Anderson Spring

[Craig G.]

Anderson springs has been a place that I've been trying to dive for a while. It seems that it's always blown every time I go to dive it. However, on 7/30/06 I caught it on a great day, the spring was pumping and clear surface water was seen for the first time for me. Upon entering the spring I experienced Ginnie x 2 flow which made running a reel a real pain. After running the reel I had found the line just inside of the cavern. It was close enough to were a primary reel were not needed to be run, it was only a tangle hazard in that niagra flow. The entrance was a pinch, Although it opened up right afterwards. Shortly after entering I encoutered a really neat well that droped me from 20' to around 60' into a fissure passage. I didn't go much futher, the flow was to much for the drag that my shell drysuit gave me. In conclushion, Anderson is a great cave to dive that I and maybe not everybody elese need not run a primary reel into and a drysuit may be a bad idea.
P.S vis 30' :D

[Kelly Jessop]

In conclushion, Anderson is a great cave to dive that I and maybe not everybody elese need not run a primary reel into and a drysuit may be a bad idea.
P.S vis 30' :D

Sound like you covered about 200' of passage. The part that you saw is easily accessible by back mount,but some areas depending on where you go are sidemount or marginal backmount. There are some tight areas that have clay floors that are easily stirred up. I don't know if I'd declare Anderson a great cave dive for everybody,but I salute you on doing progressive penetration.

[Webmaster]

We dove it in the winter, the water was tannic right up to the entrance. But just inside it was beautiful and clear (and much warmer). The flow was quite noticeable at the entrance restriction, but the velocity dropped off quickly once inside.

That's a great pit to just skydive down whooosh! I believe there were some narrow canyons just past that, then it got into passage that would probably be best traversed in sidemount.

A couple hundred feet past the bottom of the pit the line was starting to be periodically buried in the silt. Obviously not a lot of traffic. It was getting a little low in spots, but nice until you pulled the line out and the vis went.

I believe we unburied at least one T in that section so keep your eyes open if go any farther.

[ARY]

I dove it in a week before the report. Viz was virtually unlimited, Ginnie clear quality. Anderson is a very pretty cave with interesting and changing profile from canyons to bedding planes with sharp corners and mounds of decaying oak leafs. Even at the end of my doubles range i could see lot of Budwiser presence so i don't know what better explains it: either it is syphoning badly when a flood time or there are some sinkholes upstream used for dumps. Yet this was physically challenging cave because you have to really work out on both parts of the dive. Also it goes and goes forever so stage is certainly an option. I recall depth about 70-80'. I went early in the morning because less chance to worry about stolen gear, this is a county park with liberal access rules. I would be interested in a cave map if somebody can sell it. And i left a "glory marker" for the next time, you may blame me for that if you feel to... Line is not in a great condition so watch out on exit...

[Guy Bryant]

Last time I dove here the current was really pumping. I used backmount dual 104's. If you don't dive sidemounts and wish to use backmounts it is possible to make a nice dive here. Drop the entrance "pit" and head on up the main line. At the fork in the line go left. You can go further with back mounts if you take the left fork. You will pass through some small restrictions along with some larger tunnel. Eventually you will come to the bottom of a "pit" and ascend from 80ft to shallower depths and larger tunnel with rock bottom. You will again come to another restriction with rock bottom. It is just passable with back mounts if you approach it correctly. Once on the other side of this restriction you will come into a "canyon" room at a depth of 58ft. At this point if you look down into the canyon you will see a downstream line at 70ft. You can swim a ways through the canyon and eventually come to another restriction. You can squeeze through this restriction and pop out into another "canyon" with a tunnel at the end of it which goes deeper. Here it is too narrow for backmounts, it will require sidemounts if you wish to go further. I don't know the total penetration in feet to this point. Last time it took me 45 min to get to this point and only 15 min to exit. The current was really pumping!

[ARY]

....Once on the other side of this restriction you will come into a "canyon" room at a depth of 58ft. At this point if you look down into the canyon you will see a downstream line at 70ft. ...
Did i miss the syphoning section, the "downstream line"? It seemed to me that i was facing the positive flow all the way by the left line from the T below the "front door".

[Guy Bryant]

ARY,
Did you drop down to the bottom of the canyon and go down this line? You have to gap the jump. When I was last there this tunnel was syphoning whereas the large canyon tunnel was springingl. If this tunnel was springing when you where there then I would guess that it springs or syphons depending upon the hydrostatic pressure. Thanks for the info.
Guy

[John L.]

When I dove it about six months ago, I was in sidemount, and went left at the "T" and went in 42 minutes worth before turning. Very pretty in places, but the line is old, and when I went, the flow was so strong that it was alot like work, especially keeping the brakes on coming out. It took me four tries just to get in!

[ARY]

ARY,
Did you drop down to the bottom of the canyon and go down this line? You have to gap the jump. When I was last there this tunnel was syphoning whereas the large canyon tunnel was springingl. If this tunnel was springing when you where there then I would guess that it springs or syphons depending upon the hydrostatic pressure.
I swam beyond the second canyon where caves drops down about 10-20Ft and becomes wide but low with silty bottom, it was one continuous line, no gaps and i did not notice any side jumps although i was not very accurate in details because it was just my very first time there. Seems like there might be sinks one the way and i tried to cover my light passing mounds of debris but didn't see any light from above. Your story intrigues me even more about that beautiful cave and i certainly would go there again to find the syphon. Where the right way from the first T goes (seems to be too small for classique BM)?

[Guy Bryant]

The "syphon" is at the bottom of the 1st canyon. When you first come into the canyon tie off on the main line and drop down. You'll see it. If you go, enjoy and be sure to post what you find. I only went down it about 20ft since I was on my way out and past 1/3rds. I've not been back to check it out since then. That was over 2 years ago.

[Ward Beecher]

Guy,

That tunnel doesn't go much further before it goes no-mount. For people who haven't been before, go to the left "T". If you look around, there are several jumps to play with.

Ward

[Guy Bryant]

Ward,
Thanks for the info. I"ll have to go back this fall and check it out. If anyone goes before Labor Day post what you find. I'm leaving for Kenya & Tanzania this afternoon and won't be back until after Labor Day. Dive safe!
Guy

[Kelly Jessop]

Guy
Have a great trip!!!

[JDostal]

That little cave is a blast. Got to do it a few months ago in sidemount.

Definitely a work out both ways - pulling to get in, and holding on to not fly out. But definitely a wild cave - lots of neat little twisty passages that you had to go sideways through.

Had a lot of fun in that cave.