Birth of a Cave Diving Legend - A Tribute to Sheck Exley

[@ViagensGringa]

that was cool thanks!

[@Adam202]

This is some really great work. Well done sir and thank you for sharing.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks so much for the feedback 😀 It was alot of work but we had alot of fun on the project but nothing feels bettet than someone taking the time to share their thoughts🙂Best of luck and stay safe in the caves, they are beautiful but deadly Best Regards Jim Thomas

[@D-me-dream-smp]

As someone who unfortunately can barely even swim I find this sport both terrifying and fascinating. I'll admit I find the idea of being deep underwater in a small dark enclosed space induces intense feelings of claustrophobia but by viewing some of the incredible footage I can understand some of the attraction. I can't even imagine attempting to do it without a guideline considering I often get disoriented and lost in a shopping mall!

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Masha, you are not alone, caves can be very disorienting, and underwater, even more so. But, one aspect of this sport sets it apart from others. Floating weightless through tunnels filled with air clear water, in the dark, following a flash light beam is mesmerizing. Coupled with the hissing and bubbling of the life support systems and the hollow echoing report of the exhaust bubbles cascading across the cave ceiling, induces an OTHER WORLDLY experience. Some divers call it "Cave Crack" as it is a truly addicting sensory overload experience. AND a whole lot of fun!!!!. Thanks so much for the feedback. JT

[@garlandremingtoniii1338]

Get disoriented & lost inside a shopping mall???? You gotta be kidding all of us.

[@wickedlee664]

I can doggy paddle. I love to watch cave diving from my easy chair while holding my breath and panicking. Good fun!

[@adriatic.vineyards]

@@garlandremingtoniii1338 only if you don't follow the 5 rules of cave diving ;)

[@asafaust8869]

I bet you never "lost" your car before. In my defense, my Toyota sits low. If a pick up truck or an SUV blocks my view, after I come out of the store, I cannot see my car. I use the alarm system to find it. Hence, I would be in trouble under water. Silt out would equal drowning. No cave diving for me, thank you. 😮

[@cavedivecamp6377]

This is the most accurate plausible realistic cave diving video ever. I hate inaccuracies in cave diving. This video is a standard for accuracy in this system and caving videos in general.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks for the awesome comments!! It always makes me smile when someone sees exactly what I was after. Did most of my training and diving in Peacock. It’s my home spring. Read “Lost in the Slough” 10 years after my first dive there. With that much exposure before reading the story, I could see exactly what happened in my head as was reading it. A bunch of dives later with Paul Clark and …. you know the rest. Thanks again for the awesome feedback JT

[@magaisacult2023]

Had the pleasure of talking with Sheck around 1992. I was diving Eagles Nest and he was teaching a mixed gas course. He was a brilliant man. Paul Heinerth was my Cavern and intro to cave instructor. Sadly, he wasn't avail when I took my full cave class. Dove with Paul dozens of times.

[@thereisaplace]

Congrats to you… Paul as your cave instructor would be amazing!

[@crystalm4324]

Well researched, written, and filmed. Thank you it was very much enjoyed.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Wowza NOW that’s some really good feedback!! Bang on!!! I did the best I could as it was for Sheck one of my heros from my earliest days in diving school. Stay safe and thanks again JT

[@proudchristian77]

That was a sweet story , awe, tyvm !so glad he made it out .

[@bkenwood88]

How can something so fascinating be something I literally could not force myself to do? You guys are insanely brave, especially considering how many safety conscious, wildly experienced professionals have died thinking they had all their bases covered.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

I was a commercial diver before cave diving but that didn't prepare me for the caves but diving school eliminated all those who were not extremely comfortable underwater. Nevertheless, you have to stay sharp and remain calm when things go wrong. There is no option but to work things out and head back towards the exit. I always go with buddies that I trust and who I know have their shit together. And each of us carries two separate life support systems. It is incredibly fascinating to float weightless in air clear water through limestone tunnels. It is otherworldly, maybe like in space.

[@johncunningham60]

I was supposed to take some lessons from Sheck but wandered into some cave systems I had no business in. Ginnie/Devils Eye/Little River....I did this with a so called experienced cave diver a Bill Hurst who is now dead. ( Bill was taught by Sheck)His death saved my life as I was going to continue diving with him and had I continued I am sure I would be dead now. He was going to show me all the caves even though I had no experience. I look back at my dives with him now and realize I would not be around if I continued. He was a diver with reckless abandon I now. He put me in silt out conditions and other situations I am today too scared to think about. This was in 1975...I can say I am still alive today because A. His death scared me and I did not get another chance to dive with him although we planned too, and B. I never took a cave diving lesson to get me hooked on a sport that would had eventually got me killed. One time I was brave enough to dive into Devils Eye with another non caving buddy of mine and we went to far in without a reel. We got back to the entrance he shot up a wrong crevice and I followed and it went nowhere. He go stuck and I was able to pull him back out...we got lost at the entrance! I saw my air bubbles going up and not getting trapped on the cave ceiling and followed them up and out. Another close call. At that I decided to quit. I had a new wife and I did not want to play cave diving roulette any more. I love the feeling of exploration too much and watching this video made me realize I was much like Sheck as a young diver. I too had a J valve and got lost. Had Sheck died that day who knows where the sport would have went. We will never know. This I do know. The grim reaper awaits you in those cave systems as many of the underwater warning signs tell you. No doubt because even the so called best divers have died from cave penetrations from all over the world.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Wow! Thanks for sharing that! Wow! I too was that "young diver" but got lucky and ended up in commercial diving school which kept me out of the caves before it was too late. Like you, I was just lucky. Really, thanks so much for sharing your experiences! As Sheck wrote, there are days that when remembered, make you cringe. Many of the ones I recall were in those cave/cavern systems. Best regards, Jim

[@richardleetbluesharmonicac7192]

Most cave divers eventually die from accidents.

