Royal Spring 3/4/12

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Originally Posted by allen

I think that there are a few places that should have an additional note on the Grim Reaper sign: "This is an advanced cave dive. It should not be attempted by anyone who has not done 50 sidemount cave dives (or some other requirement appropriate for that cave)." If I had discovered Royal Springs cave while diving in the spring, I might have been tempted to go in as far as my primary reel would take me. Now that I know about the silt and, even more, the bad lines, I'll stay out. Nevertheless, my limits need not be everyone's limits.

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Do you need a sign to tell you what your own personal limits are?

Things are not always what they seem to be. Hole in the Wall and the Nicholson tunnel are easier than one would expect from their entrances. Kitty Sink is worse than one would expect from the entrance. Many of the descriptions on this thread suggest that Royal Spring cave looks easier than it is. Worse exiting Royal Springs cave is much, much harder than entering. Ski slopes have difficulty markers. Why not caves? Usually I ask around for opininions before trying a new cave or even a new tunnel.

I once asked Bobby to go dive Royal with me and he told me he has no interest diving there, because it's not worth it. Reading this thread I think he is lying to me so I am gonna go and check it out for myself!
























BAZZINGA!

I've dove it twice when I lived up there, nothing special to see that's for sure. Very silty. There were, at the time, multiple lines wrapped around eathother, it was a mess. The walls are smooth with lot's of spots for line to slip under into line traps/undercuts, really no place for wraps, placements or tie-offs. It pinched off pretty quick into a nasty silt mound, one of those really "fluffy" angry looking silt mounds. Like all others have said with any experence in there...it's really not worth the effort hauling your gear down to the water for this one.

Anyone got an airlift dredge? :)

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Originally Posted by Greenwood_60

Anyone got an airlift dredge? :)

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I was told the best thing to do was to just take off one of your jet fins and use it as a shovel

Hunter, I'm moving this to the Fill Station. If this was an actual dive report, just let me know and I'll move it back to Dive Reports.

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Originally Posted by sskasser

Hunter, I'm moving this to the Fill Station. If this was an actual dive report, just let me know and I'll move it back to Dive Reports.

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It's real.

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Originally Posted by CaveMD

It's real.

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Moved back to Dive Reports. Thank you for the clarification.

In all honesty to anyone seriously considering diving this cave. The phrase "the only reason to dive it is to recover a victim or become one" has some unintentional truth to it. This cave is not an instant you're gonna die if you dive it but the cost/benefit ratio just aint there.

The cave is somewhat featureless, it is fairly silty and there is a mess of cave line in it. The cavern and basin is pretty cool.

If you just have a "need" for low and silty caves there are much nicer more interesting caves with lines actually run with reasonable organization in the area.