A new documentary from filmmaker Jennifer Peedom charts the attempts of a team of cave divers to break the world record for the deepest cave dive. The film, titled Deeper, focuses on the exploration of New Zealand's Pearse Resurgence cave system, which is believed to have the potential to become the deepest dived cave in the world.
The team includes Dr Richard Harris, one of the divers who played a crucial role in the 2018 rescue of 12 Thai boys and their football coach from a flooded cave system. Alongside Dr Craig Challen, Ken Smith, Dr Simon Mitchell, and others, Harris aims to push the limits of human endurance by diving deeper than anyone before.
A key challenge for deep cave diving is high-pressure neurological syndrome (HPNS), which can cause tremors and cognitive impairment at great depths. The team believes that using hydrogen as a breathing gas may mitigate these effects, leading them to launch the 'Hydrogen Expedition' in 2023, where they test the gas on themselves.
Peedom, known for acclaimed documentaries such as Sherpa and Mountain, faces the logistical difficulty of capturing visually compelling footage in the dark, confined spaces of underwater caves. While the film offers stunning aerial shots of New Zealand's wilderness, much of the diving footage lacks visual drama.
Despite this, Deeper remains an engaging watch, particularly for those interested in extreme sports and the psychology of risk-taking. The documentary is now available to stream.
