Yes, I got written up at Peacock.

(This is as much an admonishment to others as a mea culpa.)

:blackbar1 seems to be taking great delight in telling folks about my mistake (two different divers came up to me and said she had told them), so I think it's fitting that I let others know that the staff at Peacock takes their rules seriously.

I had nobody to dive with me on Thursday, so I approached two guys and asked if I could accompany them on their second dive. They said sure, and that they would be getting back in the water as soon as they finished eating lunch. As I was considering a minor modification to my sidemount hose routing, I said I would go into the cavern and wait on them.

Ten minutes became twenty minutes, and then thirty, and they hadn't entered the water, so I got out, only to be greeted by a terrible rainstorm. I went to their truck to find that they were waiting out the rain, and then to my truck, to find I was being written up for solo diving.

Ranger Rick was absolutely doing his job. While I had not considered fooling around in the cavern waiting for a dive buddy to be "solo diving," the State Park system does. And I am very fortunate that the Head Ranger told him that this is to be my "last warning," and I was not banned from the park.

The State Park system considers it solo diving whenever a diver isn't accompanied by a buddy AT ANY TIME. If you get out of the water early while your buddy completes his deco, he's solo diving.

Again, I consider myself very fortunate that I was given a warning, and not banned. Peacock Springs has the best rangers in the state.

Russell

[Cindy]

Now that is funny! :D Glad you didn't get banned. Cindy :)

[Herbie]

Sludge you have made it " cave divers most wanted ". Join my friend Gabry who also made PSSP's sh!t list for an hour solo dive. In fact him and I almost made it a double by surfacing 30 minutes after posted park hours on another occasion. Only the graciousness of the volunteer gent saved us from fines, sheriffs etc... That and the fact Doctor Death had him in a gullotine choke on the lower steps at P1, at least thats my version. Kidding aside the PSSP Rangers do the job by the book which is greatly appreciated by most cavedivers. I doubt :blackbar1 takes any pleasure spreading your misfortune but in that neck of the woods thats big news. WANTED: Dead or Alive - aka "SLUDGE" foul violator of sacred anti solo law. :-D

[JE]

notta

[pdoege]

We really need to get those silly state solo rules overturned.

Peter

[Rich]

We really need to get those silly state solo rules overturned.

Peter

I second that motion :-D

Safe diving,

Rich

[Signal 20]

We really need to get those silly state solo rules overturned.

Peter

I second that motion :-D

Safe diving,

Rich

I'll 3rd it :-D

I cannot even count the number of solo dives that I've made over the years in Peacock/OG/Olsen & Bonnet.........

Jack, I think it would be appropriate for you to point out that these solo dives took place in the 1970s, before the area was a State Park.

Russell

[MikeH]

We really need to get those silly state solo rules overturned.

I wish we could....they really don't serve a good purpose, IMO....but, those are the rules, and we have to abide by them. I prefer to make many of my dives solo....not just the small cave/low vis dives.

Having the state take over property with caves on it is a double edge sword. On the good side, it generally allows us access to the caves(in about half of the cases), but on the bad side, we have to follow some pretty inane rules.

Mike

[Gary]

We really need to get those silly state solo rules overturned.

I second that motion :-D


I third it! :)

[Angie Reim]

We really need to get those silly state solo rules overturned.

I wish we could....they really don't serve a good purpose, IMO....but, those are the rules, and we have to abide by them. I prefer to make many of my dives solo....not just the small cave/low vis dives.

Having the state take over property with caves on it is a double edge sword. On the good side, it generally allows us access to the caves(in about half of the cases), but on the bad side, we have to follow some pretty inane rules.

Mike

I agree in general. However (this comment not directed at MikeH), I think that overturning the 'out of water' by 5pm rule - during the long summer days - would have a better chance than the solo rule.

I learned this weekend that a prepaid postage comment/opinion card to the State Director of Recreation & Parks is available through the ranger's station. Probably all of the State Parks carry this comment card. I'm sending in mine to complain about the 5pm rule. I invite others to do the same for whatever rules you think are inane.

I'm sending in mine to complain about the 5pm rule.

I spent some time talking to Janet this weekend. She made it plain that all rules are made at the state level.

