Please explain more fully. I'm not a cave diver and haven't been super curious about the gear used since the DIR wars abated. In those days, DIR was totally against side mount. Go figure
I can't really tell what the divers are using and would appreciate your take and especially that of any cave divers here.
Speculation in response is fine with me.
Thanks.
Please read the following in the knowledge I'm not, do not claim to be, nor have any ambition to be a cave diver.
The British cultural mentality will be to use the gear that works for that job, rather than the DIR method of "generally standardised" equipment.
Obviously it's benefitted from continuous development
Wookey Hole 1935 Penelope Powell (left) and Graham Balcombe (right)
In large caves, then then equipment will be similar or the same as other places, Rebreather, backmount twins or conventional side mount.
When it gets a bit tricky with lots of restrictions they favour the Explorer Harness
A simple and basic but robust SM harness.
Regulators favoured is the Poseidon Cyklon because it's built like a tank
On the Pictures of the UK Rescue team in Thailand you'll see them wearing the above gear
Wings are optional depending on the "gig" but are fitted in a way to make them quickly removable using fast equipment clips
(possibly called suicide clips in the US)
See here: no wings fitted
Bream Mines, Forest of Dean.
Not all caves are this big
And here is another real life example demonstration where "easily" removing the gear can be required
All images from
www.farrworld.co.uk
EDIT: The term "easily" has been put in parenthesis as this is relative
Farrworld is run by
Martyn Farr who is well known within the (UK) cave diving community and the author of a number of
books on the subject