The Wetmules

Why the Wet Mules? There is a saying in a small corner of the USA that a wealthy man has “enough money to burn a wet mule”. Ken Smith discovered this quaint phrase on one of his many working holidays around the coal mines of the United States where he meets many interesting and colourful characters.

We were quite taken with the expression, and it began to enter our conversations frequently…hungry enough to eat a wet mule, as tired as a wet mule, as wet as a wet mule etc. Then it occurred to us!

As a large part of our chosen pursuit of cave diving seems to revolve around ferrying heavy objects in and out of caves, submersing ourselves in frigid waters for many hours and generally abusing our bodies in a multitude of ways, we were beginning to take on the persona of the wet mule itself!

Stubborn, strong of back and oblivious to pain: these are the qualities of the exploration cave diver! And so the name for our small team of diverse individuals was coined… The Wet Mules!

We love: Unexplored caves; making it up as we go along, combining diving with helicopters, unique solutions to unique problems; rebreathers, SCUBA cylinders, snorkels or whatever will get the job done safely and efficiently; individualism; contributing to the science, conservation and understanding of what we enjoy…caves!

We dislike: Being told there is a correct way to do things, people who can’t think for themselves, over regulation and senseless red-tape, not giving credit for those who went first.

Vive la difference!