Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur (anything said in Latin sounds profound) ~ Anonymous
Sidemount. The never ending battle. Maybe not, but it just seems that way as I slowly find my own special configuration.
Christmas is a family time for me, but with not much family about this year I find myself drawn to the land of dark holes and endless gear. The presents distributed, last of the dishes done and Grandma’s silver packed away…. I am off.
I am slowly discovering the variety of caves that dot the northern reaches of Florida. With new bungees on my rig and the learning curve of sidemount slowly easing its erratic ups and downs into a more gently flowing line, I listen to the dive plan for Ruth Springs.
Divecon Jeff and Forrest have invited me along on their little adventure and I follow along to the dive site. If I told you where it was, I would have to kill you. Well, maybe that is not entirely true but it is someplace I haven’t been before and with my “where am I in Florida” skillz, I can’t begin to explain.
Ruth Springs has a packed sand parking lot but no other facilities to assist in diving; so you gear up from the back of your truck, walk to the edge of the parking lot and down a short aging wooden staircase and approximately another 10 feet to the spring.
Gearing up I ripped the wrist seal of my dry suit and like any good Jersey diver, I duct taped the heck out of it and made my way down to the water.
With 3 divers we spread out along the limestone edge to give room for gearing up. The basin was a bit green and reminded me of NJ and I eased on into the cave as middle diver on the team.
This cave is fairly short, low and silty; culminating in a wiggle squiggle size restriction that leads to an open sinkhole. The line is run along PVC stakes sunk into the deep silt and while visibility was not forever, it was certainly enough to see the cave. We made our way past the section of line that suddenly runs straight up for a bit before leveling off and on to the restriction just before the sinkhole before turning the dive.
One wet arm, one good dive and now one trip to see Steve Gamble’s new shop. My suit will be ready by tomorrow afternoon and Cow is on the agenda.
There exists no politician in India daring enough to attempt to explain to the masses that cows can be eaten. ~ Indira Gandhi
It is late afternoon by the time I am back with my suit and we head for Cow Spring. Having gotten poison ivy here last time, I cheat a bit getting close to the water and we again make our way on down. I am feeling more comfortable and managing my buoyancy without the constant head banging of my early sidemount dives; I can manage the loops and my tanks sit comfortably at my sides. The new bungees may be what I was looking for. We make our way to the ski rope and although I can feel some flow it is not necessary to use the rope to pull along. The cave does not disappoint and I swivel my head to take in the clay banks and changing features. As we approach the large bank which Michael Angelo so beautifully repaired, I look to see if it is noticeable. Not wanting to do any damage myself I keep a respectful distance and admire his handi-work. Actually, I admire the fact that I only see clay bank from my perch mid water; good job.
We make our way through and head on down to the deeper sections, but it is getting late and we turn to exit before we hit any deco. On our way out, just before the area where the ski rope begins, the gold line runs up and the ski rope runs under the limestone, I wanted to follow the ski rope as I was curious but my buddy flashed a let’s not and I joined him on the gold line and out. It is dark by the time we are packed and locking the gate behind us; and my sleeve is wet yet again. I dangle it in front of the dashboard heating vent and call it a day.
I may not be sure if monsters exist, but I’d rather live my life in doubt than be persuaded by a real experience of one. ~ Gregory Maguire, Wicked : The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
There is a monster in Telford. Really…. it must be true, I have a bumper sticker that says so.
It is morning and the best time to dive Telford, the monster is a late riser, he likes to sleep in and the river gators do too; it is the best time to go.
Just to make things interesting we will scooter our way up the river to the spring run. Having never ridden a scooter before, I will get my first lesson here in the river and then we are off. I question the logic of someone clipping a large machine to my crotch strap and saying “try not to hit anything”. Winn Dixie puts bumpers on their shopping carts when they see me coming. He is a brave man.
How was scootering? Let us just say…. I have a need… for speed. I am saving my pennies as we speak.
As we reach the telltale white sand of the spring, we stow the scooters on a submerged limb and make the climb out of the water, across the sand and over the waterfall and into the basin. Quite a lot of work just to get eaten by a monster if you ask me.
The monster is after me already. While gearing up, one of my tanks was short filled to only 2600psi and with the strong river current as we scootered upstream, my stowed regulator free flowed from the pressure (a lesson in scootering I have now learned) and now both of my tanks are short. One more swipe at me and I am going home.
We make our way in and as we fin along I notice that there is less silt than the first time I was here back in July. More traffic has come through here and more cave is showing itself. Or maybe the monster just vacuumed cause he knew I was coming…..
We make our way past the first sink and as Forrest ties in the jump I look up past the branches and leaves to see sunlight, no monster yet…..
