Cave diving in France

[Ingemar Lundgren]

I was in France cave diving a few years ago in the Lot and Dordogne area. Sten Stockman wrote a trip report about the diving that you can view here http://www.ocean-discovery.org/cavedivingfrance.htm (http://www.ocean-discovery.org/cavedivingfrance.htm)

Back then there where no diving centres filling gas etc. How is it now? We had to bring our own compressor and helium was impossible to find. If anyone could post some information, links etc to dive centres in the area i would appreciate it. The diving there is just spectacular easily rivalling Florida in my opinion. The only downside was the logistics. But maybe that has changed now?

[Ingemar Lundgren]

BTW. Sten i remeber you had a book with directions to all the caves. Where can i get hold of that book and what was the title ISBN nr?

[Andreas]

It sounds like things have changed a bit in recent years.
Now there is a place that is often recommended: http://www.cdclot.com/

For information, the "Underwater Guide to the Lot & Dordogne" written by Andrew Ward is very nice with descriptions, directions and maps to at least 23 caves. I think I got mine directly from Andrew, but nowdays it might be available from www.dragon-speleo.co.uk (http://www.dragon-speleo.co.uk) or www.librairiespeleo.be (http://www.librairiespeleo.be) or www.inglesport.co.uk (http://www.inglesport.co.uk).

There is also a yahoo mailing list for cave diving in France: http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/francecavediving/

HTH.

Best,
Andreas

[Dawn]

Are the majority of these caves sumps? I know there are a ton of caves in the region but only know bits and pieces from Sten's article and reading others' write-ups...

I claim ignorance here as the only caves I have been to visit in France (in Europe for that matter) are Gourneyrou, Gourneyras, and Doux de Coly :o

Best,
Dawn

[Ingemar Lundgren]

Yes most of them are sumps. Resell for example is a sump but its quite far back (10.000 feet?) so you still get a good distance dive. For us here in Sweden it is pretty convenient to be able to get good cave diving not to far from us. It takes a day of driving to get there. Going to Plura is harder due to bad roads.

[Ingemar Lundgren]

Thanks for the info Andreas. Have you been diving there recently? I think that was the book Sten had.

[Sten Stockmann]

Yes, that's the one. There's another one which covers other parts of France, the Cave Diving Guide to Eastern France by Stuart Morrision.

http://www.lizardland.co.uk/franceorder.htm

/Sten

p.s. Igge, Do you still order Chateaubriand with Bernaise-sauce and Coca-Cola when in France? ;)

[jluttichau]

When i was in France last year, we got fills from this guy who had nitrox and trimix in his garage, I only have the GPS position for his house. His name was Griswald or something.

You can see his house on this map: (click on the lot and dordogne link)

http://www.koebenhavnssportsdykkerklub.dk/googlemap/

Cheers
Jonas

[Sten Stockmann]

You mean André Grimal in Gramat?

http://www.oceanes.com/?page=plongee/club&club_idi=734&ps_session=7a835424fd856250fd39754e83668e27

[jluttichau]

Yup that's the one, but the story goes that he sold the hotel and moved the fill station to his garage at his home..

Cheers
Jonas

[Ingemar Lundgren]

With green pepper sauce but i haven´t been there for a long time.

Yes, that's the one. There's another one which covers other parts of France, the Cave Diving Guide to Eastern France by Stuart Morrision.

http://www.lizardland.co.uk/franceorder.htm

/Sten

p.s. Igge, Do you still order Chateaubriand with Bernaise-sauce and Coca-Cola when in France? ;)

[Dawn]

Yes most of them are sumps. Resell for example is a sump but its quite far back (10.000 feet?) so you still get a good distance dive. For us here in Sweden it is pretty convenient to be able to get good cave diving not to far from us. It takes a day of driving to get there. Going to Plura is harder due to bad roads.

Thanks for the info Igge (and Peter).

I had no idea it was that close - still getting used to comparitive distances in Europe.

Best,
Dawn

[Andreas]

Are the majority of these caves sumps?
I just skimmed through the cave guide, and as Igge said, quite a few of them are sumps.
In the guide there is also a 3.5-page English/French dictionary of terms related to cave diving, which can certainly be nice for some of us. :)


Thanks for the info Andreas. Have you been diving there recently?
No, unfortunately I have not. I was invited to an expedition a couple years ago, but everything fell apart and I couldn't go. :(

[Teppo]

Hi

Well Andre does fills at his place which is nice if you live at Gramat or Rocadamour, CDC lot (Dave & Lynn) is at Gordon which is more south and its a bit driving for Ressel and Landanouse. We stayed at CDC lot last spring and they where still building the place, but basically you can fly to toulouse and they pick you up at airport and they have a car to rent. You can rent most of the kit (they had 3 sets of 2*18 and 12 al80´s ) and gavins and SS for rent also.

We had planned some diving there at this spring, but my buddies cancelled. So if any one wants to go scootering at Ressel and such send me a pm.

Teppo

[Teppo]

Hi again

One thing most of the maps and coordinates can be found at http://www.plongeesout.com/sites/site%20plongee.htm

Teppo

[Ingemar Lundgren]

Welcome to the forum Teppo and thanks for the information.

[Teppo]

You are welcome, slowly i am start learning things about the Lot area, there is a ton to do there besides cave diving. (well you need to do something while off gassing)


Teppo
http://koti.welho.com/tlallukk/

Welcome to the forum Teppo and thanks for the information.

[Jonas "Dragan" Pavletic]

It sounds like things have changed a bit in recent years.
Now there is a place that is often recommended: http://www.cdclot.com/

<snipp>

Best,
Andreas
Apparently, Dave&Lynne has split up with Jiri and they are running the dive center in Pont de Rhodes by them selves at the moment.

The new URL for their dive center is http://www.lotcavedivingcentre.com/
Still the same excellent service and meals though, however the guesthouses are different from initial years.

/Dragan