We Had To Squeeze Through THIS To Dive Marchepied cave in France

We Had To Squeeze Through THIS To Dive Marchepied cave in France

Leon de Maripier in France is a legendary cave diving location with a nasty entrance. Can we negotiate our way through the restriction to explore what lies beyond? Find out in today’s episode on the Dive Saga channel. [Music] [Music] This episode has been shot on the Insta 360 Ace Pro 2. Stay tuned to find out how you can get a discount on your own Insta 360 camera. It’s a quiet morning in the Doonia Valley in France. At the foot of this rock formation, we are preparing our diving equipment for a visit to Lejon the Marapier, an epic submerged cave with a notorious entrance. [Music] Maria Pier is a bit of a of a legend. It’s absolutely gorgeous. crystal clear water, limestone formations that look like they’re carved out by an artist. But there is a serious catch. The entrance is a serious restriction. It can only be accessed by sidemount divers. Um I know many back mount divers have tried. I’m sure some have succeeded with some serious perseverance, but um you’ll see what I mean. It’s definitely a serious serious squeeze and uh the reward after the squeeze is of course what we do it for. We do it for what lies beyond the restriction. But Marapier has already cost the lives of divers. So I think it is fitting to remind you to never dive beyond your training and comfort levels. While access to Marapier is unchecked and open to all, it’s important to note that the first 40 m 130 ft of the cave do not offer enough space to turn around and abboard the dive if needed. This is the starting point of our dive today. This is the emer. Our dive will start right here. I don’t know if you can see it really well, but there’s already immediately a restriction right there eventually opening up leading into kilometers and kilometers of cave tunnels and even a siphon, which we are hoping to reach today. But for sure, the most notorious and most tricky part of this dive will be within the first 5 minutes of the dive right here. To be accurate, a siphon or a sump is actually the submerged section of a cave, the part in which we dive in Marshap. After about 500 m, 1,600 ft, the cave has a dry section, which is our intended turning point for the day. If we even get past the restriction, that is, and somehow film it all at the same time. The number one question in the comments is always, “What camera did you use to shoot this episode?” And the answer is usually the Insta 360 Ace Pro 2. If you’ve been watching the Dive Saga channel, then you know that I’m a huge fan of the Insta 360 Ace Pro and Ace Pro 2. The flip screen is very useful on land, but especially the larger sensor and the exceptional low light performance is what really sells it for me. When we shoot in these overhead environments and we have limited light, the Insta 360 Ace Pro is, in my opinion, simply the only camera who can pull off the images that we get in these tight spaces. I’ll put a link below so you can pick up your own Insta3 Ace Pro or Ace Pro 2 that not only gives you a discount, it also supports the Dive Saga channel. I also want to thank Insta3 for continuously supporting the Dive Saga channel and making these adventures possible. Time to find out what Marshapier is all about. Even though we are diving with our Kiss sidewinder side mount rebreathers for streamlining, the thick undergarments, the dry suit, and all the other equipment add up quickly and still make us rather bulky. I’ve heard stories of divers on rare occasions making it through on a small set of doubles, but there are also many accounts of divers getting stuck, panicking, and even losing their lives. A lot also comes down to how much rock debris is on the bottom of the restriction on that day. Either way, we always take cave diving very seriously, plan our dives thoroughly, do our pre-dive checks religiously, and keep an open mind about potentially aborting the dive prematurely if needed. But then again, once committed to the restriction, a full 180° turn is not really an option. What follows is not our smoothest ever camera work on the Dive Saga channel, but it’s as real as I can make it to take you with me through the entrance of Marsha Pier. [Music] The first squeeze. This is definitely the most challenging one, but we made it through. Camera in hand. However, we are not done yet. What follows is a little roomier, but it’s not exactly the presidential suite. Our fins are of little use in a situation like this. So, we use a technique called pull and glide. Although it feels a little bit more like pull and scrape at this point. Generally, cave divers want to avoid contact with the cave, but in tight systems like this, that’s not exactly an option. [Music] There you go. We’ve made it through the first 40 m30 ft. From here on, the system gets a little bit more spacious. But do keep in mind that this entrance is also our exit. So, we will have to do this a second time. All the bumping and scraping is immediately forgotten as Lejon’s de Marier slowly starts revealing its beauty. Just as discussed in our previous episode about the REL cave, no decorations here. This too is an erosion system characterized by mostly singular tunnels carved out by millions of years of water flow. In most cases, that does keep navigation rather straightforward as there aren’t too many side passages, jumps or tees. In summer, like right now, the water level is rather low, and so the water in the cave is shallow. In many places, we can even stick our heads out of the water. [Music] It isn’t long before we work our way deeper into the belly of the beast and Maripier reveals her inner beauty. [Music] What do you think? Is this worth the squeeze in the beginning? Let me know in the comments. [Music] Our objective for today lies at the 500 m 1600 ft mark. That is where the first siphon, the submerged section of the cave, ends. The words sump and siphon are often used interchangeably to describe the submerged passages of the cave. French cave divers tend to use the word seifon while English divers may use the word sump. [Music] The closer we get to our end point, the more the cave changes. Somehow it strikes me as more peaceful and less visited, which is likely true. Some passages are so shallow that it’s almost easier to swim than to dive. We’ve reached our destination, the end of S one, where the cave transitions into a dry cave, at least for a little bit. What a magical experience to surface in a place that is so close yet so far away from the world. While it is possible to partially gear down and traverse the dry section to continue diving beyond it, it’s not part of our dive plan today. It’s also worth knowing that in environments like this, the atmosphere is not necessarily breathable and can fill up with carbon dioxide quickly. So, we are careful to stay on our breathing loops and not exert ourselves too much. Passing out here would be a real problem because the only way for help in or out is through that initial restriction. However impressive and peaceful this place is, we are only halfway to dive and so we have to turn around and start making our way back. Although the way in and out is a path full of danger that requires serious skill and attention, what lies beyond is a hidden paradise and a vault that holds some of the geological secrets of France’s hidden waterways. Another dive to remember. [Music] Hey, I hope that everybody can see that we’ve been putting a lot of effort into growing the Dive Saga channel over time. And I think you can notice that our adventures have gotten a lot more well produced and a little bit more exotic. This does come at a cost and uh some of you are already Dive Saga members and Dive Saga all access members. If you can do that and you can click the join button below that would be so super helpful in helping to fund our mission. You can also pick up some Dive Saga merch that helps as well. But either way, this is an amazing journey so far. Thank you guys for watching and I’ll see you next time. [Music]

