Ginnie flow?

[deanme]

Anyone hear about the flow at Ginnie? I'm thinking this is a good time to try to swim to the Hinkel?

dean

[sskasser]

Flow was very low on Saturday.

[jj1987]

I'm thinking this is a good time to try to swim to the Hinkel?
I don't think there's EVER a good time to swim there. We got really ambitious one day and swam a ways beyond it...stupid idea. Learn from my mistake, I sure did! :yawinkle:

[sskasser]

Yes, something to think about: when the flow is low enough to swim there, it's low enough that you're not going to get as much help swimming out either. Eat your Wheaties!

[FW]

Yes, something to think about: when the flow is low enough to swim there, it's low enough that you're not going to get as much help swimming out either. Eat your Wheaties!
Hmmm, yea... On the other hand, try swimming back from the Henkle pushing a scooter :roll:

[sskasser]

Hmmm, yea... On the other hand, try swimming back from the Henkle pushing a scooter :roll:

LOL, no thanks! That's what my buddy's butt D-ring is for!

[Slüdge]

I'd MUCH rather push a non-flooded scooter with normal flow than swim in no flow.

I've pushed a scooter from almost the Trash Room at JB, and it wasn't much different than swimming.

[sea2summit]

I've swam to it once and beyond once (total swim to it twice). First time to it was very low flow and took about 50 min, second time much higher flow, but I'd been diving JB some and could read it pretty well, only took me about 60 min. If your confident in Ginnie take the rollocoster and save some distance.

All that to say I don't think in makes a huge differance past the lips regarding high/low flow.

By the way, both times I told myself I'd never do that again...now I own two scoots.

[Jim Wyatt]

Anyone hear about the flow at Ginnie? I'm thinking this is a good time to try to swim to the Hinkel?

dean

I figured I could walk to Gainesville.....but then wondered why would I bother when I could ride!! :smt081

[Randy Thornton]

I figured I could walk to Gainesville.....but then wondered why would I bother when I could ride!! :smt081

Exactly!

[Capt Tom McMillan]

Gamble always said "Why swim when you can scooter"



I figured I could walk to Gainesville.....but then wondered why would I bother when I could ride!! :smt081

[sskasser]

All true, but then I guess it depends on the reason for the trip ;)

[RN]

I'd MUCH rather push a non-flooded scooter with normal flow than swim in no flow.

I've pushed a scooter from almost the Trash Room at JB, and it wasn't much different than swimming.

I've done the same, only from Stage Rock at 2500'. No problems doing it. I've also done a swim dive to 3000' in JB when the flow was really low. At that time I was still learning the cave and it was a nice dive. Now it's nice to scooter past the areas I know back to the areas I want to explore more.

[dgschott]

I enjoy swimming Ginnie. My normal swimming circuit for a nice leisurely 1st dive is to swim to EOL (dropping a couple of bail out bottles along the way to stay in for the duration of my stay), run the circuit back to the Hinkle, head out, go down Mainland, cross over to Sweet Surprise, then a quick swim through the insulation room, down to hill 400, up hill 400 to deco a little, then on my way out.

It's a good cardio workout, along with some sore muscles the next day, but from then on, you're good for the rest of the trip! :)

Anyone up for a dive???

[scoupland]

I did a couple of dives in Ginnie yesterday (Wednesday). The river was up and the flow down about 25% of normal. There were lots of divers taking advantage of this. The eye looked like it was full of spaghetti with all the lines in it.

[RN]

I did a couple of dives in Ginnie yesterday (Wednesday). The river was up and the flow down about 25% of normal. There were lots of divers taking advantage of this. The eye looked like it was full of spaghetti with all the lines in it.

More likely lots of classes with nowhere else to go!

[Marchand]

I don't think there's EVER a good time to swim there. We got really ambitious one day and swam a ways beyond it...stupid idea. Learn from my mistake, I sure did! :yawinkle:

come on, it wasn't that bad. my legs weren't even sore the next day.

[Slüdge]

The eye looked like it was full of spaghetti with all the lines in it.

Which brings to mind a quote from my instructor: "The purpose of a guideline is to make your dive safer, not to make it less safe."

[JillHeinerth]

Anyone hear about the flow at Ginnie? I'm thinking this is a good time to try to swim to the Hinkel?

dean

Great time to swim to the Hinkel, just do you deco in the Eye. Ear is CHHILLLY!

[LiteHedded]

I enjoy swimming Ginnie. My normal swimming circuit for a nice leisurely 1st dive is to swim to EOL (dropping a couple of bail out bottles along the way to stay in for the duration of my stay), run the circuit back to the Hinkle, head out, go down Mainland, cross over to Sweet Surprise, then a quick swim through the insulation room, down to hill 400, up hill 400 to deco a little, then on my way out.

It's a good cardio workout, along with some sore muscles the next day, but from then on, you're good for the rest of the trip! :)

Anyone up for a dive???

lol no thanks
my knees hurt just thinking about it

[deanme]

Great time to swim to the Hinkel, just do you deco in the Eye. Ear is CHHILLLY!

Thanks for the info. I will hopefully head out late next week or over the weekend of Feb 6th. Hopefully the flow will still be low (the river high) in 12 days.

dean

[FW]

Thanks for the info. I will hopefully head out late next week or over the weekend of Feb 6th. Hopefully the flow will still be low (the river high) in 12 days.

dean
Watch the river graph. The flow can pick back up, with the river still high, if the river level is dropping.

[scubagrunt]

How is the ballroom? will it go under?
mel

[RN]

Very doubtful. The spring run is a lot longer. It would take quite a bit of rise for the river to overcome the flow from there.