[@magaisacult2023]

@@richardleetbluesharmonicac7192 FALSE. You are extremely ignorant.

[@richardleetbluesharmonicac7192]

I known many who drowned Your ignorant.

[@richardleetbluesharmonicac7192]

@@magaisacult2023 read all the American Caving Accidents in the NSS logs over a ten year period it will give you a real clear picture of who’s ignorant.

[@shaybarfield362]

This was absolutely amazing. Beautiful, detailed, suspenseful at times. Exhilarating, yet calming with your voice. You truly do a service to Sheck's memory. I'd like to think that's all he wanted.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Well well well Shay! thats the greatest compliment I have ever had for this film bar none!!! If I were the king I would knight you Sir Shay 😃 Some folks didn’t appreciate my southern accent. Oh well, I made the film for Sheck anyway. Hey, best regards to you and yours and if we ever end up in cave country at the same time, we should do the Olsen traverse and come back through “the maze”. Thanks a bunch, JT

[@thereisaplace]

Ugh, steel 72’s. I don’t miss those tanks. I remember doing Peacock / Pothole traverse in the 80’s and did it on thirds (I was lot more athletic then). So many memories. Thank you for posting this. Very appreciated.

[@farmsalot1233]

I'm fine with going in caves WITHOUT water. But I'll admit it's fascinating watching videos of diving in caves.

[@geelop5129]

This was amazing well put together I understood exactly what Shack was going through from your narration and your Maps great job

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks Jorge!! Your comments are appreciated so much. I put alot of time into the detail trying to solve that puzzle. Thanks again for the kind thoughts.

[@tonydanis1480]

I lived in Florida and am a cave diver. In the 80-90s, I would visit many of the springs in North Florida Sheckley had discovered or explored (by the way, buy his biography "Caverns Measureless To Man", incredible read). Anyway, there were always locals kids and young people just hanging around the springs Some of these kids remembered attending Sheck's classes in high school, where he taught math Interestingly, many of them say he was not a popular teacher, being extremely demanding and relentless. This seems to jive with his cavediving exploratory drive.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

That is a very interesting insight, very good to hear from you, stay safe, the cave is always watching. Best regards JT

[@thereisaplace]

I still have my signed copy of Caverns Measureless.. Good times diving in the 80’s, before the damn nitrates began ruining the springs :-(

[@ftothel794]

thank you SO MUCH for taking your time to create this video and make it available on KZbin. Sheck Exley was THE "water divider" when it comes to cave diving. I keep telling everyone I know that NOBODY has written anything nealy as relevant as he has. There are several organizations and cert. agencies that claim to be "above and beyond everyone else" but, no... Sheck Exley was above and beyond everyone else.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Sheck was a true pioneer and earned the title of legend. As you put so eloquently, he was above and beyond. And also, thanks so much for taking the time to comment on the video.

[@flyrod850]

It just so happens I dove Peacock yesterday (after a 35+ year absence from that particular cave system) and Dr. Hess and I came home to view your tribute to Sheck... which is also a masterpiece of an educational film. I was incredibly fortunate to know Mr. Exley from cave classes of his I attended in the early 80's and from working as a support diver at the Wakulla '87 Expedition. Your video is magnificently well done; not only the technical aspects such as images, narration, editing and graphics, but you masterfully capture the subjective human pathos (read: terror) as well. BRAVO!! It was so very wonderful to revisit a cave I hadn't dove in years...and I'll be darned, when we pull up in the parking lot, guess who's sitting at a picnic table puttering with his gear? Paul Heinerth!!

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Well thank you very much for the wonderful comments which are far and away the most wonderful accolade of the project. Wowza!! I always love to hear from folks and this was a great day. Best regards JT 😁

[@arturasb]

incredible story. thank you very much!

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks so much for the feedback 😃 glad you enjoyed the movie Best regards JT

[@jackhardy915]

I made that dive in 1970. Single 72 no pressure gauge just a J valve. I set a flashing light in the exit but didn't see it until I made the turn up. Scared my to death. Much later took a cave class from Rose at Ginny springs, I owe her my life. Great little story. Many of us owe our lives to Sheck Exley.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Oh baby!!!! I HATE it when your blood runs cold like that!! Very creepy and way creepier when it hits you that you might not get out. And, it was so much fun right up to that point. As Long John said, shiver me timbers. Glad you made it and thanks for the feedback!!

