Sierra Mazateca, Oaxaca
Sótano de San Agustín (Sistema Huautla)
Info · exploration
Expeditions only: the sumps lie kilometres into the cave, beyond shafts, dry sections and underground camps, and teams need the municipality's permission; no operator takes visiting divers.
- Max depth81 m (266 ft)
- CertificationFull cave
- SpecialRopework
Diving and fills
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Now at Sótano de San Agustín (Sistema Huautla)
The dive
The deepest point of Sistema Huautla is a series of sumps at the bottom of the cave.
Part of Sistema Huautla. Also in this system: Huautla Resurgence (Río Santo Domingo)
Profile and sections
The deepest point of Sistema Huautla is a series of sumps at the bottom of the cave. After Sump 1 you surface in an air bell of 12 by 50 m with a sand beach; beyond Sump 2 a dry passage carries on, to the huge Sump 9, 50 m wide, in a chamber of nearly 100 m.
Cavers found the sump at 1,325 m depth in 1977; diving attempts in 1979 and 1981 foundered on the logistics. In 1994 Bill Stone's team reached Sump 9 at 1,475 m on rebreathers. In 2013 a British team returned and pushed Sump 9 to 81 m, a new depth record for the system; Sistema Huautla is now 1,560 m deep, the deepest in the western hemisphere. A diveable connection between Sump 9 and the place where the water comes out has not been found yet.
- Depth and profile
- Plan for more than -81 m: in 2013 Jason Mallinson and Chris Jewell dived Sump 9 to 81 m at 440 m, and the passage carries on deeper. Sump 1 is 430 m long, Sump 2 ~170 m.
- Configuration
- Expedition dives on rebreathers; the 1994 and 2013 divers carried everything through the dry cave to the sumps.
Who can dive where
- At least Full cave
- Configurations: Backmount / twinset / Sidemount / CCR
- Configuration unknown — research beforehand
- Goes down to 81 m (trimix or deco may be needed)
- Ropework (SRT) needed
- Experienced divers only
This is how the planner decides who in your team may dive this cave. Rules your own trip adds (organizer, a mail, the AI) show with your trip.
How to get there
The entrance lies near Huautla de Jiménez. The San Agustín sump lies 1,325 m down, beyond 92 shafts and traverses; the 1994 and 2013 teams needed weeks and several underground camps to get there with their gear.
Around Sótano de San Agustín (Sistema Huautla)
FillsNo fill station known nearby
No provider in the Sierra Mazateca yet
The caves here are listed as information only: we don't know a dive centre, guide or club yet that takes visitors, so you can't plan a trip here yet. Do you know one, or are you one? Let us know.