This past weekend I enjoyed a dive down Mainland at Ginnie with Sam from Amigos.
In the past I would write up a trip report and post it out almost immediately. I have fallen away from that quite a bit as dive buddies and dive locations have changed. One thing that has not changed is the pleasure I get from cave diving. However something else has crept into the forefront. My diving has advanced a bit and I am a little more hesitant to write about some of the dives in great detail. Why? Maybe I like what I am seeing. Maybe it would be nice if everyone that went there was ready. Whatever.
After diving on Saturday, I had left a full bottle tied in by the jump to Mainland, figuring I would pick it up Sunday. Sitting around the fire Saturday night, I asked Sam if he would be interested in scootering in to get it with me and possibly taking a little swim down Mainland.
Heading down the run to the eye avoiding the recently fallen bunches of sticks and branches was a bit like a slalom course with hazard on the bottom instead of tubers on the top for a change.
This weekend I saw Ginnie in a different ?light?. This difference was not very apparent until we were down in the Gallery. It seemed as though the darkness was somewhat enhanced by the reduced visibility with a noticeable amount of particulate in the water. The cave is not very large upon entry, we slid in through the eye and dropping off deco bottles was straight forward enough. But once in the Gallery the reduction in vis was pretty plain to see. Was it from the hordes of divers? The answer would turn out to be, "No."
Certainly there are folks that have been out towards Mainland more frequently than myself, but I think I am getting to know the route pretty well. With Ginnie?s typical vis a ride back to Mainland is generally quite pleasurable. Today, there was just enough reduction in vis that I had to look a bit harder for upcoming landmarks. I had to focus a bit more. Not nervous or apprehensive, just a bit more effort to be aware of our surroundings.
As we set off, no real changes to the route as dirty water flows pretty much the same as clean. It wasn?t until we got to the lips that I thought the flow might be up a bit as my trusty scooter seemed to pull me through a bit slower. However, this was the only time I really thought about the flow. Sam and I noticed a few other divers as we continued on our way. We saw a number of jumps tied in, but nothing crazy.
We took the Rollercoaster tunnel to save a little time and upon rejoining the mainline, it was pretty obvious the water was still not clear and seemed to have developed an appetite for eating my light. The cave presented itself as being a just little darker. Onward we went with scooters at a moderate speed
Normally when I come around the corner approaching Stage Bottle Rock (SBR) and see the line shooting up and crossing to the left, SBR is clearly visible. Not so today. The bare limestone surface initially appeared as a white smudge in the distance coming into better focus as we approached. From here the going tends to be a little darker anyway, but a little extra awareness kept the ride pleasant and uneventful.
Once at the jump to Mainland, we tethered our steads and shed the extra bottles. Now feeling a bit more nimble, Sam tied in a jump and we headed into Mainland. This was Sam?s first time there so our plan was to simply head down the line until one of us called the dive. For me, the most amazing part about this dive is how totally the cave changes personality as you head in.
Over the next 500 feet or so, there?s huge sediment covered chunks of limestone transitioning into a vertical crack. Soon after that, the passage closes down to a lower dusty area with bedding plane and passage somewhat reminiscent of the Rocky Horror passage at Madison Blue. Low and slow is the key. Suddenly a turn to the right and you find yourself in big cave again. Some nice vertical transitions and the reality sets in. There is a whole boat load of cave to see back here.
As we the approached the jump on the right to Sweet Surprise, I turned the dive. Save some cave for the next trip. Retracing our route, we were back to our scooters and stages all too quickly and begun our leisurely trip back to the entrance and the requisite deco.
For hours there was no worry about the new roof I need. No concerns about my job, my kids or my wife. Just two divers and ?a bunch of wet rocks? experiencing the joy and satisfaction of a properly planned and executed dive.
I really like that whole area. Looking forward to showing Sam more on my next trip if he is still around and would be willing to dive with me again ;)
