I saw this for the first time today and it was an odd experience. I was a member of a small group of divers who explored Eagle's Nest many times in 1967-68, about the same time Exley, et al, were. Two of our group, Frank Martz and Randy Hylton, either knew or had met him. My memory is not clear since it was so long ago. It's an eerie experience to see those familiar scenes so many years later. It brings back the rush and fascination we experienced every time we were there. I used to love to turn off my light and hold my breath just to experience the total darkness and silence. We were young and dumb...did our diving on straight air after filling tanks at Weeki Wachee. Mixes were just coming into use; most of us couldn't even afford wetsuits, much less that sort of exotica. I never went deeper than 240' because it scared the hell out of me and I got nitrogen narcosis. I volunteered to be the safety guy at the bottom of debris cone at about 150'. Co-divers did go to 300'. Sadly, on Father's Day 1968, my good friend, Melville (Billy) Palmer Eslin, drowned there while on a deep dive with Martz. Similar to the diver you lost, Frank said he looked back to check on Billy and he was unconscious. He was only 21. I have often wanted to return to Eagle's Nest, certainly not to dive but just to pay tribute to Billy as well as the others who have died there. I haven't been able to do that yet. I was hoping some sort of acknowledgement of the lost divers would be shown at the end of the film.
@vedantgupta90923 жыл бұрын
Interesting to see how far diving equipment has gone from the time you were diving I feel comforting now that i think about it using a ccr and drysuits knowing that people have gone deeper and penetrated further with much less equipment.
@bryanblack5052 жыл бұрын
I'm just learning about diving and the more I learn the more I realize how insane those kind of dives were with that level of tech that you guys had back then. Sorry about your buddy and thx for sharing your story.
@ereynoldful39742 жыл бұрын
The chimney entrance at Madison blue ,Martz is named after him !
@paulderanek71642 жыл бұрын
@@ereynoldful3974 Thank you!!
@technophant2 жыл бұрын
In loving memory of Brent Potts
@LockheedMonster3 жыл бұрын
Mr. Ballen had a story on Eagles Nest. But this video is way more educating than what i had heard.
@speaklifegardenhomesteadpe87832 жыл бұрын
Yup that's what got me searching also! 💯❣️🕊️😃👍❣️
@martinbreeze27532 жыл бұрын
Yes me too mr.ballen got me hooked had to see it great its on here
@michellesharp99602 жыл бұрын
Mr. Ballen is the reason I also went searching for more info on this! Thank you.
@donnylion20202 жыл бұрын
!!!Zz
@Bornchiller1232 жыл бұрын
Yep. Mr. Ballen. LOOOL.
@nedmodelo19885 жыл бұрын
This is youtube gold. And very few have yet to find it!
@JohnSmith-ez7ip3 жыл бұрын
I just did. I'm unrelated to diving apart from a few "tourist 15 meter novice dives" at resorts, but this is so much fascinating...
@speaklifegardenhomesteadpe87832 жыл бұрын
Agree!
@zakaria6002 жыл бұрын
DIVE TALK needs to see this 😍
@bryanblack5052 жыл бұрын
Yes! Send it to them!
@zakaria6002 жыл бұрын
@@bryanblack505 i did
@Alanthe918mobilemechanic3 жыл бұрын
Man the 90s were some golden years imo
@bryanblack5052 жыл бұрын
They really were and not just for diving. Music, cars, computers and tech, hell even toys. The 90s was the decade where the old was still around but the new was coming into play and you had the best of both worlds. It was such a great experience to live through those years for so many reasons.
@Alanthe918mobilemechanic2 жыл бұрын
@@bryanblack505 Bryan are you a welder or have ever been a welding instructor at tulsa welding school
@speaklifegardenhomesteadpe87832 жыл бұрын
I was thinking the same thing. Missing the seventies, eighties, etc. Technology and globalism gave us much, but at a terrible high cost. I'm personally stepping back in my life as much as possible. I think we were very wrong. 💯🕊️❣️😃✌️🌱🌻
@bryanblack5052 жыл бұрын
@@Alanthe918mobilemechanic no, sorry buddy. This is a fake name. My real name has been "canceled" by the commie mob. I have a Miller welder but just got it to teach myself for fun.
@cup_and_cone2 ай бұрын
Everything reached its zenith in the 90's...