[@towelman8589]

You deserve wayyyy more views and subs! This was incredible! Hope to see more cool vids in the future 👍👍👍👍👍

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Anxiety Free is good!!! Thank you for kind words. It makes the effort worthwhile when someone gets it!

[@coffeeandkeys1980]

That was an amazing story! Thankyou

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts 😃 best regards JT

[@angelaryals4875]

What a great tribute to Sheck! Thanks for sharing this, Jim!

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks for the kind words!!!

[@clubsport9334]

I just learnt about Sheck today. Reading the Aussie cave divers account of their rescue of the Thai soccer players trapped in the cave. He wrote the first safety guide for cave divers. Sounds like he was a true legend. I'm now obsessed with cave diving. I recently ticked of a bucket list dive in a cenote in Mexico. Amazing experience. Not sure I could push through tight squeezes though!

[@alipura146]

As a cave diver that went through a similar ordeal recently, watching this was heartpumping.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Yikes!!! I have been momentarily separated from the line before and in silty conditions, and HEART PUMPING is right on the money. Just before the pumping though I felt my blood turn to ice, just really cold feeling and your whole body prepares to "RUN", but you cant, you just have to chill, stay calm and solve the problem, we carry alot of air into the caves and as Mike O'leary always preached "if you got air, you got time" . He was right you have to shut down the part of yourself that wants to flee and instead you have to remain, calm, focus and solve what ever is bothering you.

[@stephnicole3078]

I am so impressed by the quality and effort put into making this video! A fitting tribute to Sheck. Thank you!

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks for the Awesome feedback!! Wowza That was the spirit of the team. We really put a lot of effort into the project to honor Sheck, he truly was one of a kind and one of the greatest explorers that ever lived

[@mikeso2084]

Now I gotta read those books, he really was a legend!

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks a bunch for the feedback! Yes, he was in that special league of humans that stand out from the rest. The ones that set the bar for us all. And he was a really good guy based on my reading. Best Regards JT

[@kaylinklimple2167]

Awesome video, thank you.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Wow❤️ that’s a home run! So great to hear the feedback! Thanks so much! Stay safe in the caves, they are beautiful but can be deadly! Best Regards JT

[@lofficer11]

That guy was crazy. I couldn’t imagine the feeling he got once lost.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Uggh , you aint kidding. Crazy and lucky! Most people would never have made it out. Underwater caves are very dangerous, special training, redundancy in gear and good situational awareness, and experience greatly improve the odds of having an incredibly exhilarating experience that can be repeated again and again 😃 Best Regards JT

[@tomhurstdrums]

My dad (Bill Hurst) dove quite a bit with Sheck in the early 70’s. Dad died diving in Peacock Slough as well. Beautiful, but deadly cave system for sure.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Dear Bill, I am so sorry about your Dad. I nearly had the same fate but just got lucky that day. Sadly, the sport continues to claim lives despite the great strides in safety.

[@tomhurstdrums]

Hi Jim! Thank you, but please don’t feel any sadness. Dad (Bill Hurst, I’m Tom Hurst actually went out doing what he genuinely loved in one of his favorite systems. (He dove Peacock quite a bit in the early 70’s. We were actually camping at his true favorite system, Little River, the night he became lost in the Slough.) I had the good fortune to become friend with Wes Skiles some years before he passed away, and he told me great stories of learning cave mapping from my dad. It was so cool to hear Wes’ respect for guys like Sheck, my pops and Louis Holzendorff. They did what they loved and went place most of us would never dare. Thank you for your kindness and for this great look into the very place where I believe my dad’s spirit remains at peace to this day.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

That is the most lovely sentiment that I have ever heard.

[@ricardomontalban6004]

Tom Hurst )

[@tomhurstdrums]

Ricardo montalban Thanks! Love this beautiful doc. Jim did a great job.

[@bombousboy]

Thank you very much. An eye opening and illuminating documentary. Revelatory in its own right. You made me feel what Sheck felt. Kind regards.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

That was indeed the goal! It was so much fun to make, unforgetable team of folks. Best regards JT

[@rodstephens6612]

In 2000, I had read 'Caverns Measureless to Man' but not 'Lost in the Slough'. I was already hooked. By the end of 2001 I had progressed my certification from Advanced Open Water diver to Cave Diver. And were did I do my Cave Diving training dives? Peacock Springs. I still remember doing the Orange Grove to Peacock I grand tour as our graduation dive. The Star Trek syndrome got me into the sport, but the tranquility kept me there. I had a great teacher, he had helped Sheck prepare for some of his depth record dives. He instilled a deep sense of caution and a solid grounding in dive planning. Have not strapped on my doubles in a few years, but watching this has scratched and itch. I need to put aside the Caribbean and call up some of my old overhead environment cohorts. Nice work Jim.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Rod, thanks for the great feedback! I did that dive about 3 weeks ago, it never gets dull and tranquility is my favorite part of cave diving, it just feels so good, I hate to leave, unless I'm getting cold. Best Regards and good diving, JT

[@tradingcomparisons6591]

This was amazing. Great job.