I mentioned the logic of making divers be out of the water at 5:00 when it isn't dark until 8:30. In a perfect example of the tail wagging the dog, she said that, since divers have to be out of the water by 5:00, the state is considering closing the park at 6:00 year 'round.

:?: :?: :?:

Russell

[Starryskies]

Cathy at Dive Outpost seems to be taking great delight in telling folks about my mistake (two different divers came up to me and said she had told them)

Hey Russell, :blackbar1 truly is a great person and in one of the two cases you are referring to she really was not taking great delight in telling folks about what you are referring to as your mistake. (I, too wish they would lighten up on the solo rule. My favorite offshoot tunnels are small and nasty and if you look at the silt wrong it pillows up - I always feel quite guilty subjecting the second person on the line to that...)

The conversation did come up in which it was mentioned that the rangers are being quite watchful and your situation was mentioned as the latest example but she was not directing anything at you personally. Can't speak for the other time she mentioned it but just wanted to let you know.

Hope you had a great 4th!

:-)

Pat, I have no problem with :blackbar1. I've known her for over nine years and think the world of her. I made a mistake and deserve for my friends to rag me on it.

I just thought it was unusual that, instead of "A diver was written up for solo diving," she mentioned me by name.

But I've got no problem with it. I deserve it.

Russell

[Cindy]

OK, you got the record set straight. You posted about the write up. I admire your honesty. I do think however that if you were upset with what :blackbar1 said you should have picked up the phone and called her or better yet talked to her about it in person. I have been a victim lately of people who can't or won't take their problems and questions to the source and communicate in an adult manor. I'm not trying to rag on you man but where did it get to be so common place to skip the people involved and go to a forum or a BOD as in my case without talking to the people involved. I know I didn't deserve what I have had to put up with because of the complaints. Has the web so isolated us from each other that we can't talk to one another? Is it the easy way now? :blackbar1 and I may have both been wrong but neither of us deserved to be talked about like that. I know that if I create a problem I want people to come to me about it. Don't you? Do you really want everything you say, gossip you repeat (don't tell me you don't gossip) or mistake you make to be put in the web? Just a question to think about isn't it. Cindy Butler :cry:

Cindy, you misunderstood. I have no problem with :blackbar1. I'm not upset with :blackbar1, and never was. It was as if she was needling me, the way old friends needle each other. No offense meant, and none taken. Just needling.

Russell

[Cindy]

Perhaps in the future leaving off names of people who are trying to run a business would be best. Unintentional harm can come from it. Cindy

[OFG-1]

WELCOME TO THE CLUB!!!

Back when the world was younger, a certain ranger who shall remain nameless found me exiting P1 alone. She asked where my buddy was, and I told her I was with my friend AL 80. Explicit carnal verbs were heard , there were compairsons between certain bodily orifices and myself, there was a short but interesting conversation concerning my family lineage, certain physical acts were suggested that seemed well beyound the range of normal flexability and then things went downhill from there.

I have not solo-ed there since for fear of running into her again.

[resolute]

Why not just put up a bulletin board behind locked glass in the park somewhere containing a "wall of shame" complete with mug shot photos of all you cave diving scofflaws. Oh yeah, and put your face on the internet too on the state park web site just like the incarcerated folk or the ones who don't pay their child support.... How's that sit with ya!?!... That ought to teach you!!!... :-D

JB

[BobK]

(This is as much an admonishment to others as a mea culpa.)

:blackbar1 seems to be taking great delight in telling folks about my mistake (two different divers came up to me and said she had told them), so I think it's fitting that I let others know that the staff at Peacock takes their rules seriously

Sorry to hear about the bust Russell. Solo diving is all a location thing. I went solo yesterday twice, and no trouble from anyone. OTOH, I was 20 miles offshore on my own boat :D

[seaghost]

Ok, I'm the culprit who was notified by the "black square box" of Russell's infraction at Peacock State Park. I feel I have to clearify that she did not "take great delite" but was only giving me an update on local news when I checked in on Friday & mentioned I was on my way to do the mile run w/ Russell. This is the only reason she mentioned any names at all (since I did). No big deal, anyone from out of town would have expected her to give them a news update. That's all it was.

And what the heck is a mea culpa?

Linda

And what the heck is a mea culpa?

Get your Latin book out.

Russell

Okay, it means, "my fault."