Is there a current Sheck Exley?

[karstdvr]

NO!

I agree with Curt.

Actually back in Sheck's heydey there were some amazing things occuring by others that didn't get the attention since they didn't publish,and the same thing now. The one incentive Sheck had was he created the CDS after expulsion by the NACD,and to make the CDS viable he published a lot of material where no one else was. I won't take anything away from Sheck,because I know his dive buddies and have heard the stories that never appeared in "Caverns....",but there are a lot of names that have been lost by time that did some incredible things (for example ever wonder who Hendley's castle is named after)

 

[divad]

What I've noticed through out the past couple of years is that most 'serious' divers nowadays are weekend warriors. Guys with high paying 9 - 5 jobs that only dive once or twice a month if so often...
They are the majority of CCR owners and 'technical' divers. In their heads each of them are Sheck Exley because they've read a couple of books and seen things on TV but most of them end up fading out of diving a couple of years down the line. The problem with these guys is they think they are the best of the best because they have a couple of hundred dives and all the latest, most expensive dive equipment. Out of this group there are the select few that classify themselves as explorers. To them being a technical diver is all about ego and pushing the boundaries and beating some record that a true explorer set long ago not for a clame to fame... The technical divers of today move too fast through their training and end up doing dives they are not ready for.

Even though there ARE divers out there that truly push the boundaries of underwater exploration nowadays being a technical diver is not about 'giving diving your all' and exploration but how much money you have to fund your hobby.

In SA when a tech diver drives up to the dive site he doesn't drive an old pickup with dive stickers, he drives the newest BMW/mercedes and can't decide which of his 3 rebreathers he's going to dive to 10m today...

Sounds like a bitter South African problem.

 

[LiteHedded]

sheck exley did some things that are just incredible. the dive he did in downstream chip's hole just blows my mind

 

[JDostal]

Sounds like a bitter South African problem.

Kinda what I was thinking. The technical divers I dive with are extremely passionate about what we do and we work our butts off in order to participate in this kind of diving and we do it at every available opportunity. We are crazy fussy over our equipment because we worked so hard to get it and it lets us do some pretty amazing and fun things underwater. We do it because it's fun. If it wasn't fun, why on earth would you put so much time and money into this??? I've been diving what...nine years now... and I haven't even gotten one dive groupie because of all my phenomenal (sarcasm) achievements.

 

[diver 85]

I think you've got your answer. Nope. Never. Ever.

Don't ever say never----or ever....Though you can say nope(but in the south it's 'no sir').......

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Sounds like a bitter South African problem.

I just finished reading "Fatally Flawed" by Verna Van Shaik. It offers an interesting perspective on the very controlled "club" focused nature of diving in that region in the 1990's and into 2000's.

I read that post and got the same impression.


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Anyone note the reference to Wes Skiles in 2004? That's ironic given his subsequent untimely death.

 

[ucfdiver]

Anyone note the reference to Wes Skiles in 2004? That's ironic given his subsequent untimely death.

Any link to it?

 

[knowone]

There is one to follow into the future, that will stop one reel shy.

Agnes Milowka Passion, Daring, Adventure

 

[Rainer]

Scroll up.

Any link to it?

 

[lamont]

Maybe not a "Sheck Exley", but someone who's becoming well known - Wes Skiles. From his photography, to experience, and appearances on Travel Channel/Discovery Channel.

frak.