Having finally arrived back in the UK I thought I would pick up the story where I left off………
Latest Entries »
I expected the first day on site to be just getting equipment unpacked, assembled and if all went well getting under water to test everything was still working after such a long trip.
The Blue Lake
This was partly true but I had not realised the extent to which this project has generated interest, both within the region in which the lake is situated and across Russia.
So, assembling and testing rebreathers was an oft repeated exercise whilst a national television station news crew filmed me. OK, that was not so bad but when the organisers told me the news team wanted an interview I have to admit I was a little nervous. It was probably just as well that the interview was conducted through a translator, although the interviewer did raise his eyebrows when I started to answer him, albeit in English, before one particular question had been translated! I was lucky to have understood him or I must have guessed the question correctly.
At last I got in to the water with two of the support team for my first dive in the Blue Lake. As well as testing equipment, checking the habitat and taking the opportunity to dive with two of the support team (one of whom I knew from his being a student of mine) I had time to drop a little deeper and start collecting a few small rock samples which I knew the scientists wanted but they were not expecting to get this early on. We also took temperature readings at different depths and passed this on the the science team who seemed very pleased.
Briefing from lead scientist from Perm University
Once out of the water I settled in to cleaning rebreathers and sorting kit, but was again whisked away by car to attend a ‘panel interview’ with the organisers, scientists and underwater camera crew discuss the project for a TV documentary. Yet again they were polite enough to include me in their discussions and questions with the aid of an interpreter and I just hope I did not look too much like a rabbit caught in headlights.
The day started well with very little traffic on the way to Heathrow Airport. I guess, for most people, the Christmas and New Year Holiday had not yet come to an end. Clearing check-in was quick and easy and no one even asked why I was taking so much luggage.
Things slowed down a bit once I was through to departures. Firstly, I discovered that due to all the high winds and very bad weather the flight had been delayed and may even be cancelled. There was nothing much to do except sit down and answer a few emails before I found something to eat. When I did get up to head to breakfast the delay had gone from four hours left to go to just two, which was good news. One cup of tea later and I looked at the boards to see that the delay itself had been cancelled and I now had less than 20 minutes to get to the gate. I was the other side of the departure area, so time to break in to one of those ‘I am late but I don’t want to admit it’ jogs along the corridor
I got to the gate in time and boarded a fairly empty aircraft. They closed the doors and off we went. Well, off we went going backwards in to position to taxi to the runway, but then nothing happened. There were some odd noises followed by silence, followed by the captain announcing that the engines (or at least one of them) had failed to start.
So we all sat there being served more and more drinks while engineers did engineering things and the captain pushed buttons but still no joy.
“We need to find another aircraft” came the next announcement. At least the captain came out to explain in person that our original aircraft was still stuck in Germany and they had to hunt around to get a replacement but that a second replacement may take more time
So we sat on the plane for close to four and a half hours whilst they found another aircraft. A quick transfer by bus and a check to ensure all the luggage was onboard and we finally headed off in to the night sky.
We landed in Moscow in the early hours of the next morning. The luggage arrived in next to no time and I went to do battle with Russian Customs officials. They were definitely not sure what to make of the mountain of equipment I had balanced on two trolleys and started to ask questions far beyond the scope of my limited Russian language skills. I did however, have what I hoped to be my ‘get out of jail’ (or at east get through customs) free card.
My official invitation to take part in this project came from the Russian Committee for Olympic Sport. Diving might not be on their list but I was also lucky enough to be carrying a letter explaining my invitation, what I was doing in Russia and why I had all these boxes. I handed the letter to the first Customs officer who read it, looked at me then handed the letter to an obviously more senior official. He duly read the letter, looked me up and down and handed the letter up the chain of command. Thankfully the passing the decision making upwards only lasted three or four rounds before they x-rayed my luggage and waved me though.
Once through Customs I was met by two very patient support divers and we headed in to Moscow by car. It was decided that it would be a good idea to get something to eat. In true Russian style we of course went to a night club! Three cold, booted and thick jacketed divers then threaded our way across a throbbing dance floor passed scantily clad gyrating girls who did not appear to me to think that this was at all strange. We made our way to a small ‘VIP’ room at the back to have some fabulous borsch followed by poached salmon before heading back across the dance floor and out in to the cold night air.
