DIVE LOG Australasia

Goa La Pahia

can do long shallow, deep decompression dives or traverses with an entrance on either side of the cave. The fit, strong and adventurous may attempt a sump dive where you navigate both dry and flooded sections of the cave. And yes, you are right it means both you and all your gear need to make it up and over the rockpile and you will need to do it on your way in and out. Just consider it a free gym work out. Taking additional tanks can extend your dive time to 3+ hours and allow you to penetrate further into the maze of tunnels. Water temperatures ranging between 25-28 degrees means you can do all of this comfortably in a wetsuit. Because these caves are still relatively new to divers, depending on the cave you can experience percolation, where your exhaust bubbles dislodge silt or loosen

limestone rock from the cave ceiling. This can cause a deterioration of the visibility particularly on your return. Goa La Pahia – The House Cave In the backyard of where we stayed lies Goa La Pahia, the hidden cave, with an unassuming small rock entrance surrounded by vegetation. As you descend, it slowly unveils its secrets. Calcite crystal formations decorate the ceiling, which turn into whole sections covered in crystal straws. As you swim further along the cave it reveals more and more of its unique formations. Small but impressive it has a special place in my heart. The first under water crystal cave that I have ever seen was a dream come true. The sheer beauty, uniqueness and the masses of speleothems took a while to sink in. I was on such a high, but at the same time I was so calm and close to a meditative state as I took in the

Goa Laulawi

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DIVE LOG Australasia #408 - October ‘24