Solo Diving in FL State Parks

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Originally Posted by rddvet

No need to poke the bear just to try and get something that wont happen

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How am I "poking the bear?" For the most part, everybody I've seen has either supported or been neutral about solo cave diving at peacock. What's the harm in trying to get the agencies to support solo? If the agencies would get behind it (even slightly), then maybe the state will reconsider the issue. From a logistical standpoint, peacock doesn't even allow open water divers, so there wouldn't even have to be cave vs ow specific rules.

I am in no way advocating violating the current rules, so I don't see how I'm "poking the bear."

Edit: Im not saying I'm against buddies. Wouldn't it be nice to have the option to solo dive there open?

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Originally Posted by inverted_bear

. From a logistical standpoint, peacock doesn't even allow open water divers, so there wouldn't even have to be cave vs ow specific rules.

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Peacock allows open water diving in Orange Grove.

FWIW,the solo diving issue comes up in state parks all the time. All I can say is knock yourself out. Maybe the group that gets excluded from fishing at Peacock 1 can get permission too.

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Originally Posted by inverted_bear

How am I "poking the bear?" For the most part, everybody I've seen has either supported or been neutral about solo cave diving at peacock. What's the harm in trying to get the agencies to support solo? If the agencies would get behind it (even slightly), then maybe the state will reconsider the issue. From a logistical standpoint, peacock doesn't even allow open water divers, so there wouldn't even have to be cave vs ow specific rules.

I am in no way advocating violating the current rules, so I don't see how I'm "poking the bear."

Edit: Im not saying I'm against buddies. Wouldn't it be nice to have the option to solo dive there open?

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Poking the bear as in we dont need to annoy the parks deparment with it. The answer is no. Its been made lear it will not happen. So why annoy the agency that allows us to dive there with little rules. They nicely started extending hours over the summer again last year. Thats attainable and probably wont annoy people. You ask for the same thing over and over again though, they may eventually get tired of it.


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Originally Posted by Kelly Jessop

Peacock allows open water diving in Orange Grove.

FWIW,the solo diving issue comes up in state parks all the time. All I can say is knock yourself out. Maybe the group that gets excluded from fishing at Peacock 1 can get permission too.

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I would be happy if they just opened up solo at p1. You could just swim the grand traverse if you wanted to go to OG. The reason they never even consider changing the solo issue is because it's only individuals asking one at a time. If a large chunk of the cave diving community asked, maybe they will actually seriously consider it. The answer very well may still be no, but then at least we tried. I still don't see how a few politely worded letters/emails with an attached signature sheet is "poking the bear." 100 different cave divers asking the same ranger the same question might be. I'm suggesting we organize as a community and write to the higher ups in the state government and parks department. The only way for them to take us seriously is if the agencies back the idea that solo cave diving is safe.

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Originally Posted by inverted_bear

I would be happy if they just opened up solo at p1. You could just swim the grand traverse if you wanted to go to OG. The reason they never even consider changing the solo issue is because it's only individuals asking one at a time. If a large chunk of the cave diving community asked, maybe they will actually seriously consider it. The answer very well may still be no, but then at least we tried. I still don't see how a few politely worded letters/emails with an attached signature sheet is "poking the bear." 100 different cave divers asking the same ranger the same question might be. I'm suggesting we organize as a community and write to the higher ups in the state government and parks department. The only way for them to take us seriously is if the agencies back the idea that solo cave diving is safe.

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There are lots of places that allow solo. One important thing to notice about them is, the predominance of divers there are teams. There isn't "a large chunk of the cave diving community" to ask the State Parks to change their rules.

Another important issue is what it took to get permission to dive in the Parks at all. Even Sheck Exley who was actually a solo diver, and was instrumental in getting the parks to allow diving, didn't push for solo. He knew that it was far better to get permission to dive at all, than to hold out for solo.

I wouldn't go as far as saying it would never happen, but it won't be until all the OW training agencies advocate solo diving.

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Originally Posted by inverted_bear

. If a large chunk of the cave diving community asked, maybe they will actually seriously consider it. The answer very well may still be no, but then at least we tried..

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We did that for requesting access to Wakulla. It included a public meeting held in Crawfordville, and letter writing by the nonlocals. It wasn't successful, and a reason was risk management for a place this deep. Solo diving as Forrest alluded to is not recognized as an activity that the OW agencies condone, in fact buddy diving is heavily promoted. If solo diving is not allowed in OW basins like Troy, OG, etc, what likelihood will it be allowed with cave diving. The state in my opinion does a great job of managing recreation and they do things that make sense. For example,as I mentioned,why not allow all the people wanting to fish to come over to Peacock 1,with those nice steps and catch those Sunfish? But the state knows that there are divers there and they don't allow fishing. Anybody remember the jumping platform at Madison? The removal of that angered locals, and even decreased some attendance. But how many of us want a person jumping from the platform and landing on us. I am sure there are people who would like to jetski between P1 and P3. If people want to expend their energy on this,good luck,but there are so many ways that we can expend our time with some real positive gains

The last few posts were transferred here form the "Let's do something constructive" thread.

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Originally Posted by inverted_bear

I would be happy if they just opened up solo at p1. You could just swim the grand traverse if you wanted to go to OG. The reason they never even consider changing the solo issue is because it's only individuals asking one at a time. If a large chunk of the cave diving community asked, maybe they will actually seriously consider it. The answer very well may still be no, but then at least we tried. I still don't see how a few politely worded letters/emails with an attached signature sheet is "poking the bear." 100 different cave divers asking the same ranger the same question might be. I'm suggesting we organize as a community and write to the higher ups in the state government and parks department. The only way for them to take us seriously is if the agencies back the idea that solo cave diving is safe.

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I don't believe State ever approves it for liability reasons unless protected by law against ridiculous and shameful law suites started by survivors of deceased divers. However why don't we start a thread in support of safe solo diving perhaps it reveals a count of us who demand it. Contrary to open water scuba there are scenarios when solo cave dive is actually safer than a team dive. General diving public just don't realize it.

I can walk into a kindergarten and tell you who might be solo divers, and who will only dive in teams. The kids playing alone will be solo divers, the kids playing in groups will be team divers.

The Federation Francais de Spelologie (FFS) teach cave diving solo, with a 1:1 instructor:student ratio. When the instructor is behind you in the dark, watching, you are as good as alone. The goal is to produce a cave diver that will share gear among the non-divers and the team gets the diver and gear through the dry cave to the water, then the diver gears up to dive alone while the team make soup or hot chocolate or whatever, for the diver's return, then the team share the load and exit the cave together. Only the diving bit is done solo, it is still very much a team activity.

There are a couple of caves I would rather dive alone (e.g. MarchePied) but usually I'd prefer diving with friends anyday. Sometimes though, you just can't find a suitably trained or equipped buddy on the exact day you want one, and that's when I dive alone, (as I was trained to). But, I can't imagine that ever happening at Peacock - there's always other cave divers in the area, (otherwise, go to Ginnie or LR).

Just my opinion but I agree with the others, I'm grateful we can dive Peacock and am happy to leave it at that.