Cassis Scouting Tour 2013
Team: Tobi, Manu, Wilke, Steffen
Cassis? Where are you supposed to be able to dive there? Where is that even located?" This or something similar were our first reactions when we heard about Cassis as a cave diving spot. But curiosity was aroused and so it was only logical that we decided that Cassis was worth a trip and promptly planned a "Cavebase Scouting Tour" for the first week of October. And so it happened that Tobias, Manuel, Wilke and our guest Steffen made their way to Cassis in the first week of October. This time the transport was done with only one car plus an oversized trailer.
In Cassis itself we had a really wonderful vacation home. Located on a slight hill, it offered especially in the evening an impressive view of Cassis and the Mediterranean Sea. In general we were extremely lucky with the weather; 23°C and bright sunshine accompanied us reliably during the 5 days.
Diving-wise, we first tried to dive the Bestouan cave. All our researches still done in Germany were rather contradictory concerning the cave entrance. We did not know reliably where the entrance should be - so we put Steffen in a wet suit and started to dive the coastal strip on a length of 300 meters.
After about 30min. Steffen actually spotted a halocline in the salt water and a narrow cave entrance - a very, very narrow entrance to be exact.
Well, Wilke and Tobias put on their OC gear (D12 + Stage) to see if the passage dimensions would be sufficient for a D12 frame plus scooter. Wilke dove into the cave first and later reported that this certainly could not be the "official" entrance. He pushed forward into the cave so hard that he was inevitably stuck for several minutes, no forward progress, no backward swimming, and no way to turn around. Tobias recognized Wilke's situation and carefully created space by swerving backwards. By a little "rumbling" Wilke has freed himself under the constant observation of Tobias but ultimately quite quickly to crawl backwards out of the cave. Tobias also tried his luck immediately afterwards, but had to give up disappointed because of the too narrow conditions - summary: Wrong entry - at least if you dive backmount!
So we searched the coast during the day and after about 2 hours of searching we actually found another entrance. Here was at least a mainline and the corridor was still just suitable for backmount configurations. Wilke explored the entrance first and dived the first 50 meters. "Clear as a whistle but also quite narrow" were his first comments. Tobias, Steffen and Manuel then set off as a team of three to explore the passage beyond 50m. All three reported that the passage becomes narrower and narrower with increasing penetration depth and that they would be surprised if this was the "Bestouan" cave. To be honest, we were all a little disappointed after this realization, we had discovered two entrances, but both were somehow not right.
Sometimes you just have to be lucky. As ordered, we met another diving team the next day - namely Sebastian Picard, Marcus Dörning and Katrin Dessin! And of course they confirmed that we had been looking for the Bestouan at the wrong entrance! Relief spread - finally someone who actually knew the cave and was willing to share his knowledge with us!
Tobias and Wilke decided to attack stand toupet with the Rebbi, now, with the new information to the entrance the mood rose and all prepared joyfully their equipment. Manuel and Steffen again with a D12 plus a 32er Nitrox Stage, Wilke and Tobias each with a Scooter plus D12 Rebbi and also a 32er Stage. Now it was time to swim ahead...
And indeed, besides the two entrances explored the day before, there is a third one - first a restriction with a length of about 20 meters, quite narrow but manageable, followed by a narrow vertical shaft. To be fair, it is only at the bottom of the shaft that the nice part of this cave begins - and it really is a cave! Up and down, right, left, scooter passage dimensions, an emergence point at about 800m and the whole thing at moderate depths around 20-30m. The only drawback: "Flow" - and not too little! - Steffen and Manuel, who were "on foot", reported later that it got really annoying after 60min. of pure swimming. But when they reported how they turned around and so could take full advantage of the current, the two still radiated a huge enthusiasm! The two of them were almost automatically carried by the current through the cave like greased lightning. That was a huge cave diving fun!
At the end of the day we were all highly satisfied and really happy - Our penetration depth was limited, but the impressions were all the more impressive - a really beautiful cave!
And again we were lucky! "Of course" our new diving friends knew the exact position of Port Miou - so this cave was immediately on our program for the following day. One thing in advance! Here is towing announced! In spite of our most favorable parking place we were still forced to drag the equipment 300 - 400 meters - of course over unpaved roads - as a cave diver it goes without saying ;-)
The reports about this cave are already a little "spooky", after a few hundred meters an artificial dam is supposed to interrupt the cave course, only two pipes connect the two sides ?! When we heard that we could not really imagine what would expect us - somehow exciting!
Steffen, Manuel, Tobias and Wilke prepared themselves, Steffen and Manuel OC incl. two stages with a 32 nitrox, but without scooter. Wilke and Tobias with Rebbi and a total of three scooters and 4 stages with 32 nitrox - the two had set themselves the 2.1km to the bottomless shaft as a goal.
After a never-ending dragging we were then eventually ready to dive. The entrance was quickly found and the diving could start. The visibility was almost zero due to the heavy halocline, but at some point the cave changed to almost 100% freshwater and this part was also overcome. Tobias and Wilke dived first and had to fight hard at the underwater dam. Unfortunately the reports are true, the cave is closed by a really imposing underwater dam - only two pipes connect the two sides. The two pipes are a maximum of 1.5m in diameter and a scant 6-7 meters long. Everyone can imagine that there is a fierce current here. For Tobias and Wilke this unnatural "restriction" meant a loss of time of more than one hour! The two handed over the pieces of equipment one by one from one side to the other. Just as the last piece arrived on the opposite side and Wilke was about to dive through, Manuel and Steffen arrived at the dam. It was easy for the two of them, they put down the stages and pulled them through the tubes - "It's easy".
Wilke and Tobias put everything back on the other side. After that, it was "fire at will" for the two of them. Later, they described the incredible passage dimensions with a beaming expression. A huge cave, the dimensions of which are not comprehensible (and, by the way, not visible).
Steffen and Manuel also enjoyed the "other side" for a few minutes and decided to head back after about 700m of penetration. Tobias and Wilke meanwhile shredded through the corridors and finally arrived at the bottomless shaft. This shaft has "jaw dropping potential". Huge probably sums it up best. The two of them went down to 40m for a short while and then started the way back.
The restriction was now really easy on the way back - almost fun - just 5 seconds and the current had literally pushed you through.
After 3 hours Wilke and Tobias showed up again. Manuel and Steffen had also just recently left the cave, so we were all together with the packing of the trailer until late in the evening busy.
The last day:
Unfortunately, we actually broke a scooter during transport from Munich to Cassis, so we only had 3 scooters available and thus the cave end of the Bestouan had slipped into unreachable distance. What the heck, the cave will still be there in a thousand years... We all used the last day to relax and do a nice final dive in the Bestouan. Tobias and Wilke turned around after about 1.2km and Manuel and Steffen did the 500m mark OC and without scooter. A great cave!
Unfortunately, the trip was over faster than we would have liked - we enjoyed the time; also against the background that in Germany the autumn had already moved in, while we were allowed to enjoy in Cassis still an incredibly mild late summer.
In the evenings, we extensively dealt with what we had experienced in the countless restaurants. We made great diving friends and are again "richer" by some great cave impressions.
A great trip!
In this sense,
Your Cavebase
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