Whats the difference between sump diving and spring diving equipment?
The difference between sump diving and spring diving equipment is fundamental. Spring diving equipment is based on carrying the largest amount of gas possible into the water using large back-mounted or side-mounted steel tanks. But the selection of sump diving equipment is based entirely on the ability of the cavers to carry the tanks through the dry cave to the sump. Tanks more commonly seen for sump diving include small side-mounted tanks, such as aluminum 40s or smaller or high-pressure, light weight, fiber wrapped tanks. The lights used by the diver change as well, from the fragile acrylic canisters with 14 Ah batteries and halogen lights to smaller and more efficient 10W HID lamps and Lithium Ion or Nickel Metal Hydride batteries in PVC canisters. Often no canister light is taken at all and the diver uses the lights mounted on his dry caving helmet to save weight. Comfort in the water also suffers during sump dives. The bulky dry suits common in spring diving are much too heavy to
