Duncan in Florida

[Duncan Price]

Being as a few people here are coming out to Northern Florida soon I thought that I'd update you on conditions and give you a taste of what I'm up to.

Flew into Tampa on Dec 2nd out of Gatwick and had an easy passage thruogh immigration and customs. Was met at the airport by my main dive buddy here, Cindy Butler, and was driven back to her place in Gainsville with a beer & burger stop on the way.

Spent most of Friday (Dec. 1st) morning fettling gear. We set up our rebreathers (both of us have my D5 sidemount units) and headed up to Peacock Springs. After fills at Cave Excursions we arrived in the park to discover that in a "blonde moment" Cindy had forgot to bring any lead. A quick trip down the road to the Dive Output got us enough lead for me to trim out my rebreather - Cindy was going to dive open circuit.

Finally we got in the water at Peacock 2. The plan was to head up to Olsen Sink and then jump across to the Peanut Tunnel and complete a circuit back to Peacock 2. In the event Cindy headed straight for the Peanut line and we ended up doing the trip in the opposite direction. With unfamiliar tanks and a very light aluminium O2 cylinder to drive the rebreather my trim was all over the place. Things were under control by the time we came out of the low section and dropped down into the main drag of Peanut Tunnel. The vis was not good for Florida - only 10 m - and it was difficult to see where Cindy was behind me as she had a halogen light rather than a HID like I had.

About halfway along the line I noticed that one of my O2 readouts had a little water in it. Unfortunately the readings became erractic on this cell and indicated to Cindy that a display was down and called the dive. I was confident in the other readout so stayed on the loop back to the surface.

After the dive we did some more consumer therapy and stopped off at Floyd's Diner for a meal.

<more to follow>

[wreckweasel]

Duncan,


Was there last week, the Nicholson is ok and orange grove is worth a pootle. Most of the southerly caves are daaaark and the flow is up a little in ginnie.

I ended up in Marianna, diving Jackson and using Ed's place for gas. We also hired some silent submersions from him. The conditions up there are gorgeous.

Oh and dont go expecting an easy ride on the way out. TSA took me to bits....

/Zak

PS. great outdoors has gone....

[Duncan Price]

Saturday 4th Dec.

Went to the end of the Wonder Tunnel in Devils. Conditions excellent except down the Wonder Tunnel which has a low section that was pretty silted out by the time we'd finished with it. The end looks diggable. Took the rebreather for another test dive but one of the ppO2 readouts is shagged from Friday's flood and it leaked again anyway I have back up units which I'll be using.

Drysuit leaks like a seive but the water is warm. Went out to a gathering of cave divers last night where I met the great and the good of the NFL cave diving scene. Beer was available in pints or pitchers - I had four of the latter and ended up a little worse for wear. Fortunately the tactical ibuprofen before going to bed worked a treat.

<more to follow>

Zak - I've had my stuff searched by the TSA lots of times - I now put my cell phone number and details on a bit of paper inside my bag. My drive tanks for the rebreather are based here anyway. In fact the rebreather is staying here too when I leave.

[Duncan Price]

Sunday 5th December

Dove (God I'm turning native) part of the Five Holes System with Brian Williams and Cindy Butler. The cave is on the Suwannee River State Park and these divers are permitted to dive it. The purpose of the line was a little exploration plus some tourism. We got in at Skull Sink which is the furthest upstream sink forund so far and headed downstream passing beneath Frog Darter Sink to a T to the left. I followed this passing two offset daylight openings to the right. Reaching the end of the line, 210 ft of new line was laid out in a roomy passage. It was evident that the route was associated with the main cave as particulate matter was being washed down from our entry upstream. The line was T'd back into the main line and I returned via the same route to others who were waiting at the downstream T. We then went down to surface in Possum Sink returning back up the main line notinig the distance to the upstream T were I surveyed the line I'd just laid. Back at Skull Sink I swam upstream in magnificent passage dropping down a shaft to a depth of 36 min an ongoing large tunnel until reaching his no stop time whereupon he returned to base meeting the others en route. This really is a good cave dive - the vis was a bit crappy on the way downstream as we were swimming in our own murk. Going upstream was very nice.

[Duncan Price]

6th December

Took the rebreathers over to Telford. Cindy had a great time in the entrance area going up and down getting used to driving her D5. Mine promptly flooded while I was kitting up so after Cindy had finished I borrowed hers and went for an hour long swim in the cave. The tannic Suwannee River was swirling around the entrance when we set off and appeared to be gradually invading the cave. According to reports there is 5ft vis at Little River right now so we won't be going there.

[NotDeadYet]

Did you manage to get an Oxygauge? I might have a couple of meters left over. Can't say for sure yet though, I've got 25 meters and from my adding up I think I only need 21 to meet my analyser orders. I had planned on keeping 3 for myself but I could live with keeping two if you want a couple.

[Duncan Price]

7th December

Went back to Skull Sink and got some survey data (passage dimensions and detail) down the deep section upstream at 30-35 m depth using Cindy's D5. Being on closed circuit really paid off in terms of gas usage and not distrubing the vis. I used two Oxyguages (Cundy's and mine) and the reabreather worked excellently until I dislodged the lid of the scrubber on my return. Had to decompress for an hour on open circuit. Now down to one working D5! Cindy Butler and Al Heck placed stages upstream for a push at the end.

8th December

We'd planned to dive Hart Springs which has recently been reopened to the publis under a guide system but the track leading to the sink was underwater. Cindy, Brian Williams and myself went to Manatee instead (had the place to ourselves) and put in at Friedman's. Went upstream against a heathly flow in good vis to thirds and drifted back to Catfish to exit.

Originally Posted by NotDeadYet

Did you manage to get an Oxygauge? I might have a couple of meters left over. Can't say for sure yet though, I've got 25 meters and from my adding up I think I only need 21 to meet my analyser orders. I had planned on keeping 3 for myself but I could live with keeping two if you want a couple.

Haven't score Oxyguage. Am thinking that two completly independent ppO2 systems (i.e. single p-port with one cell, one lead back to a single readout for each etc.) are optimum for my rig. That way if one goes down in the field you can just swop out a spare on the surface. Having two indentical D5's out here is paying dividends in terms of keeping one prep'd and ready to dive every day.

I've ordered a lot of Clippard parts while I'm here - they at 1/4 the cost in the UK and have been to Home Depot.

[Duncan Price]

9th December

Went to Cow Sink. Dived upstream to 1300' whereupon Cindy had reached thirds while I was comfy on the rebreather. Returned to entrance and took in the downstream passage while Cindy decompressed. The vis was very good, best we've had all week. Dive time 2hr. Cindy then borrowed her rebreather back and spent another hour on it in the cavern area. The scrubber is therefore good for at least three hours out here.

[Duncan Price]

10th December

Last dive of the trip. Swam from Orange Grove Sink to Peacock 2 (about a mile underwater) on the D5 in 90 minutes. Have spent more time on closed circuit than open circuit in the last eight days and well worth it.

Funniest moment was when I was in Extreme Expense in High Springs. I was on my hands and knees peering into a display cabinet when a GUE minion asked me if he could help. I replied that I was praying to George (Irvine) and was I facing Fort Lauderdale?

Second funiest moment was following a dive behind a guy doing an open water kick for the entire dive. On surfacing I asked him if his fins were broke as they only appeared to be able to move up and down.

Back towards Blighty tommorrow.

[malcolm smith]

Did the guy in the shop appear amused at your rapier like wit?
I bet you were looking to buy some snoopy loops and were crawling around so nobody would spot you :-)
Cheers, Malcolm.