...There is chamber after chamber, Legolas; hall opening out of hall, dome after dome, stair beyond stair; and still the winding paths lead on into the mountains' heart. Caves! The Caverns of Helm's Deep! Happy was the chance that drove me there! It makes me weep to leave them……-- Gimli the Dwarf from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Two Towers
I am tired of being wet all the time, I am tired of bouncing like a rubber ball as I dive and looking like it’s my first time in the water, I am tired of not getting it right.
We arrive at Orange Grove and suit up to go into the water. I have my primary light back, not that there as any fault in the one I had borrowed up til now. I have dry clothes, not that I am diving dry in my dry suit. And Orange Grove has duckweed. Nuff said.
We enter the water and slip below the blanket of tiny little plants and hover below them performing a respectable imitation of an S-Drill. Moving on down to the jumble of branches marking the front of the cave I shine my light as Lee ties in and follow on behind him to the start of the gold line.
The line wends its way along through tunnels of lacey rocks and fine silt blanketing the floor. We move on and on as we pass line markers heralding the distance we have traveled. 300, 500, 800…… and I am trim and level and diving as I should. As I know I can, as I usually do….. Life is good again.
We move along from high domed rooms to low rocky openings and turn corners and run up and down hills in a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. At one turn the rocks narrow into a long vertical passage opening up into a low wide tunnel.
We are past the 800 foot marker when we turn and make our way back out. I am leading now and stop to run my finger through a long glittering puddle of air on the cave ceiling. I shine my light from side to side taking in the colors of white walls and jagged edges, black sediments of goethite and soft fine brown silt so beautiful to look at but dangerous if stirred.
We fin along the rolling hills and berms occasionally rising up and over and accidentally flicking fin tips in the fin floor covering. But over all…… we done good.
I spend my hang time chasing after little catfish hiding in among the rocks. I am sure no one else pokes them as they get quite the shocked look on their face when I do.
As we rise above the surface of duckweed I struggle with the suction of my fins. I need some silicone spray…… and a freaking DRY dry suit….. but not much more than that.
We are calling it a day. No more dives today but the review sheets, dive logs and final test are still to be done. I have been working on mine…. Lee has not….. I stayed up and pored over the book while someone went to dinner and got his beauty rest…… I am not letting him copy off me…… well maybe… if he carries my tanks….. hmmmmm……