Friday was an easier day at Fountaine de Truffe. The weather is very pleasant indeed and we kit up in the sun, Simon and I in 12s and John in my 15s as this cave has a double restriction at the entrance and the Rebreathers would not go through.

The shallow nature and short distance that the passage runs for means that they are utterly unnecessary as well but we do take bottom stages in case we want to continue past sump one and play around for a while. Simon heads in first, I go second and John is bringing up the rear. Simon goes through the first restriction and gets stuck in the second.  Having followed him through I can see that he is catching on his argon bottle so encourage him to try again and assist him through the hole. I follow and we turn to wait for John. He simply cannot get through – the 15s are too big and with his chest scraping on the floor he doesn’t have clearance. He indicates to Simon and I that we should continue without him.

We head into the cave which is absolutely stunning. Visibility here is close to 20 metres and the cave is small and very sculpted – it reminds me greatly of Little River in Florida but without the flow. I lead in. It is shallow, max depth I record is 14 metres and after about 20 minutes the line starts to head up. I look up and there are ripples on the ceiling – we have reached sump one. We clear the surface and are able to talk.

Rather than press on we decide to go back for John. I had got though the restriction easily so I can wear the 15s and he can take my 12s. We leave the stages here rather than tow them back – whatever happens this is a beautiful cave and we are intent on coming back. We surface and John has got changed looking a little disappointed. Simon has changed his mind on the exit, he is cold so he suggests that John take his 12s and come back in with me. I haul myself out of the water whilst I wait as it is too cold to stay in there and it is much more pleasant in the sun.

We head back in with John number 2 running the video. I swim in slowly so that he has time to capture some decent video and make our way back to sump one. This cave is too short for how beautiful it is and I found myself recognising the features of the end of the passage with regret.

We surface in the sump and John’s suit is leaking and his arm is full of water. He suggests an immediate turn rather than continuing past the dry section but first he will try to smooth over his wrist seals in case it is a seating problem. He takes off his gloves to do this and then his mask so he can see what is going on – and breaks his mask strap.

“Do you have a spare?” I ask. “Yes. In the van.”

Ah. Small easy dive – looking more interesting by the minute. We’ve already had two people temporarily stuck in restrictions, now we have a broken mask. I have a spare of course so we aren’t that badly off but John would prefer to try to fix his which, as we are not short of gas, he proceeds to do. I grab both bottom stages and we head for the exit.

John leads out and stops halfway back to show me a new stag drop technique which may speed things up a bit on the next bigger dive. I have a play then we head for the exit.

I hang back so that if he gets suck I can assist. John slips through reasonably easily then it’s my turn but I’m wearing both bottom stages and have to take a few seconds setting them up to fit through. All this getting in and out has reduced viz in the restriction to zero and I find that I have taken a slight wrong turn when I am confronted with rock on every side. I work out what must have happened and edge back and slightly to the right where I am able to continue after rejigging the stages slightly and very quickly the water gets lighter and I surface.

Trying to get out I find that I’ve meshed on of the stages through my pressure gauge in a way which will not separate at all – no matter how much I wriggle. I get to the side and Simon has a look, and a try, and fails. Not discouraged, he heads off for something to help – a camera. They get me out eventually after I promise that the picture will be posted as penance for my muppetry.

Simon has prepared lunch and we eat and take a walk round a medieval mill near to the cave then decide to head to Rocamadour which is a beautiful medieval French village which was a base for the Knights Templar. We grab ice cream, walk around in the sun and head for the top of the settlement to have a beer and enjoy the view.

Back to Lynne ’s to mix gas and sort kit for the dive the following day which will be a much bigger undertaking. John and Simon give their suits attention trying to find the leaks whilst I do the fills for the following day. Each of the RBs will need two bottom stages plus deco gases whilst I will need three stages plus a travel gas and two deco gases. That’s seven stages of trimix and seven of nitrox for both travel and deco then – it takes me about two hours.

I head back to the van and the guys have sorted the scooters and lights. We pack the van carefully to fit everything in and I start running out of steam. Very tired.

We head off to get dinner. Cured ham, foie gras, smoked duck, roast goose cassoulet, and walnuts on the salad accompanied by a good wine, served by a formally dressed Maitre D outside in the moonlight by a swimming pool. Very French – and rather beats the Indian at Weymouth.