@Silicon-rp9zt Жыл бұрын
Those 90's electronic drum fills @8:11 are amazing. Its not every day I go delve into diving videos and find something that delivers my scuba nerd-out while also giving me that childhood nostalgia of 90's television. Great documentary. I hope to cave dive in Florida someday!
@scottjohnstone55512 жыл бұрын
Thank you guy for a great vid and thanks to Mr Ballen for his well descriptive stories that brought me here.
@keyboardwarrior2043 жыл бұрын
just imagine diving on that cave with old school gears
@wawaelias88423 жыл бұрын
pitch dark and surrounded by darkness is truly scary and uncomfortable, when i got swimming i stay where i can see the surface, but dame these dudes are brave and have massive cajones!!!
@srmj71 Жыл бұрын
By today's standards, the equipment in this video is archaic. Having said that, these folks are boldly going...
@christopherbrown6476 Жыл бұрын
Yes, their gear, looking back over 30 years, is archaic -- and so was their predecessors’ stuff which looks really primitive today -- but that’s the primary characteristic of the long timeline of technological advancement. And therefore goals, techniques, and strategies evolve too. How cool will it be to see what people are using 30 years from now -- and where they are going.....? Thanks for your comment!
@srmj71 Жыл бұрын
@@christopherbrown6476 Oh, in 30 years, it'll still be one of the most dangerous sports a person can undertake.
@SticksAandstonesBozo3 жыл бұрын
Wow I was there back in those days it’s wild to see it look like that again with no roads or docks.
@Max_Ohm2 жыл бұрын
Man this soundtrack is lit
@Vingul27 күн бұрын
He'll yea
@katharinestevenson7083 жыл бұрын
This is fantastic. Priceless cave footage!
@nct9482 жыл бұрын
This is exploration at its best, thorough with careful preparations and in-depth risk assessment. What a fascinating place. I was wondering if there was any sign of life, either flora or fauna, at those depths. Remarkable achievement, going truly where no man has ever gone before, the thrill of it. Thank you for your informative video.
@floridaaerialmedia3 жыл бұрын
This deserves much more views!!!!
@speaklifegardenhomesteadpe87832 жыл бұрын
Perfect documentary! Classic quality that more should see. Bless those who lost their lives to exploring for fun, educational reasons and saving lives! ❣️💯😃👍💯
@DarkFortune702 жыл бұрын
I like the music they chose 👍🏻 May the #BraveDiver #RIP 😞
@Ferinm3 жыл бұрын
Best cave exploration video ever
@madjack916722 жыл бұрын
Dive talk needs this one
@cavediver25614 жыл бұрын
Awesome video Chris !!! I hope all is well with you !!
@jjbosquez4 жыл бұрын
Very cool!! Thanks for posting!
@SticksAandstonesBozo3 жыл бұрын
Haha those old DPV’s were a nightmare.
@drb0mb3 жыл бұрын
seriously. there's a line drawn between useful and cumbersome and this was the equivalent of using your hand to wipe your ass instead of not wiping at all.
@thecocksaysmoo3 жыл бұрын
Omg! The sound track to my Jr high life!
@TheNightmareBeforeyouakaDrnigh2 жыл бұрын
I have been diving there and it’s beautiful down there.
@ProfileP2463 жыл бұрын
Absolute madness! enjoyed it!
@garlandremingtoniii13383 жыл бұрын
Lord this is an old film.
@LetsG0Champ3 жыл бұрын
Think, in a million years someone will probably hike this gave wondering, "I wonder how this was made?"
@ZetaReticulian2 жыл бұрын
Uh…. Not likely , as in a million years all of Florida will be deep under water, and humans most likely long dead due to sea level rise and other effects of human caused climate change.
@dboulgarides18142 жыл бұрын
If humanity has found a way to survive lmao
@pinnacledivingco2 жыл бұрын
Pffffft!!! 295’ air dives! Guys were nuts back then! But it’s true, “you don’t know what you don’t know.” 🤷🏼♂️
@youtubeconnollyfamily3 жыл бұрын
This is awesome
@danvitty54423 жыл бұрын
Never understood the pressure in caves. There is so much less water in a cave than the ocean, often it is not all directly above, so why is pressure at the same depths the same as the ocean? I’d be curious to know
@SPRUbique3 жыл бұрын
Pressure isn’t calculated by way of how much water is above or around you... it’s on how deep you are. Same as when miners reach depth.. although that pressure isnt as much.
