Chinhoyi · about 8 km from Chinhoyi
Chinhoyi Caves – Sleeping Pool
- Max depth104 m
- CertificationCavern
- Water temperature≈ 22–24 °Cestimated, no reports yet
Diving and fills
Dive here with
What it looks like
Dive wild- Chinhoyi caves Free Diving Chinhoyi Caves I am the first diver that reach 200 metres in Chinhoyi Caves Chinhoyi Caves Zimbabwe Technical Cave Dive Expedition Jul.2012
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Videos and posts
From other divers, via YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. They only load when you click; after that, Google's or Meta's privacy rules apply.
Dive wild- Chinhoyi caves Free Diving Chinhoyi Caves I am the first diver that reach 200 metres in Chinhoyi Caves Chinhoyi Caves Zimbabwe Technical Cave Dive Expedition Jul.2012
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Other people's footage, not advice: how someone else dives here says nothing about what suits your team. Dive within your training.
The dive
You dive in cobalt-blue water of 22–24 °C, with visibility of 50 m and more. Deep dives by technical teams beyond 100 m are not uncommon here.
1 earlier accident or incident has been reported at this cave. Read what happened ↓
Profile and sections
You dive in cobalt-blue water of 22–24 °C, with visibility of 50 m and more. Deep dives by technical teams beyond 100 m are not uncommon here.
The name Chirorodziva means 'pool of the fallen'. In December 1968 trimix was used here for the first time by civilian divers, to ~104 m.
- Depth and profile
- The main shaft is 80–90 m deep (~79 m at the south end, ~90 m at the north end); in 1968 a flat silt floor was reached at ~104 m. The often-quoted 172 m is a 1969 sounding, not a dived depth. Overhangs to the west (from 22 m, explored to ~70 m), north (to ~70 m) and south (to 53 m); a cleft links the Bat Cave pool (~13 m) to the northern overhang.
- Intro level
- The open pool under the Wonder Hole is open water with daylight from above; the overhangs and the passages to the Bat Cave and the Slot Cave are overhead dives (cave certification).
- Configuration
- Open shaft: every configuration; beyond ~40 m trimix. One dive club keeps 50 m as an absolute limit on air.
- Gas
- Trimix from 40 m
Who can dive where
- At least Cavern
- Cavern zone / easier part: at least Intro to cave
- Configurations: Backmount / twinset / Sidemount / CCR / Small cylinders / no-mount (speleo sumps)
- Goes down to 104 m (trimix or deco may be needed)
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
In the Wonder Hole, a collapsed cavern open to the sky, ~9 km north-west of Chinhoyi on the A1. Steep paved steps down to the water, which is ~45 m below ground (varies by ~10 m with rain and borehole use); you carry your gear down yourself. Only with a dive club or centre registered in Zimbabwe (according to operators and guides). Entry US$10 (2023).
Around Chinhoyi Caves – Sleeping Pool
FillsNo fill station known nearby
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News
All (1)
Accidents and incidents
What happened at this cave before, with the sources. No names are given; read it as a lesson for your own planning.
- Two divers have died in the pool (years not given).
Access and rules change: check what applies locally right before your trip. Source: GDELT Project and the news feeds of diving magazines. Search for more news ↗ Searched automatically, last on 5 Nov 2026.
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