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L’ Emergence de Marchepied in France is one of the most legendary cave dives in Europe. With its notorious entrance restriction, divers risk everything to explore what lies beyond. Can we squeeze through this claustrophobic passage and reveal the hidden world inside Marchepied?

In this episode of DiveSAGA, we take you deep into the Dordogne valley, where a small rock opening leads into one of the most infamous submerged caves in France. The first 40 meters (130 feet) of the dive are a brutal restriction: too tight to turn around, too risky for the unprepared, and responsible for several diving accidents in the past.

Armed with our KISS Sidewinder sidemount rebreathers and several Insta360 Ace Pro 2 action cameras, we attempt to negotiate the squeeze, capture it all on camera, and continue toward the 500-meter (1600-foot) dry section at the end of Sump 1. Along the way, we’ll show you the true beauty of Marchepied: its winding tunnels, shallow summer waters, and hidden chambers carved by millions of years of erosion.

⚠️ Disclaimer: Cave diving is an extremely dangerous activity. Never attempt dives like Marchepied without the proper training, equipment, and experience.

👉 What do you think: is the beauty beyond the restriction worth the risk? Let us know in the comments!

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📍 Dive Site: L’ Emergence de Marchepied, Dordogne, France
🤿 Type: Cave Diving / Siphon Diving
⏱ Dive Objective: Reach the end of Sump 1 (500m / 1600ft)
⚒ Equipment: KISS Sidewinder Sidemount Rebreathers, Drysuits, Technical Cave Gear

⌚ The Time Stamps For You:
00:00 Introduction
00:56 Marchepied
03:40 Insta360 Ace Pro 2
04:36 Gearing up for the Dive
05:30 The Restriction
07:44 Cave Diving in Marchepied
10:00 The Shallow Passages
11:04 Reaching the Dry Section

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▶️ https://youtu.be/QhbRgP2RIWc

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This is real cave diving, not polished perfection. Every bump, scrape, and squeeze is part of the journey. Join us as we test ourselves against one of France’s toughest cave entrances and discover what secrets Marchepied has been hiding.

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Welcome to Dive SAGA, your destination for world-class scuba diving adventures and education. Led by award-winning SCUBA instructor trainer Nick Derutter, this channel explores the depths of our planet through the lens of history, science, and travel. From cave diving, technical and wreck diving to ice diving and more, Dive SAGA is built for passionate divers.

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