[@michaelmuir4548]

Great work, thank you 🇬🇧

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

My pleasure and thanks so much for the feedback, it always makes my day 🌝 cheers. JT

[@michaelmuir4548]

@@eye-of-Ishtar I'm currently reading 'Raising the dead' about Dave Shaw's last dive at Bushman's Hole, a great book in which Sheck gets mentioned a lot which led me to your great video. I found it really interesting so thanks again and stay safe

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

@@michaelmuir4548 the shaw story is so sad, really sad, you can feel it in your bones.

[@michaelmuir4548]

@@eye-of-Ishtar it is indeed.

[@baaardmanbt5369]

Best diving video I have ever watched... Great work man.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks so much for the great feedback! Truth is, that project was the most fun I ever had underwater 😁. Solving the mystery was the second most fun thing I ever did, underwater or not. I was stumped as to why he didn't recognize the exit, aside from not having a guideline 🙄, and then I noticed that both views of the cave at the point where he got lost, looked very similar using a 4 watt light. From there I knew exactly why he ended up in the tiny crevice fighting for his life with about 500 psi left in his tank. I bounced this idea of Andrew Higgy, who is one the finest cave divers in the world, and he agreed that the wall that Sheck approached at the intersection of the well line and the gold line does indeed look like the crack where Sheck entered the cave. Mystery solved! The rest of the work then built around this concept. I can't even remember how many dives we did but it was ALOT. Thanks again for the wonderful feedback. Best regards, JT

[@chrispuder1527]

Well Done! Thanks for all the work you put into this

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

So glad you liked it! Had a lot of fun making it.

[@ichoosefreedom9321]

Wow absolutely great video.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks a bunch for the awesome feedback!! I always feel a special freedom floating weightless through the deep and dark halls and crystal clear waters of the Peacock Slough, after the initial heebee jeebees of being stuck in there far far from the entrance subside that is 👀 . Takes about 15 mins then ahhhhh😃 totally 😎 Best regards JT

[@ichoosefreedom9321]

@@eye-of-Ishtar no, thank you for replying bro. Honestly iv got so much respect for scuba divers like you. Especially the ones that explore underwater caves. That stuff I can’t get enough of. Be safe out there jim. I’ll definitely subscribe to your channel.

[@lauraandrews8072]

That was fascinating. Great to see video of it all. My gosh what an experience even just sitting here at my computer. Since just reading Jill Heinerth's book, Into The Planet, I recognized Sheck's name from the title. I can't get enough video's.....from the safety of my chair that is!! Thanks.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Laura thanks for the wonderful feedback! It means alot to me when people take the time to write. The video was exhausting to produce but it was a good kind of fun with all of my favorite dive buddies helping me. I couldn't let that story end the way it did in the book. Best regards Jim Thomas

[@onenesswithJesus]

I truly enjoy the Legend of Sheck Exley.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks so much, you are very kind.

[@chasem7130]

Wow what a video, I loved every minute of it

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

So glad you liked it!!! Thanks for the feedback

[@KHH595]

Wow. I was transfixed through the entire video. Great work!

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

A great compliment indeed coming from queen Boudicca 😀 And my oh my did we have fun making it, what alot of fun. Cymru am byth! I think that's right🤔 Thanks a bunch! Jim Thomas

[@taysikanen]

This was so interesting! Thank you for sharing this facinating story. I'm amazed by it and also by the effort you've seen to discover the route.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks for the awesome feedback. Really appreciated! Finding out what went wrong was good fortune. I was sitting with Andy Higgie, one of the top divers in the world, going over the filming when I saw that the cave wall to the right of the gold/well line intersection looked almost identical to the gold line exit. What??? I thought to myself Sheck have thought the same thing as this was his first dive here. I asked Andy if he thought this looked like the gold line exit and without hesitation he answered Yes. Going from there it was easy to see why Sheck went up the tiny crevice. Thanks again for the feedback,much appreciated. Best regards. JT

[@yojimbobimbo4684]

Cool to see, but I wouldn't have the guts to dive in caves, have fear of being trapped underneath water.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks for the feedback! We carry multiples sets of life support so that we have several backups if one fails. Also I almost always have with me someone that I trust in case of emergencies. But it still takes experience before you really feel at ease. Best of luck and thanks for watching! JT

[@IstayHighAF]

And even then people hit lottery numbers. You have a far better chance of everything failing

[@budhunsicker8904]

That's a rational fear. Tight spaces is a hard NO for me!

[@Dorff_Meister]

Really nicely done. Thanks!

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks Kevin 😊 that always feels good to hear. We did our best!!

[@JayMiller-fo3lf]

Have dived peacock many times. Because of the part of taming the slough that describes this dive I have always shed away from this tunnel. I prefer entering either of the two entrances at orange Grove sink and running the circuit to Olsen. The peanut tunnel is also a fav. Long live the memory of Sheck

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

I know what you mean, there are so many tunnels branching in that space of the cave. SO easy to get turned around in there, especially with crappy lights. I love the peanut tunnel too such a relaxing run, might actually be my favorite. Thanks a bunch for the feedback. Best regards JT

[@jayjay7474]

Thank you for this outstanding video. Greetings from Germany.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thank you for the kind words, we tried to get it right since it was for Sheck.

