing, a depth gauge, timer and knife. Ken's makeshift rubber band arrangement on the Nomad seemed to hold the tank in place, although it looked a bit wobbly. 

The Wet Mules have just completed the 2012 expedition to the Pearse River Resurgence near Mt Arthur in the South Island of New Zealand. The six Mules (David Bardi, Craig Challen, John Dalla-Zuanna, Richard “Harry” Harris, Ken Smith and Sandy Varin), were accompanied by diving physician and support Dr Karen Richardson for the 17 day trip.

Both primary objectives of the trip were accomplished. With the assistance of Nelson Speleological Group’s Andrew Smith and Dawn Wood, dye tracing from the Spillway in Nettlebed Cave again confirmed the connection between the two sites. Unfortunately, the dye appeared to be coming from the main passage deeper than 120m, so any hopes of making a shallow connection were lost.

Hence attention shifted back to pushing the deep section of the cave, and once the four habitats were installed at 7, 16, 28 and 38m, and gas was staged in the cave, build-up dives commenced. 

On Thursday 12^th January Dave and Sandy dived to 180m and completed an extraordinary 7 hour all in-water decompression.

The following day Richard Harris pushed past the end of Craig’s 2011 line at 194m, and laid 70m of line in large passage to a maximum depth of 207m. A total run time of 10½ hours was spent in comfort thanks to the habitats and the surface supplied suit-heating systems.

After two days of rain the resurgence flooded, delaying diving for a day. The final push dive by Craig Challen began on Sunday 15^th January as the water levels subsided. Tying off to the end of Harry’s line, he scootered on a short distance only to meet another steep descent. Craig made a final tie off at 221m and returned to the surface after a total dive time of 17 hours. The passage continues beyond, heading deeper.

 Ken, JDZ and Craig made tape measure surveys of several areas including the Nightmare Crescent and Big Room area at 120m.

As we write this, the Mules are relaxing back in Nelson with a few real ales and their ever congenial hosts Oz Patterson and Deb Cade.

Can't be that hard, even a girl's doing it!

Photo: Ken Smith

Photo: Richard Harris

Dave Bardi lends support at the 40 metre habitat.

Recently a few of the Mules were spotted in the South East, working on a film for the Mt Gambier council. The short film will showcase the local caves and the geology of the region, and is being presented by actor Luke McKenzie (Rescue Special Ops, Underbelly, Headland). Jdz, Harry, Craig and Ken showed the crew around a few sites and even got to do a bit of acting (well, we had to put our masks on and submerge under the water!)

It has come to our attention that there are other mules getting wet. See here for a brother in action in the Dominican Republic (plus some very slick cave diving video).

Here are 5 of the 6 Mules looking resplendent in their rebreathers in the entrance pool to the Pearse Resurgence. We made Ken take the photo because he doesn't have a rebreather (we won't let him get one).