We make our way along gray silt floors and the walls take on different shapes and move from dark to light to dark again. We follow the line as the ceiling begins to rise above us and the walls rise up from ledges and the floor and begin to narrow forming canyons. We follow along, some places rising square to the ceiling and others slowly moving in towards each other and narrowing above me like a peaked stone roof.
Rising up in the water column I take in the majesty of the formations, my light playing off the light colored walls and following the line from the floor below me to the ceiling above. I can almost hear the light beam echo as it bounces from the walls. The wider parts are like canyons rising up around me and the narrower like primitive stone cathedrals, simple but wondrous. I imagine these areas to be long hallways leading back to…..what else? Him.
Maybe I saw the monster and maybe my gauges said no further, but it was time to turn. As I led out (with my dive buddy as monster bait behind me) I could hear him. He was laughing, no… he was giggling…. giggling ever so faintly still farther down the line. Game on, he was after me all right but I was making tracks and I don’t think he had had his coffee yet and there was that little issue of that other diver between us.
I see the gold line end and the reel line lead to the cavern. I know that once again I got lucky. The monster didn’t get me, but he is in there….. Really.
Having lived to tell the tale and two wet arms this time, we head to Madison Blue to find yet another monster. We plan to dive the Godzilla Circuit with Sludge. Considering his new hat and hair, that according to another diver makes him look like a big chia pet, I am not sure which is scarier.
Contrary to popular belief, "Damn It" is not God's last name. (Construction wall, Philadelphia, 1969)
The stairs down to the platform are getting steeper. More sand has worn away and the stairs get taller as you climb up and down shuttling gear. On the platform most of the benches are gone and the short run left are quite rickety; the water level has dropped and the cavern has a fuzzy murky look to it that slowly clears as you move farther into the cave.
We tie into the first jump and begin our trek. I enjoy this swim and the cave changes from room to room. Godzilla is still there although I am not sure safe and sound is a good description. He is tied to the line where it dangles high above the floor and he looks a bit nervous to me.
We come about and meet the gold line once more and head back. I am signaled for a gas check and while I have plenty of gas left I feel water everywhere in my suit and am chilling fast. My diving is done and Dr. Gamble needs to take a closer look at this suit. Apparently seals are not its only malady.
As I climb the stairs the water in my boots is filled above my ankles, causing my chubby little legs to look chubbier and the weather wearied stairs with their rises and troughs to be formidable as climb back up.
We empty my suit out….. Twice…. and I am cold and wet and really need a cup of coffee….. I need coffee…. And I want it now…..
It matters not whether you win or lose; what matters is whether I win or lose. ~ Darrin Weinberg~
I have no doubts that I will be occupied at the Ginny Springs Social even though I won’t be diving. There are so many faces to put names and forum monikers to. The food was plentiful and the grill master quite good at his job. Burgers and hot dogs, salads, chips and chili and soup….. to top it off, a cake and coconut crème pie……
Dive shops and businesses and the training organizations were most generous with door prizes. Books, DVD’s, clothing and dive gear were handed out to lucky winners.
As evening approached, the entire party was moved over to a pavilion near the Ballroom. The food flows once more and more prizes are dispersed. My luck so far this week has consisted of not quite being eaten by the Telford monster and so far becoming the proud owner of brandy new wrist and neck seals on a still leaky suit. As the last of the prizes are awarded I stand in the back talking with a friend and as they are about to pull the final and grand prize he wishes me luck and hopes I win.
No one is more surprised than I that, thanks to Cave Country Dive Shop, I am now also the proud owner of a new CO monitor. A piece of equipment that was high on my list. Thank you.
A grand bonfire is lit and everyone gathers round. Talking and watching the fire, as well as Russell’s new hair, we wait for the midnight hour to approach. As the minutes tick down people slowly make way to put on their gear and walk towards the stairs. I am hesitant as the evening is cool and the inside of my suit still wet but this is why I am here. My first Galaxy Dive. My indoctrination into the Chemical Light Society.
I swim down to the mouth of the cavern. I haven’t been here since my cavern course which seems so very long ago. I only have one tank and feel a bit light but kick down to the entrance and make my way in. I lay on the rocks just inside the entrance and take in all that is around me. Divers encircle the entire room, waiting patiently for New Year to arrive and there is an eerie glow lighting the room from a single plastic bag.
As the New Year arrived the bag opened and the contents of a gross of blue glow sticks caught in the current of the caverns water. First forming a wall of blue glow swirling through the room, slowly it stretched and separated into ribbons of light that flowed and broke apart once more. This time breaking into bubbles. Hundreds of bubbles which then broke into smaller bubbles that filled the room and washed over everyone there as they followed the currents to the mouth of the cavern.
I lay very still at my perch and watched the show before me and marveled at the glow of light filling the room and the rush of bubbles coming towards me. What an amazing sight and wondrous way to usher in the New Year. I emerged from the water to a new year. New hopes and dreams. New chances and changes. It certainly see