Ela Elap is a large, deep sinkhole at Mount Schank that the CDAA lists as Basic Cave but currently closed. Its entry notes stand out for one reason: the association states the water is always cold, around 10-11°C, several degrees colder than the usual 14-15°C of the region's groundwater. Visibility at depth can be excellent.

When the site was open, access was an arrangement with the landowners through Bellum Hotel management: four keys for diver groups, two locked gates on the property, a fixed ladder into the sinkhole, and a non-negotiable requirement to show a valid CDAA card. Compressors were banned during fire bans and smoking was prohibited on site. Diving was at times agreeable to the landowners.

Underwater it is a classic big, deep Mount Schank sinkhole – an open bowl with walls dropping into dark, clear water. The combination of depth and cold makes gas planning and thermal protection more important than at most Basic Cave sites; a drysuit with good undergarments is the sensible choice. Published information on depth and layout is scant, so any reopened access should come with a site briefing. The row remains in the database because the site appears on the CDAA register and in older guides. Treat it as closed until the CDAA says otherwise. Private-site closures in the Mount Gambier region often follow changes in land ownership or insurance, and some sites have reopened after new agreements were negotiated by the CDAA, so the closure need not be permanent. Divers are asked not to contact landowners directly about closed sites but to go through the CDAA site officers.

Ela Elap is on private land at Mount Schank (owners listed as Dean and Carol Edwards; access historically arranged through Bellum Hotel management), about 15-20 minutes south of Mount Gambier. When open, divers obtained permission and one of four keys, passed through two locked gates, showed a valid CDAA card and used the fixed ladder. The site is currently closed; check the CDAA site list for any change.

Unaffected by swell or tide – the limiting factors are access and surface conditions on private farmland. Summer brings heat, snakes and (at some sites) aggressive bees; Total Fire Ban days can close forestry and some private sites and ban compressors; winter rain turns paddock tracks muddy. Shallow water in sinkholes grows algae in summer, reducing visibility in the top few metres; the water below the thermocline is usually clearer and a constant ~15°C.

Ela Elap is notably colder (10-11°C per CDAA) than other sinkholes. Closed at present.

Not applicable while closed. Historically: descend the fixed ladder, dive the walls within the daylight zone and Basic Cave depth limits.

CDAA grade: Basic Cave (5L14) – site currently closed. Drysuit essential given 10-11°C water; remain in daylight zone within 40 m.

None – site currently closed (CDAA).