I had been asked some time before I left UK if, when I stayed for the first night in Moscow, I would require a 5 star hotel or similar comfort. With only three hours available to sleep before we needed to get on our way to the dive site it would have been a waste if I had said yes. I of course said that anywhere I could sleep and have a shower would be fine, so I spent three hours in a bedroom in the athletes area in a sports complex originally built for the 2000 Moscow Olympics.
We then drove through the centre of Moscow, right past the Kremlin in all it’s amazing glory, to the train station for the 26 hour train journey to . This is not the first time I have seen Moscow and the Kremlin by night and it really is fabulous to see.
Twenty six hours on a train sounds like no fun but we had cabins with comfortable enough bunks and he journey was interspersed with eating and the occasional glass of vodka.
The train journey was capped off with a few hours by van to finally arrive at the Blue Lake. A little tired but raring to get under water and start exploring.
The packing is almost done, just the 100 kg plus of luggage to drag through the airports! Once again I really do need to say thank you to all the dive equipment manufacturers who have jumped in with offers of sponsorship. My very good friends at Analox (www.analox.net) are looking after the gas we breathe with an ATA Trimix Analyser, an O2EII Nitrox Analyser and an EII CO Carbon Monoxide Analyser. Not only that but they are very generously helping finance part of the expedition. Without these guys we would be a bit stumped.
The ANALOX Analysers tested and ready for packing
Next in the bags is the warm and toasty HALO 3D from Fourth Element. Fourth Element (www.fourthelement.com) are one of the major sponsors of the project and a mountain of their thermal gear has already been shipped and is on site.
The HALO 3D - looking for a space in one of the bags!
Santi Drysuits (www.santi.pl) have kindly lent a dry suit and active heating systems. With luck I will have surface supplied power in the habitat. I will update the blog with progress on that once we have got it up, running and fully functioning.
More kit, this time from Santi Drysuits
Liquivision (www.liquivision.com) have loaned some X1 computers too 
Last but certainly not least, Imtech (www.imtech.eu) are sponsoring the habitat. Imtech are a European-wide company specialising in major electrical, mechanical and ICT engineering works. I am looking forward to working with them post expedition to look at environmental control for habitats to make these types of project even safer.
APD come up trumps
Yet more boxes and more packing. This time courtesy of APD who have kindly lent a couple of Inspirations for the project. (The black covered one is my own unit). The house is more over run with dive kit than usual.
‘Christmas’ is continuing with the arrival of a mountain of equipment very kindly loaned for the project by our sponsors. Of course it all has to be tested and then packed ready to fly out with me on 3rd Jan.
CathX Ocean Dive Lights
The first boxes opened were from CathX Ocean (www.cathxocean.com) who have very generously lent us 2 hand held lights (www.cathxocean.com/products/eu_product/euphos_handheld/) and an umbilical primary light (www.cathxocean.com/products/eu_product/euphos_umbilical/).
Can’t wait to try them out underwater.
CathX Ocean Lights
Blue Lake is a beautiful karst spring which is located in Kabardino-Balkaria in the Caucasian mountains in the South of Russia.
At 235m in length, 130m wide and 258 m deep Blue Lake is currently considered to be the third largest karst source in the world and second largest in Europe.
Blue Lake
It’s sheer size is not the only reason to consider this lake a unique natural object. With the water temperature of approximately 9oC from the bottom to the surface it offers excellent conditions for the preservation ofartifacts. The lake offers enormous potential for discovering a host of historically significant objects on the bottom. The Blue Lake has been an intersection of world history since the time of peoples’ migration from Africa to Europe and for thousands of years people have thrown things in to the lake expecting them to disappear forever.
It is difficult to imagine what discoveries await the inquisitive explorer of the lake, from the precious weapons of Tamerlane’s troops to Second World War Romanian army equipment, from the oldest evidence of human history to the trucks laden with Georgian port wine circa 1920 which has probably matured nicely over the years.
The amount of water which comes out of the lake is huge. The water carries up about 35 – 50 m3 of dissolved rocks every day. This proves the existence of a very deep and significant cave system in the lake. One of the project objectives is to locate, penetrate and explore this cave system it, aiming to prove the Blue lake is the deepest karst spring in the world to date.
Blue Lake Awareness Project includes:
-
Research of the lake with ROV robots and a 3D-scanner.