[@andrewtucker7990]

This is awesome.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks so much for the feedback!!! So glad you enjoyed it. I was shooting for awesome but you never know what you have until you get the feedback from people other than family or friends 😎 Best Regards and stay safe JT

[@andrewtucker7990]

@@eye-of-Ishtar no problem, man. Keep it up!

[@aaronkormos7043]

Awesome video. A lot of rich history and great investigation.

[@billkotch9750]

WOW Avid diver here, one friend tried to get me into cave diving ( dark side) as he called it. This is a very good and informative video THANKS!

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks so much Bill for the feedback, this video definitely shows what to expect in an underwater cave. Best regards JT

[@karstoutdoors1606]

I read "Taming of the Slough" quite a few years ago. I remember that particular story, but had forgotten most of those specific details. That was great recreation of that dive. It's a great lesson that those who don't cave dive have a hard time understanding. Along with cave diving, I do a bit of dry caving around Chattanooga and I always tell new cavers to remember to turn around from time to time and look back where they came from. Cave passages, both wet and dry, may look one way heading in and much different heading out. Great cave diving lesson!

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks so much for the feedback, it means a lot to me, especially from the cavers who have experienced the unforgivingness of that environment. Best regards, JT

[@terribarrett9381]

I have never been cave diving but I understood everything Sheck saw and experienced that day thanks to your map and the way you talked us through it. Well done.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

What a great comment, I love it when folks enjoy the show and we had alot of fun getting the shots and fitting the puzzle together. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. JT

[@damianmoskos2299]

Ingrossing sstory telling just getting back into diving what a lucky escape.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks for the feedback Damian 😀 sorry i missed your initial reply, i retired recently and find i am way busier now than when i was working 🤔 Thanks so much for the feedback😀 alot of people worked to make that video happen. That truly was one lucky day for Sheck and a thrilling experience for me trying to piece the puzzle together from his story “Lost in the Slough”. 500 plus dives in Peacock Slough gave me the background i needed to investgate the scene of the near disaster. It was near the last of the filming, the last week even, when i realized that the wall adjacent to the exit wall looked almost indentical to the exit wall. Yikes! And the tiny crevice was where the two walls met. Bingo! We’ve got a winner! Stay frosty in there and remember the words of Mike Oleary “ unpracticed emergency drills are useless in an emergency” Best regards JT

[@paulclark1883]

Great job Jim! Gave me the chills!!!

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Says the man that helped make it happen!! It was so great to work together on this project! It wouldn't have been the same with out you. When are we diving again? JT

[@Tremors-8]

Wonderful video, man.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

So glad you liked it 😊 It was fun to make as well! Thanks so much for the feedback, stay safe my friend. JT

[@Tremors-8]

@@eye-of-Ishtar Not sure if you know of the Dive Talk channel but I found this video after hearing about Sheck Exley from them recently. Your piece seems right up their alley and they do interviews as well. Might be worth contacting them for a good discussion!

[@meltoncul]

Excellent video!.. Sheck was my instructor for the Cavern Diver course. We could tell he was special. He may have taken chances with his own life but never with the lives of his students... He was the one they called when divers drowned far back in a cave where they had no business being. When nobody else could do it, Sheck could. We almost regarded him as invincible. Then I heard he died in a cave or sinkhole in Mexico. I was horrified! It just couldn't be. Not Sheck!.. Well, I feel honored that I had him as an instructor. His death was a great loss to the world of cave diving.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thank you for the kind words. Sheck was special, he was one of my heros as a diver and even more so when I started cave diving. Michael Taylor wrote that Wayne Marshall introduced Sheck when the NSS gave Sheck the Stephenson Award, the highest honor in American cave exploration. Marshall stated that Sheck's personal instruction, ideas and articles had saved thousands of lives. I believe that legacy is perpetual and follows us on every dive. Best wishes and thanks again for your comments.

[@meltoncul]

Sheck would get those Thai boys out of that cave -- somehow. LOL. If I were one of them, there's nobody I'd rather have take me out of it than Sheck Exley!

[@MegaBoilermaker]

Tromboner. You will be pleased to know that the original "Aflo" lines that made the rescue possible were set up by members of the British Cave Diving/Rescue team. Sheck Exley was always held in high regard on this side of the pond and would indeed have made a more than useful addition to the rescue attempt.

[@mchristina408]

Facinating.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks so much for the lovely comment. It was a lot of work to make it happen and when someone enjoys it, it always makes me 😊 best regards JT

[@irmantasbortnikas4921]

Great story, mate!!!

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Awesome 👍 thanks so much for the feedback. It was really fun to make and a devil of a time figuring out what really happened that day. So glad you liked it and so glad for the feedback 🙂 Best regards JT

[@AegeanEpiphany]

During this episode Sheck would have realised how keeping a lid on impending panic is an ability crucial to the cave diver, one that wins you time to rationalise yourself out of a situation.

[@ricardomontalban6004]

And bring a bit of string.

[@magaisacult2023]

A panicked diver can drain a set of doubles very rapidly, while a diver who is able to relax and remain calm their air can lst for hours.

