October 2018. A team of 10 cave divers and 3 supporters meet in Nanning, Guangxi Province, China. Their goal: explore uncharted underwater caves hidden deep in the South China Karst Plain. This is the third edition of the UTD South China Karst Plain Project (SCKPP)—a bold initiative to uncover, document, and share China’s cave systems with the global dive community.
🔍 Key facts:
- Region: Guangxi, South China
- Focus: Cave exploration & documentation
- Duration: 1 week
- Team: 10 cave divers from 8 countries
From Red Army Cave to Mama Pig
The project’s early years were marked by trial and error—initial site scouting often hit dead ends. Yet, they also uncovered treasures like the Red Army Cave. Sadly, its access was closed after authorities discovered its role in supplying drinking water to the region.
By 2018, the core team—Poh, Max, and Andrew—had refined their scouting process. Locations were pre-selected and GPS-marked in advance. What followed was a carefully coordinated week of discovery.
Jungle Bus, Undergarment & Quartz Walls
After a short briefing and mapping refresher, the team left Nanning in a 50-seat bus—spacious for 13 people but quickly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of dive gear. Over the coming days, the bus transformed into a mobile dive base… and impromptu drying room for wetsuits and smelly undergarment.
The first dive took place in the Wu Ming Cave, previously explored in 2016. While the team couldn’t extend the mainline (locals had done so in the meantime), everyone was amazed by the cave’s quartz-lined chambers and stunning formations.
“Behind a bottleneck there’s a room full of stalactites and thumb-sized crystals—like diving through a geode.”
Introducing Mama Pig
The next target was “Mama Pig”—a mysterious water hole at the foot of a mountain, once seen dry during pre-dive scouting. After trudging through banana fields and mud, the team reached the site… but split into two dive teams when two distinct water entries were discovered.
As both teams explored, it became clear: they were in two separate caves.
- The smaller cave was mistakenly thought to be Mama Pig, later renamed “Little Pig”
- The larger, true cave became “Mama Pig Left” and “Mama Pig Right”, each with different features
🕳 Mama Pig Left: Shallow zigzag passages, stalactites, curtains, and tight squeezes
🏺 Mama Pig Right: A massive clay-covered hall with broken pots, shelves, and… leftovers of a disassembled Honda 125cc motorbike
Teamwork, Mapping & Mistakes
From misread maps to stuck hoses, the week tested the team’s ability to work under pressure and adapt in real-time.
One tight spot led to a stuck diver—his teammate freed him with a single finger.
My buddy is stuck with his hose in a narrow place and doesn’t come back or forward. I love UTD, teamwork, fast and efficient occurrence. Partner in the cave, emotions are shared after the dive over a beer. And above all safety: I for you and you for me. With one finger I loosen his hooked hose and he swims on, disappears in the dark on the other side.
Sergi Perez Garcia
Mapping was performed in teams: one laying line, others following with slates and compasses. The UTD Z-systemproved valuable in tight areas and unfamiliar terrain.
China Beyond the Caves
Beyond the dives, this trip delivered deep cultural immersion.
📷 Gear of choice: From iPhones with fisheye lenses to full 360° rigs, everyone documented every angle
🍲 Food adventure: From suckling pig post-dive to hotpot feasts and late-night delivery
🧻 Misunderstandings: Hotels charging for white towels used on dive gear, and lost-in-translation restaurant menus
And of course, no English in sight—except the odd confusing hotel sign.
Legacy & What’s Next?
The SCKPP’s 2018 edition laid critical groundwork:
- Documented several new caves
- Collected data for future exploration
- Strengthened bonds among international cave explorers
One low-visibility cave had to be postponed—perhaps a mission for SCKPP 2019?
The 2018 South China Karst Plain Project (SCKPP) expedition proved the power of teamwork, where participants from 8 countries united despite language barriers, sharing the same mission and values. With the same intensive training, the team completed complex cave exploration tasks, showcasing that diving isn’t just about technical skills but the collective spirit and determination.
Team 2018:
Andrew Georgitsis (USA), Lendar Chew (Singapore), Max Wang (Taiwan), Jason Park (South Korea), Sergi Perez Garcia (Spain), Adrian Sparta (Poland/Finland), Zbigniew Tomasz Prokop (Poland/Finland), Simone Nägele (Austria/Spain), Kace Wong (Singapore), Adam Lim (Singapore), Kiven Zhang (China), Jackie Yu (China), and Yang Li (China).