[FW]

How is the ballroom? will it go under?
mel
I don't think Ginnie, or Devil's Eye have ever totally flooded. I have had to walk (wade) to Devil's Eye from the road between the checkin/shop, and the Ginnie parking lot. Flow and viz were way down, but divable.

The issue with the Ballroom is, it won't be a "legal" cavern dive, if the tanic water gets over the entrance, and blocks off the sunlight. That hasn't happened in several years.

[scblade27]

I heard the flow was kicking pretty strong at Ginnie. Has anyone been there within the last couple days? Any predictions for the weekend?

[FW]

I heard the flow was kicking pretty strong at Ginnie. Has anyone been there within the last couple days? Any predictions for the weekend?
It looks like the river is already dropping, so the flow will be going back up.

[Green_Streak]

Was there today, flow was nothing(for ginnie)

[swadiver]

Back in 'bout 1988, there was a huge flood at Ginnie. River water intruded into the Ear/Eye. The entire grounds around all the springs were completly flooded. you could not get near any of the springs.

[Diverlee]

Back in 'bout 1988, there was a huge flood at Ginnie. River water intruded into the Ear/Eye. The entire grounds around all the springs were completly flooded. you could not get near any of the springs.

Happened in March of 1998 also. Water was 1/2 way up the road on the hill. the bathroom was under water too.

[Line Squirrel]

Happened in March of 1998 also.

And late 2004 after 4 back to back Hurricanes. Charlie, Fran, Ivan and Jeane.

Ginnie springs had to shut the whole operation down. It may have had more to do with downed trees and power outages than water levels though.

I think in '05 they (Ginnie) shut the cave diving down for awhile also if I'm not mistaken but that was because the water was up to the bathhouse, no parking avalable. I believe the cave was actualy still diveable, it was just a matter of getting to it.

[Jim Wyatt]

I think in '05 they (Ginnie) shut the cave diving down for awhile also if I'm not mistaken but that was because the water was up to the bathhouse, no parking avalable. I believe the cave was actualy still diveable, it was just a matter of getting to it.

Yes, I remember that happening in 2005.

Flow is way down at Ginnie now. I have been there the past few days. Vis is still good, parking lot was almost full today...lots of divers transiting in & out of the eye.

There is a temporary permanent line in the Eye starting in the cavern and tied to the gold line which has made it nice so as not to have so many lines running in there.

[MORGAN]

Do they have the curtain up yet?

Mike

[scottj]

Yes the curtain is up.
--Scott

[saturation]

Swimming the Henkel is good exercise, if you live in the area. I'd do it routinely if I lived there and had a season pass. If you've never done it, doing it at least once teaches a lot of technique swimming in flows. I recall it said Bill Main did it often, and so did Mark Meadows, when he was diving often.

I think I took at least 3-4 attempts before I made it just past the Berman room, but after that, in succession we made 500' + into Mainland, then some distance into Sweet Surprise, all on different dives, on different days, on different trips. It strongly suggests there is much technique involved as well as fitness, and that we could swim inbound past 3000' or so afterward, in succession over different periods, suggests we learned quite a bit.

In 2007, we switched to scooters and marveled on how easy it was to get there compared to when we swam. We also saw a huge deterioration in swimming skills that year. So, after that we rarely scooter except on cave trips that truly need scooter travels, and we do swim dives locally to keep in shape.

[J_glenn06]

Do they have the curtain up yet?

Mike

What is the curtain?

[sskasser]

GSO puts up a giant tarp/curtain across the run, between the Eye and the Ear. This is supposed to help keep the nastiness in the flooding river out of the run. I think.

[hfig]

I was there on Sunday 1/31, curtain was up and there was a noted temp line in the eye going to the ear.

[rpurdy]

As of 2/6 the curtain and temp line was still in. Flow was up and vis is pretty good.

[BecKave]

We've been diving Ginnie most of the week. Its been sort of green but it was much better today. FLow is back in Devils Ear as well. Gorgous tannic in there!

[sskasser]

WOW!!!!!!!!! Great shot Becky!

[J_glenn06]

Heading to ginnie this sat. is the flow back up?

[FW]

Probably not up much, the river is still prety high.

[MORGAN]

We were in Ginnie today - visibility clear except for a short section about halfway out Hill 400 that was slightly milky but still fine. Flow less than usual. Silt curtain up, temporary line run up into the Eye to the sign. Had a great time as always!

Mike

[J_glenn06]

We were in Ginnie today - visibility clear except for a short section about halfway out Hill 400 that was slightly milky but still fine. Flow less than usual. Silt curtain up, temporary line run up into the Eye to the sign. Had a great time as always!

Mike

Is the temp. line all the way to the mainline? So we dont need to run a primary in the eye? Never had to deal with a temp line since our intro class. Do i need to put a my cookie on it?

[jj1987]

Is the temp. line all the way to the mainline? So we dont need to run a primary in the eye? Never had to deal with a temp line since our intro class. Do i need to put a my cookie on it?
It goes all the way, and you can put a cookie on it if you wish.

[BecKave]

Flow isn't bad, we hoped the fence and went in through the ear, still a good amount of flow coming out of there. Cave seems to be clearer day by day =) Have a great weekend! Unfortunately we are leaving saturday =( I'd rather stay and dive!

[J_glenn06]

So I heared that spring break was this week how crazy is ginnie going to be this weekend?

[aleksi]

What distance is it to Hinkle along the mainline? I have only swam to 2000ft there and it was already a long way in the flow :)

-aleksi

[Bobby]

IIRC it is 3200. It is a lot of work swimming it on the main line. I always detour on lower flow passages.

Bobby

[deanme]

So I heared that spring break was this week how crazy is ginnie going to be this weekend?

Spring break for University of Florida was last week. I really didn't see very many students at Ginnie yesterday.