[@oliverstutz7828]

Very well made and very informative! Thanks :)

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

I love it when someone gets it! Thanks for the great feedback, we had a lot of fun making it. Best regards JT

[@oliverstutz7828]

@@eye-of-Ishtar Only a pleasure. I can see great effort went into this 'short' clip, and people don't understand how much effort that really is :D :) I have learnt a great deal from this, so thanks.

[@Dano11811]

Great job with this!

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks Dan!! I really appreciate the feedback 🙂 it was alot of work to prepare from a whole lot of people! Best regards Jim Thomas

[@hersenskim]

Amazing video! Thank you very much. I once did a cave (dry) with don Shirley and he told me about this guy.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback, I am so glad you enjoyed it! Best regards, JT

[@vOCesUGa1]

Great story Sir.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks so much for the feedback!! That was a lot of work and we had no idea what had really happened that day, we just pieced it together from the clues. I know that tunnel well but the whole leap frogging style of swimming led to a really silty experience for Sheck. The fact that he made it to within 50 feet of the exit without a guideline was really amazing. VERY few people would be able to do that. Thanks for the feedback, JT

[@oliverstubbs7637]

This is amazingly well put together and very informative! Thank you for sharing :)

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks for the wonderful feedback!! I am so glad you enjoyed the story. best regards, JT

[@Straight_dipping_]

Thanks for the vid! Good work.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

And what fun we had making it! Really was a blast and we had no idea what really went on that day until we actually started making video. The pieces fell into place then. Thanks so much for the feedback ☺️ JT

[@JustAllinOneResource]

Incredible.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Sweet!! What a wonderful comment! I love it when someone gets it 😀 Thanks for the awesome feed back and stay frosty in there, the cave takes no prisoners. Best regards JT

[@petschy9]

Incredible detail awesome content 👏

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Wow, that's what I like to hear!! 😀 So glad you liked it, we had alot of fun making it and I am always stoked when somebody gets it. Best regards JT

[@nickgalante621]

Excellent!

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Hey Nick!! Miss seeing you and glad you liked the video. It was alot if fun to make. Thanks so much for the feedback it means a lot to me. Best regards JT 😁

[@maxmorgan2297]

Awesome video, thx for making/upload.:)

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks for the feedback Max, it's always appreciated and makes the effort worthwhile when someone "gets it". Best regards JT

[@maxmorgan2297]

@@eye-of-Ishtar Easy to get, when made so well;).. and it was as made for me. I startet diving as 6-8 years (both my parents was diving) and after army i went to the marine and became heavy diver and worked 18 years as commerciel diver. I stoppede 4 years ago after two accidents, one in Beirut-libanon and one in the gulf near Island. So now im early retired because of nervedamage in arm and neck. Now i spend my weekends as instruktor for new SCUBA divers..in the boat ,dry and warm;) Best regards Max

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

So sorry to hear about the accident. Sounds like it could have been much worse. I also trained in commercial diving in 78 and worked in Texas till 82. Very dangerous. No one seemed to care if you got hurt. I went back to school and then in 2006 started cave diving so that I could go beyond the cavern zone. I followed my desire to see that which lay beyond.

[@maxmorgan2297]

@@eye-of-Ishtar Thx Jim, i have learned to live with the new "limits". And you are so right about no care, the job comes first so you have to be your own security guard all the time. looking forward to se more videos from you:) now ill go out in the super spring weather and walk the dogs. Best regards from DK ;) Max

[@kathystetson7681]

Beautiful work!

[@ereynoldful3974]

This video is amazing. Great work!

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks so much for the wonderful comment, it really makes the effort that went into the video seem worthwhile. There's no better feeling than when somebody "get it". Best wishes JT

[@Aliens_Gonna_Get_Ya]

Great vid!!!

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

I love Jeeps!!! Thanks for the feedback, it always makes me smile 😁. The effort was worth the work for those that get it. Stay safe and have fun, best regards JT

[@Aliens_Gonna_Get_Ya]

@@eye-of-Ishtar Thanks! Luv your style! 👍😊

[@christophercline6001]

Gene Broome had the old dive gear in his shop back in the day all these guys came to Branford dive center Gene would dive with him in a lot of caves that are not known to most people out on farm land in graveyard all over the place. When you find a new virgin cave and you get back in and find a mainline that is line that they laid. I worked at the Branford Dive Center when I was a kid and learn so much from them and Wes

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Wow!! thats amazing, sounds like the days before fancy gear showed up and folks were just winging it. The good old days! Thanks a bunch for sharing that story, theres alot folks who have never heard of such the things that we used to do to get underwater especially in a new cave 😀 best regards and thanks for sharing JT

[@ricardomontalban6004]

From the god like adoration for this guy in the first 20 seconds I’m guessing this won’t be an impartial uplifting story with a happy ending.....

