UKDIVING
Martyn Farr at Prods pot , Ireland in 1976
Charles George and Brian de Graff in South Wales , 1961
PHOTO : DAVID HUNT
CLIVE WESTLAKE
Exploration and Evolution
In the early years after the group ’ s formation , the availability of Ex-WD oxygen rebreathers allowed divers to work autonomously and travel further than had been previously possible using base-fed equipment , leading to a spate of new discoveries including advances at Wookey Hole and Peak Cavern in Derbyshire . There was also a recordbreaking dive at Clapham Beck head in 1953 , when Bob Davies and John Buxton covered a distance of 117m underwater , proving that lengthy dives were possible .
In the late 50s , the trend was towards diving with the aqualung , leading various CDG members to experiment with this equipment . In 1962 the legendary and rather eccentric Mike Boon was to pioneer the open circuit side-mount set-up that has become the default for British cave divers . In a display of unmatched nerve , he pushed the constricted Swildon ’ s Sump 7 and also demonstrated the potential of no-mount diving . Although the dive was not without incident and he narrowly avoided his early demise wedged solidly underwater , tank at arm ’ s length , mask ripped off and regulator pulled from his mouth !
John Volanthen and Rick Stanton in Wookey Hole , 2005
Martyn Farr and Rob Palmer in the Bahamas , 1981
PHOTO : FARR COLLECTION
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PHOTO : GAVIN NEWMAN