-
A series of scientific deep dives – to take samples of silt, rocks, water and temperature measurements.
-
A series of deep dives (including a dive to the bottom 258m) with the aim of photographing historically significant artifacts and their recovery.
-
A series of deep dives to locate the cave system and source of the spring leading to the exploration of the deepest underwater cave system in the world.
Blue Lake Awareness Project participants:
-
Martin Robson, deep diver and cave explorer.
-
Team of scientistsfrom Perm Science Institute, headed by the rector of Perm Science Institute (Russia), Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences Nikolai Maksimovich.
-
Italian geomorphologist, professor of Verona University, Giovanni Badino.
-
A special detachment from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.
-
Director of Research Center“Blue Lake”, the champion of Russia in deep diving Igor Galaida.
-
Natalie Avseenko, twice world champion in free diving.
The project will make use of unique equipment from Perm University Russia and Verona University Italy specifically designed for exploration of underwater caves.
The results of the research will be published in the diving and scientific magazines all around the world including:
National Geographic
Asian Diver (Asia Pacific)
Diver (UK)
Diver (Canada)
Unterwasser (Germany)
Plongeurs International (France)
Plongee (France)
Advanced Diver Magazine (USA)
Ocean Geographic (Australia)
Dive the World (Denmark)
DYK (the Scandinavian dive magazine)
InVertum (Russia)
Ultimate Depth (Russia)
Mergulho (Brazil)
And many others.
The results of the project as well as photographs will be published as a book (128 pages, hardcover). The best photographs will be chosen to be a part of photo exhibition dedicated to the Blue Lake Awareness Project.
The book and exhibition will be presented at the Golden Dolphin Show in Moscow 16 – 19 February 2012.
The project is supported by:
-
The Kabardino-Balkaria government
-
Russian Ministry for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters(MOE)
-
Russian Geographic Society
-
National Geographic
-
Nikon
-
SUBAL GmbH
-
Fourth Element
-
Analox
-
Santi
-
Imtech
-
Ambient Pressure Diving
Photographs from these projects have been seen on a worldwide basis, including covers of Times andAsian Divermagazines and have been published in dozens of magazines and newspapers (National Geographic, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, The Independent and others) and the main pages of thousands of the most popular web sites and internet-portals all around the world. They have been seen by millions of people.
We are sure that the Blue Lake project will be as successful and as rich in results as our previous projects.
Written by Vikki Batten, PADI Tec Diving Division
Date – July 2011
Location – A secret hideaway (ok, I’m getting carried away already – it was PADI EMEA HQ,Bristol!)
Event – (This bit really was exciting) Three rebreather instructor trainers completed a week’s intensive training with PADI Technical Diving Division Staff as well as rebreather manufacturers including Ambient Pressure, VR Technologies and Poseidon.
The result of this intensive training was that three experienced rebreather instructor trainers became PADI’s first ever Rebreather Instructor Trainers.
Martin Robson, Christian Heylan and Vikki Batten will launch the PADI Rebreather Courses by running a series of Instructor training and crossovers as well as Instructor Trainer courses.
Martin Robson has been diving rebreathers for 30 years and is an instructor trainer trainer on lots of different rebreathers as well as for open circuit and cave. Martin has worked with PADI as a technical field consultant and BETA tester for the rebreather and sidemount courses as well as leading the rollout of the rebreather courses.
Christian Heylan is an instructor trainer for technical diving including several different makes and models of rebreather. Christian also regularly teaches PADI Instructor Development Courses as well as running a busy tec diving centre, in Egypt. Christian is excited to be working with PADI to launch the new rebreather courses.
Vikki Batten is a Trimix Instructor Trainer and Cave Instructor. She is also an Instructor Trainer on several rebreathers and has run her own tec diving centre. Vikki now works for PADI as a member of the Technical Diving Division and Rebreather Advisory Team and has been involved in the development and rollout of the rebreather courses.
If you would like to teach PADI Rebreather Courses look out for an event near you.
Very excited to have been invited to speak at the next OZTek.
http://www.diveoztek.com.au/
http://www.diveoztek.com.au/speakers73.htm
Each dive starts with a series of pre-dive checks and skills to confirm that everything and everyone is absolutely ready to go in the cave.
Pre-dive checks in the head pool at Peacock 1