[@ratchetboo]

Amazing vid my lad 🤙

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Preston, thanks so much for the feedback, it makes it all worthwhile, we really had fun making it and discovering what really happened that day. Best regards Jim Thomas 🌞

[@tomg5187]

I’m a better man having watched this documentary. Thank you, kind sir. Purely exhilarating! 😆🤿

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Wow! Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback. It was alot of work to put together. What I've never shared is that we were ~75% through the writing and filming before I figured out how he actually got lost! Even when I thought I knew I posed the idea to the best cave diver on the team, one of the best in the world, Andrew Higgy. When he looked at me smiling, I knew we were on the right track and at last had an answer for Shecks struggling up in that tiny little crevice. Thanks again for the feedback! Best regards Jim Thomas 😁

[@jcdavenport1644]

Never heard of this guy. What a beast, cave diving is so scary and just insane. If you make a slight error or anything else goes wrong your dead. I have only dove one cave dive at Gennie springs, Devils Den, it freaked me out.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

That’s how it starts, literally those springs got me into the caves, now at 1000+ a bunch making that video😀

[@flowermaze___]

Fascinating stuff indeed

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Hey Grim😃 Thanks for the feedback, it makes all the work worthwhile when someone takes the time to share their thoughts Best Regards JT

[@flowermaze___]

@@eye-of-Ishtar Thanks to you for taking the time to make it! A whole other world, undersea exploration!

[@petetravis9214]

Great film!

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Pete, thanks so much for watching the film and providing such encouraging feedback. It means a lot to me, Best regards, Jim Thomas

[@complicatedmfer1557]

Wow excellent video!

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thank you so much for the lovely feedback, we had a really good time working out this puzzle. Best regards, JT

[@alexandros8361]

I'm still lost in there!

[@tracysteele7895]

GR8 VID!!😱💖 PLEASE KEEP 'EM COMING!😍

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Wow, what wonderful feedback.!! Thank you so much, this was tough to do but fun since I got to dive a lot, best regards, JimmyT

[@dougbourdo2589]

Very nice video. I have only been in Florida caverns a few times. The blackness is unimaginable without experience.

[@daedaethomas47]

Ross Thomas here, saying hello!

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

From Wales😀

[@daedaethomas47]

​@@eye-of-Ishtar Great job on the video man, the narration was excellent! 😁

[@jeannelson8532]

Wonderful , wonderful !!!

[@JCO2002]

Excellent project and video. I'm a caver in Jamaica, but don't dive. I've had a few divers with me over the years, but was never keen on encouraging it - turned more down than I helped because it's so bloody dangerous, and never wanted to be part of someone getting killed. May I ask about the speleogenesis of the site? I didn't see any scallops. Is it flank margin development? RS Stewart - Jamaican Caves Organisation.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks for the feedback 😊, I find alot of scallop fossils about 40 down, the "Breakdown room" is full of them. Thanks again for the feedback! JT

[@JCO2002]

@@eye-of-Ishtar Sorry, I should have been more specific. I was referring to wall scalloping that you get from flowing water. Thus my wondering if it was flank margin development (interface between freshwater lens on salt water).

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Oh yeah, there are alot of walls that show scalloping I recall learning the term from cave training in the geology section. I do recall thinking to myself on many occasions "WOW! check out that scalloping!!!". You would love cave diving it truly is an other worldy experience. Floating weightless through limestone tunnels filled with air clear water, unbelievable, unbelievable. You want to go back as soon as you get your tanks filled. Very addictive pastime, they actually call it Cave Crack. Best regards JT 😁

[@danielsnyder2288]

Fantastic!

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks so much, great to hear from you,! JT

[@ButterBallTheOpossum]

I can't even imagine how dangerous cave diving must have been when it was first tried with primitive SCUBA gear back then. It's dangerous enough now with modern technology.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Indeed, cave diving with that gear killed a lot of people. The folks in Luraville, 5 min from Peacock Springs claimed there was a diver lost every weekend. 😬

[@dynamicdonkus3697]

Couldn't believe it when I found out how he died... A shocking twist on par "Death of a Chainsaw Juggling Legend"

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Yeah, that was kind of a gimmie. That story of his first real cave dive always fascinated me. On my first dive there, going down that crack, you're head first going down and even though your bubbles are rushing from your mouth toward your feet, my stomach contents were going down to the top of your stomach. The tuna sandwich I had for lunch didn't sit well on this, my first cave dive with an ex-green beret instructor watching me. I really didn't want to screw up. Even though I was a commercial diver in the 80s, I started to puke a little bit into my regulator. I wanted to turn back but didn't. I pilled the reg out of my mouthm swished water around and then kept going. It got more fun once we got into the cave proper and we leveled off. Whew!

[@gabberpietor]

i liked this video a lot

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

AWESOME😃 Thanks so much for the feedback, makes the work put into the project worth it when I hear feedback like yours!! Best regards JT

[@olfhausen]

Really interesting video! You've put a lot of effort into this work and yet only 600 people out of 50k viewers reward you with a thumbs up. Hope some more people are gonna see this. Keep up the good work mate!

[@richardleetbluesharmonicac7192]

This is why you shouldn’t cave dive. He was the best the best push harder and harder until an accident happens He’s kind of an example of knowing your limits and not take unnecessary chances.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Lotta truth here, no doubt about it. But, explorers are always pushing the envelope, thats what they do. It is incredibly exciting!!

[@patcowley6378]

@JimThomas :Why dont they leave a beeper device every so many feet along the way into a cave perhaps with a flashing light on it...little signal bobbers... in case of silt or lost life line.. .just wondering if this could work...

