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Thread: Cocodrillo Push

  1. #1

    Cocodrillo Push

    Leaving tomorrow for Cozumel to join the Cocodrillo Push Expedition. We will be diving this cenote, and perhaps others, all week. The aim of the expedition is push to the end of the cenote. There have been two previous expeditions to map and explore the cenote. There is some info in this thread on cdf.

    http://www.cavediver.net/forum/showt...ocodrillo+push

    Mike Young is leading the expedition which is being sponsored by Hollis Gear. Charles Studley and I will be representing NC Divers on the Team. Shane at Living on the Edge Adventures has teamed up with Nick at Hollis Gear to sponsor Charles and I. We will be diving the new Hollis SMS 100 system. I have been diving a DR Nomad and a "Razor" like homemade harness for awhile now. I'll let you know how they all compare.

  2. #2
    Well, we're back . It was an awesome trip and we laid approximately 5000 feet of new line in 2 different systems!

    First, the Hollis SMS 100. The unit is much more streamlined than the Nomad. It was very comfortable in the water and tough enough to withstand the rigors of some extremely tight squeezes. I do have 2 improvement recommendations for the unit though. First, it doesn't come with waist D Rings. I put these on before we left because I was planning to run some stage tanks. Second, the "plate" that the rails attach to is an odd shape. It took a bit of getting used to in order to run your hand around it and clip your tanks to the rails. In every other aspect though it was all positive. It is the best side mount system that I have dived to date. Many thanks to Nick and the Hollis Team as well as Shane at Living on the Edge Adventures in Gastonia for sponsoring us with these systems.

    On Saturday we dove the Aerolito System so that all Team members could get acquainted with each other. Aerolito is a nice system with a fairly well defined halocline and quite a bit of life in the salt water layer. Unfortunately, this system is being threatened by development. We were told that some of it has already been filled in because of a collapse during the construction of a resort. Afterwards we dove some inshore reefs off the beach.

    On Sunday we headed to the Cocodrilo System to stage some safety tanks and to allow all divers the opportunity to get acquainted with the system. One push diver headed in first, everyone else limited their penetration. The entry to the system is zero vis after the first diver entered and never got any better all week. Vis drastically improved after about the first hundred feet however. There is no salt water in this system although there is a distinct hydrogen sulfide layer. One of the mysteries in this system is that it is devoid of life, outside of the different bacterial strains thriving inside. The system formed dry, as evidenced by the speleothem decorations that litter the cave floors, walls, and cielings. After a late lunch several of us decided to head back to the beach for another reef dive.

    Monday morning had us preparing early for a push dive in Cocodrilo. I was part of a 4 person Team with Mike Young (the expedition leader), Adam McDowell, and Shirley Kasser. Our goal was to explore potential passages between 2 areas that had been mapped on previous expeditions. Here we laid approximately 800 feet of line in new passages before turning back. Heading out the Team split up but not before laying another 200 feet of line in a room that was so decorated on the cieling that it looked like a bed of nails. It was really spectacular. Heading out was a solo venture for me. On the way I left about 80 feet of line in a continuing passage that shrunk to a no mount size. I left the line to explore on another dive on the way in the cave rather than out. I explored one more passage on my way out. I had travelled approximately 120 feet and the passage walled out. I didn't see any reason for leaving the line in this passage so I started reeling it out. About halfway back to the main tunnel I spotted what looked like the lower jaw and several vertebrae of a good sized croc. I wasn't sure though because of the deep layer of silt that covered it. I reached into the silt and felt the bones. Sure enough, this was part of a croc skeleton! I tied my line off to the rock the skeleton was on and marked the line in the main tunnel so that I could share this discovery with the others. I headed out of system, pretty happy with the days work! Monday evening we met with German Yanez and informed him of the new croc discovery.