@danvitty54423 жыл бұрын
@@SPRUbique huh I didn’t realize miners dealt with pressure like that too. I always thought it had to do with the amount of water around you, but it it’s less so for miners wouldn’t that mean water does at least contribute to that significantly?
@SPRUbique3 жыл бұрын
@@danvitty5442 yeah... of course... water is much denser than air. Doesn’t negate the fact that the deeper you go.. the more pressure is created upon you... in water it tenfold as water is denser. But the primary cause... is depth.
@natdizzle42592 жыл бұрын
It doesn't matter if you're in a swimming pool cave or ocean the pressure stays the same only thing that matters is how deep under water you are.. it changes a little bit between fresh and salt water but depth is depth
@speaklifegardenhomesteadpe87832 жыл бұрын
@@SPRUbique thank you for explaining. 💯❣️😁👍
@Davidpostingshid Жыл бұрын
The music in this documentary slaps
@mrgrumboldt2 жыл бұрын
Imagine drowning in a cave with that soundtrack though.
@DeborahHanes2 жыл бұрын
Great narrative !! E the dives
@Commercialgymlifter3 жыл бұрын
*you'd think everyone who swam that died, from all the internet videos*
@martinbreeze27532 жыл бұрын
The guys &girls that do this fairplay massive balls 😀
@jjdelany81302 жыл бұрын
i think im gonna bring my son here one day
@ryansmurda15523 жыл бұрын
Interesting video. The backround music sounds like bad porn music thou. Lol.
@speaklifegardenhomesteadpe87832 жыл бұрын
🤔 Quite telling fine sir... That which is your expertise in life... 🤔😳🤣😂.... Praying your now perusing a more righteous, honorable future for yourself and heritage. 🦁🦅🤴🤵👩👩👦👦 🤨... For the sake of humanity! 🤣😂 ❣️💪😃👍❣️
@ryansmurda15522 жыл бұрын
@@speaklifegardenhomesteadpe8783 I am. Thanks for your concern.🤣😂
@cup_and_cone2 ай бұрын
You've never heard 90's porn if you think this is a porn soundtrack.
@ryansmurda15522 ай бұрын
@@cup_and_cone I was a teenager in the 90s so I've heard it.😅 It's really bad. 😂
@brianpeppers7455 Жыл бұрын
The track starting at 6:56 goes hard.
@lostsoul84762 жыл бұрын
That cave is so dark it’s almost pointless to enter
@glennrhee93632 жыл бұрын
Nơi nào bình yên công việc thuận lợi thì ở thôi Lộc huynh ơi. Miễn là không quên cội nguồn gốc rễ là được. Chúc gia đình a gặp nhiều may mắn- bình an và hạnh phúc!!!!
@jb7915055 ай бұрын
Back around 1990, I purchased some beautiful large-format cave map prints. They are signed by some one named "Eric" something, perhaps Hutcheson. I still have those prints. Can you tell me more about them? The one of Eagle's Nest is particularly beautiful. They are "Blue Prints".
@christopherbrown64765 ай бұрын
Yes, the artist/cartographer who created those maps is the superb cave diver Eric Hutcheson, and he can be found easily on Facebook.
@ANDREWLEONARDSMITH Жыл бұрын
Surely the safest way to map & explore underground water caves is to use unmanned underwater drones with CCTV like those used for deep ocean exploration as if they can get to the bottom of the ocean ( which is many times deeper than any cave ) they could be used in caves with no trouble at all as such devices already exist & are used by water companies for sewer mapping & exploration & the use of unmanned remote controlled devices to explore these caves is much safer & eliminates all the dangers & are such devices actually used for cave exploration?
@robertforster89842 жыл бұрын
I’m surprised Sheck Exley wasn’t on this dive.
@revenant777x83 жыл бұрын
Narrator sounds suspiciously like instruction video..23 min mark narrator returns, instruction diving confirmed.
@kaifitz043 жыл бұрын
Lots of people died in this cave.
@Mikesworld777 Жыл бұрын
Are the stage bottles on the bag ABO 200 cubic ft. What does the 1st stage reg look like and how do you adapt to that valve style
@markcrisp073 жыл бұрын
Man....i could never do this and enjoy it. I'd have nervous breakdown. Kudos. Not for me
@giovannijasso46642 жыл бұрын
Where did y’all go eat at?
@davidfitzgerald36532 жыл бұрын
I wonder if anyone is working on a GPS system for cave diving. Not sure if possible with the your in acave thing