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Hey Pat! Yes, these are the same ideas I had when I first thought of cave diving. Even having worked as a commercial diver, the thought of cave diving kinda scared me BUT, it was something that I had always wanted to do. Fortunatley, commercial diving was mostly in muddy dark water with ZERO visibility so it took alot to get me scared, SO, I just sucked it up, practiced diving with doubles and did it. Most fun I have ever had with clothes on!!

[@patcowley6378]

@@eye-of-Ishtar The great halls in the caves would be dramatic to see...but squeezing thru a hole to get there...well...i just got disqualified...lol enjoy.

[@ereynoldful3974]

Amazing!

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks so much for the comments!! I love it when somebody enjoys the video enough to take time from their life to make comments! Best regards, JT

[@ereynoldful3974]

@@eye-of-Ishtar I shared this to Facebook and Curtis Whitwam was saying he helped with some footage. Margaret Tolbert and I went kayaking yesterday from H Adam's bridge to convict and we were discussing your amazing video!

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Yes! I like Curtis' videos alot and he had lovely shots of Peacock Slough and Royal spring which fit nicely with the scenes with which I wanted to open the video. I asked if I could use these clips and he sent them within 24 hours as I recall. I haven't met him but I feel like I have as I've watched so many of his films. Once you are cave certified, we can go diving at Peacock.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

@@ereynoldful3974 Yes! Curtis provided the footage from the peacock slough as I recall.

[@conniewrightsman9122]

He was either the bravest of humans, or the luckiest...either way, he made it.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Brave got him into BIG trouble while Lucky gave him a free pass because she saw the goodness in him and She was right!

[@hueyneftal1454]

Wow great video

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thanks for the comments!! It was HARD to make but fun and really worth it when people get it.

[@justjones5430]

15:10 I thought that footage was great, showing the isolation of a cave diver, and how only what his lamp was pointing at is visible, all else is blackness. Very Atmospheric! (pun not intended) 😁

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Wowza ❤️ it! That’s my kind of feedback 😃 That’s exactly how the cave feels, it’s not normal. You’re suspended weightless in a clear, colorless, cold and invisible medium. There is no strain on your body, the slightest flick of your fins moves you. It’s a little freaky for me in the first 10 min then, something changes and you relax, really relax. I liken this to the awakening of senses passed down through time maybe from amphibian ancestors. Sounds goofy but it happens to me every time I get dressed out, jump in, brrrrrrrrrr, everybody’s ready, down we go, circling lights in the cavern, everybody’s looking good, I get jittery, double checking everything for the fifth time, breath breath no holding breath or you die, teams in proper order, leveling off at 60 feet, still tense, pulling my GoPro setting up, then maybe a 100 ft more and ahhhhhhhh calm. 🤷🏻‍♂️ I love how we still call it footage 😀

[@indiana146]

I was diving off minorca when a 9ft shark swam right past me i dont go in sea anymore

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

YES!!! they give me the heebee jeebees too😀

[@Del-Canada]

I've never used a K valve. Only the J valve.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

In diving school they made us throw away our pull rods and turn our j valves down in the on position. The pressure gauge is way more reliable. The j valves were cool when they first came out because you had that little bit of warning to get out of the water. Without the pressure gauge, they were only safe in shallow water. In the overhead environment, oh no, you can easily bump them into there on position and you never get the warning to go to the surface. Too many early cave divers drowned like this. Thanks for watching and responding. Best regards JT

[@Del-Canada]

@@eye-of-Ishtar Most of my diving was open water. Some shipwreck diving, basic caving, night diving, etc. I haven't done a dive in 35 years though. I miss it. Those years are over. Thanks for the reply, Jim.

[@spaceman61]

In 1967 he was only 18 years old

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Yeah I believe that is so 🤠

[@frankkolton1780]

It's very high risk at best, lot's of big names in the diving world have met their end cave diving, deep diving, or deep wreck penetration. It's the parents, the spouses, and kids that pay the awful price for taking such selfish risks.

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Risk is at the heart of exploration/discovery and requires a personality that is willing to push beyond the point where others stop and turn back. Explorers are willing to push into the unknown, beyond the range of common folk. Sheck was a true explorer, he was cut from that cloth. I am a tourist by comparison, the kid that watched "Sea Hunt", snorkeled at 6 pretending to be Mike Nelson, scuba certified at 15. I've loved every minute underwater, weightless and unencumbered by gravity, able to move in three dimensions like a bird in the air!! What a wonderful, indescribable feeling of freedom that's even better in caves. My Dad said I was a moron and that I was going to drown.

[@rachitshukla30]

Man why do have only 370 subs?

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Not enough animals doing crazy stuff? No cats!!! That’s it! 🤷🏻‍♂️ Very few people want to go into a cave underwater 🤔 It isn’t for the faint of heart, I was a commercial hard hat diver before going to caves and I still get the heebee jeebees for about 5 mins before I settle down. You can’t bail out of a cave dive, you gotta go back the way you came in, no matter how long it takes, you gotta deal with. But hands down, it’s absolutely thrilling 😃 Then! Cave crack hmmmmmm 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@JOHNTOPG]

You crazy jim

[@eye-of-Ishtar]

Thats what my Mom said😃