    Tuesday we couldn't dive in Cocodrilo so most of us headed back to Aerolito to try to take some pictures of all of the life in the system. What we found is that there is quite a bit of unlined passage in this system as well. We had a great time exploring the known and the unknown in this system. Not everyone went with us on this dive. Adam and Mike went to meet with some local folks to try to follow up on some leads from German about some unexplored cenotes in town. During the trip they were offered the opportunity by a land owner to check out what would later become known to us as the Sistema Sin Nombre. Between them they laid new line in a couple of passages and were so excited that our game plan for the rest of the week changed. After leaving Aerolito some of us headed for a drive, meaning to dive some reefs off of a local beach, but wound up driving halfway around the island checking out the sights and a few road side stands!

    Wednesday half of the Team went to Sistema Sin Nombre while the rest of us went back to Cocodrilo to film the finding of the croc skeleton and to pull the stage tanks from the cave. No new passages were surveyed in Cocodrilo but quite a bit was happening in Sistema Sin Nombre. The 2 Teams shared their experiences over dinner that afternoon and then we all headed to the dock where we had rented a boat for some evening and night diving on the reefs. We dove the Columbia Shallows reef (max depth of approximately 80 feet) for our first dive and then dove Paradise Reef (max depth approximately 45 feet) at night. The marine life was incredible. Our cameras captured everything from tiny nudibranchs, spiny lobsters, an octopus, a sea snake, up to good size tortugas. This was really a great night for everyone!

    The whole Team headed to Sistema Sin Nombre on Thursday. We dove in buddy Teams this day. This system appeared from the previous day to have 2 levels. The upper, fresh water level had a max depth of maybe 22 feet. The lower, salt water level extended to about 47 feet. One Team believes they found a very small entrance to a third level extending to perhaps 90 feet but there wasn't enough time to explore it. Maybe on the next expedition! Another Team entered the system via a second cenote and laid another 100 feet of new line. We weren't able to connect the 2 entrances however. I found a shortcut on the upper level that appears to connect the entrance (approximately 70 feet in) to the backside (a 2 hour swim according to Adam). This shortcut though is as close to being no mount as you can get without really being no mount. It was very difficult to get through. The rock in this system is also quite unique. It seems to "grab" hold of everything and not want to let go. It felt like I was diving through a maze of velcro that kept grabbing my wet suit.

    Many of the Team were heading home on Friday evening so we had a final dinner together Thursady night. Speaking of food though I would be remiss not to mention Sheri Young and Lynnette Garrett. They came along on the expedition and took great care of all of us all week! The meals they prepared were fantastic. We wanted for nothing while they were around. Thanks to both of them, this expedition was so much better because of all that they did for us! As people left on Friday Charles Studley, Barbara AmEnde and I headed to the mainland to dive Dos Ojos. 78 degrees and open enough such that abrasion protection was not necessary I opted to dive without my wetsuit. One of the pictures is posted on CDF with a caption contest if you want to check it out. Pretty funny, Barbara in a drysuit, me in a bathing suit.

    http://www.cavediver.net/forum/showthread.php?t=13553

    Dos Ojos is a fabulous dive. I can't wait to go back and go a little further into it.

    Saturday was the flight home. It was a very long yet totally satisying and enjoyable week.

    Again I can't thank Sheri and Lynnette enough for all they did for us, Mike Young for setting up the expedition, Hollis and Living on the Edge Adventures for their sponsorship. Together they afforded us a fantastic and memorable week.

  3. #3
    Admin denise's Avatar
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    Sounds like a great trip Mike!! You guys did great!

    Have you guys got a follow up trip planned? Tj and I are planning on getting to Mexico this year......
    Denise Byrne
    Marine Biologist/OW, Tech and Cave Instructor
    denise@dayo.com
    Orlando, Florida

  4. #4
    Hey Dinny, it sure was a blast. There is a follow up trip being tentatively planned for October 16 - 23. Unfortunately this time doesn't look very good for me right now, so you two can take my place

    You can follow the discussion here

    http://www.cavediver.net/forum/showt...=12618&page=31

    Depending on what you want though the mainland caves are more open and better decorated. The ones we were exploring are pretty tight in spots and do not have the pristine vis most people expect when heading to Mexico. The entrance to Cocodrilo and to Sistema Sin Nombre are both zero vis and stay this way for the first 100 feet, give or take a few.

    When are you planning to go?

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