Cave Diving in High Springs, FL

[mdavid]

If any of you end up cave diving in High Springs, I'd be happy to show you some great spots.
Most weekends I'm at Ginnie or other local caves.

https://youtu.be/pQjgVLolbSQ

[8654maine]

Dude, that is awesome.

I was gonna ask if fresh or salt water but the end of your video gave the answer.

That water is crystal.

Jealous.

[B 2/75]

Been in Wakulla Springs a few times, just south of Tallahassee. I was amazed at how damn cold the water was... BRRRRRRR...

[IronCross]

Serious hit right in the nostalgia--grew up playing in those springs, the Santa Fe and countless other area springs.

Jealous, there is nothing like that in Dallas (if I'm wrong I'll be ecstatic).

[Azatty]

I pretty much hate you.

I started on the path to the dark side about 10 years ago and ran into spousal objections and the realization that I don't live anywhere near divable caves. My LP 104s are looking very lonely in the garage right now.

[Phixer56]

Did my dive cert at Ginnie. Great place. Never been to Devil's Ear though. Supposed to be one of the toughest cave dives.

[mdavid]

Cave diving like most things isn't that tough or dangerous. Just a series of small steps and learning along the path.

I'm posting because there was a fatality this year involving a vet in the area who could have been diving with someone more solid.

No chance anyone from socom should have to rely on paying some dud while they are coming up to speed in the caves.
If any of you get the training and equipment I'd be happy to guide and show you local caves for free.

Last weekends dive

[Phixer56]

Beautiful mdavid

[Azatty]

Originally Posted by mdavid

Cave diving like most things isn't that tough or dangerous. Just a series of small steps and learning along the path.


Last weekends dive

So who's the silt monster who was fucking up the bottom? I thought you cave guys never disturbed the bottom (and your shit don't stink).

[mdavid]

It got way more awesome on the way out.
In that section of the syphon even moving through with percolation blows it out, nothing but mud for about 200'....Even solo diving it requires indexing the line on exit.

Cave divers shit stinks all the time, a couple die every year.
Been a while since a death in Ginnie..but give it six months or so, it'll happen.

[Semp]

I thought I might like to try cave diving until I read Deep Descent and The Last Dive and then I decided to search for excitement elsewhere. A man has to know his limitations.

[GotSig?]

NFW! I didn't even like back in the day when they made you ditch and don with your mask foiled out in a pool.

[mdavid]

The truth is that cave diving isn't an adrenaline sport, every dive I'm almost sleepy calm and moving slowly. It's more a meditation.

Sure, there are dangerous, silty small caves...but there are a heck of a lot of wide open, gin clear power caves that are really quite safe.
Too many people want to progress quickly into smaller, siltier environments, which have a smaller tolerance for mistakes.

There are people who dive caves every weekend that are round like basket balls and broken and smoking cigs between dives. Sometimes it's a regular star wars cantina of douchbaggery.

Anyone here can easily apply themselves and have a great time, dive in relative safety and do hundreds and hundreds of dives without incident. Just a progression of small steps.

[1RiserSlip]

I done some diving at Vortex Springs in the 90's. Beautiful diving area. Very clear water, usually same temperature year round. They have caves there that stay locked up. With proper certifixation you can access them. Is located on the Florida/Alabama border.

[Rotor Strike please]

Got my open water certs from UF's Academic Dive Program while doing dives at Ginnie, Vortex, Devil's Den, etc. Fantastic area to learn.

Been diving the Red Sea lately, and it's amazing. Heading to Marsa Alam on the 27th to see some sharks.

[EightyDeuce]

as someone who knows absolutely nothing about diving in any capacity, what's with the silver tank by itself with what looked like fishing line tied to it?

[Semp]

Originally Posted by EightyDeuce

as someone who knows absolutely nothing about diving in any capacity, what's with the silver tank by itself with what looked like fishing line tied to it?

I'll give a shot at an answer. Emergency air. In wreck and cave diving there's not much room for error.

[mdavid]

It's a stage tank, used to extend penetration into the cave. I dive with doubles on my back and a stage for backup, and then extra stages depending on how far back I want to dive. For a dive like this I'd go with two stages.
I used most of the gas in that one scootering to that area and leave it on the line to pick up on my way back.

The cord is just cave line. Most of the larger passages have line in them.
The line is used so you can feel your way out if the visibility get's blown, but they also hold arrows and assist as navigation aids.

[Azatty]

Originally Posted by EightyDeuce

as someone who knows absolutely nothing about diving in any capacity, what's with the silver tank by itself with what looked like fishing line tied to it?

Edit: mdavid beat me to it.

[EightyDeuce]

Originally Posted by mdavid

It's a stage tank, used to extend penetration into the cave. I dive with doubles on my back and a stage for backup, and then extra stages depending on how far back I want to dive. For a dive like this I'd go with two stages.
I used most of the gas in that one scootering to that area and leave it on the line to pick up on my way back.

The cord is just cave line. Most of the larger passages have line in them.
The line is used so you can feel your way out if the visibility get's blown, but they also hold arrows and assist as navigation aids.

very cool, thanks.