The disappointment (part 1)
Decided to make a solo dive into a "local" hole in the ground in Layfayette County that I had not visited in a few years. This cave system isn't frequented by the "crowds", but access is not locked down in any manner. It usually has less then stellar vis, but that's one of the reasons I kind of like it. While swimming back upsteam in the almost 40ft of visibility, I came upon a part of the cave where I could feel a drastic temperature change... "Hmmmm cool water = spring tunnel" was my instant thought. So, I kept swimming where I could feel the cold water guide me. As I swam along, the floor started to slope downwards and lead into a hole about 20ft deeper then the main passage. I see a line tied to a rock and then go under a hole in the bottom of this silt lined "funnel" depression. I decided it was worth finding the mainline again and putting in a jump spool since it looked like vis could get bad depending on how this "check out" goes. I put my brightly colored line from the mainline to this rock and tie into a dark stained braided line that heads into this hole where some really nice cool blueish water flows out. I check my gas and notice that in my leisure stroll back upstream, I had burned a fair amount of my 3rd and I decided that I would "just take a look".
Dumped some air from my wing, shifted my sidemount tanks around to make sure I was nice and neutral and that my trim was where it needed to be and then headed in. Right away I notice the water has a nice hue to it and is flowing in this "borehole" type of tunnel. There is clay on the floor in spots, but the tunnel is a decent oval shape and has enough room for any decently configured sidemounter to swim without touching anything. I kick in and notice that there is quite a bit of flow, enough so that it's a "kick and kick" type of tunnel (no kick and glide here). I tell myself that this is a good thing, and keep heading in to the darkness, following a dark braided line. I make note that the rocks are "clean", meaning no traffic marks in this tunnel (just the way I like it). I swim along for a few more kicks and decide that this tunnel requires a "good EOL, new passage check" dive and turn to return later with more gas. As I turn around, I notice that my presence has made an impact on the tunnel visibility with all the particulate falling into the water. In my mind, I count this as a GREAT sign, mainly because the more recently traveled passages don't offer this type of visibility reduction, or offer the possibility that there is cave to lay line into and explore. I ride the current out and the vis sits at about 15ft in the passage, which is fine considering the passage is only about 6-7ft wide. I slide out from the duck under style entrance and see my neon yellow line heading into the darkness of the main trunk passage. I unclip the spool, slowly osculating my hand and reel up the line. The whole time I am thinking to myself, what could lie beyond where I turned in that passage? Does that "old" line end in just 100ft of where I turned? Does it go for a bit and blast open into a big room with nice blue water and several leads? Where does that clear water come from for such a "dirty" cave?
A little bit later after traveling up the main trunk of passage, I arrive at my "exit". I ascend up the debris pile, which is laden in trees, leaves, and all sorts of whatever else falls into the circular entrance. I pick up my primary reel, which also has my lovely neon yellow line on it and I reel it up slowly. I can't really focus on much while I let my body offgas the nitrogen that I have let penetrate into my tissues, the only thing on my mind is where that tunnel leads and the possibilities that wait for me to explore on the other side of where I turned. Some time has passed and I look down at the computer noticing it's time to surface now. I slowly wind the reel up and start to float up to the surface. I pop up and swim to the side of the sink, and start to doff the gear. I can hear the call of a hawk in a nearby tree and think to myself, "I hope he doesn't think I am just some big fish...". I clip my tanks to my knotted "tank hanging rope" and decide to climb out of this sinkhole and make way towards my truck down a path lined with palms, poison ivy, and animal droppings... day dreaming of the blue water passage that I found until I have the ability to return and explore it....
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Originally Posted by Richard Pyle
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