How Often Would You Visit Wakulla Springs for Diving?

I'm working with the "Wakulla County Dive Club" in their mission to open Wakulla Springs to equal access diving. There will be a meeting in January (date to be announced) where public opinions and support will be necessary to prove that opening the Spring is economically viable.

This may be the first of several polls to try and get a better understanding of the feelings in the cave community.

What we would like to know is how often you, as an individual, would visit the spring for diving in a years time.

For now lets not be concerned with entrance fees or other park costs as a deterrent, as everything is still up for discussion.

Assume a "visit" as one day of diving, not a number of dives or a weekend of diving or something else.

Also don't assume it will only be open to cave diving or trimix. This poll is only a measure of diving so open water on up counts.

Please keep in mind with your answers, without a Trimix certification, you would be diving beyond your limits in the overhead - so Full Cave without Trimix would basically be diving OW in order to stay within your certification limits.

Should I assume they would allow RBs and DPVs? If so, the number will be different.

For this poll, yes, assume DPVs and RBs.




Assume open diving within your certification limits.

Depends, can we stick this thing back in there?

http://fpc.dos.state.fl.us/memory/Ph...airport_77.jpg

I've seen the videos a few years back from the exploration of Wakulla. Looks like it would be worth the trip, even just for open water, shallow dive.

I answered assuming that CCRs would be allowed, as mentioned above. Also assuming that no guide would be required. If any of those items were to change, so would my response.

Brian

Is there any talk of opening Sally Ward, I hear it is awesome

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Originally Posted by floridakid

Is there any talk of opening Sally Ward, I hear it is awesome

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As far as this poll is concerned, no.




Outside of this poll.... I want everything available, but one step at a time.

Yeah, Edd and I were talking about it the other day. He said it was probably one of the coolest dives in the state.

Wakulla is around a 900 mile drive for me, so it wouldn't be too often. Would absolutely dive there though if it were open.

As long as RB's and no guides are the standard, count me in for 8 or so times per year.

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If Wakulla were opened, that would likely induce me to get my full trimix cert ...

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Originally Posted by Art Greenberg

If Wakulla were opened, that would likely induce me to get my full trimix cert ...

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It would still make a nice Cavern dive without trimix, or OW for that matter.
I would be more open to finishing Trimix myself.

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Originally Posted by Wizard

It would still make a nice Cavern dive without trimix, or OW for that matter.
I would be more open to finishing Trimix myself.

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You're at 150'ish just to get into the overhead. I don't think any organization would recommend going into the overhead that deep without Trimix.




It would be an OW dive without Trimix. So the question would be, would you make the trip(and how many times) to dive Wakulla - OW, if not Trimix certified?

That fusalage would have made a GREAT habitat!

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Originally Posted by SuPrBuGmAn

You're at 150'ish just to get into the overhead.

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I don't believe that's correct.

http://www.floridacaves.com/wakullacavern.JPG

http://www.caveatlas.com/systems/sys...p?ID=84&co=US#

Meh... I'd use a less craptastic map.

Maybe you can stick your head out under a ledge, but for all intents and purposes... its an OW dive.

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Originally Posted by SuPrBuGmAn

http://www.caveatlas.com/systems/sys...p?ID=84&co=US#

Meh... I'd use a less craptastic map.

Maybe you can stick your head out under a ledge, but for all intents and purposes... its an OW dive.

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I did one Wakulla Cavern dive. I don't know if I'd brag about how much overhead I had, but it certainly is an impressive place to dive!

I don't know that I would argue with you as it being for all intents and purposes, an OW dive, but technically it's a cavern and I'm sure a lot of the people who shout out any time anyone breaks any rule by the smallest about, they'd scream bloody murder.

I'd use the totally awesome one that I found: Attachment 5309

15 times a year.


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I would be in the several times per year area as well as speeding up getting Trimix cert. If the purpose of this thread is to quantify the economic impact of diving there just add up all that Helium that would be sold!
--Scott

I moved some of the posts to the Fill Station to help the OP keep up with replies on topic.

Persoanlly I get excited by a new site opening up,because to me it is recognizing the sport as a form of ecotourism versus the extreme nature that it is protrayed by the lay press/public,and this helps reduce the stigma. Will I dive Wakulla a lot,probably not. Why? Same reason the WKPP hasn't done a lot of work there,and the glass bottom boats don't run very much,the water quality has diminished a lot. I don't get excited about a deep dive with 20ft of viz in power cave,but would welcome the occasional dive with good viz as all of us do. The diminishing water quality has been an insidious process over the years,and cave diving community lending their support on this issue will win brownie points with the community,and help reduce the animosity of the locals that don't want to see cave diving at their crown jewel.

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Originally Posted by Kelly Jessop

Persoanlly I get excited by a new site opening up,because to me it is recognizing the sport as a form of ecotourism versus the extreme nature that it is protrayed by the lay press/public,and this helps reduce the stigma. Will I dive Wakulla a lot,probably not. Why? Same reason the WKPP hasn't done a lot of work there,and the glass bottom boats don't run very much,the water quality has diminished a lot. I don't get excited about a deep dive with 20ft of viz in power cave,but would welcome the occasional dive with good viz as all of us do. The diminishing water quality has been an insidious process over the years,and cave diving community lending their support on this issue will win brownie points with the community,and help reduce the animosity of the locals that don't want to see cave diving at their crown jewel.

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I was swimming there a couple of weeks ago. vis was like 12'. ranger says it's been like that for months now...

This came in this morning - be there, or be []

Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Division of Recreation and Parks
Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park
Public Workshop
This Meeting Is Open to the Public
Date and Time:
Place:
Thursday, January 19, 2012 7:00 p.m. (ET)
Wakulla County Agriculture Extension Office,
The Arena,
84 Cedar Avenue
Crawfordville, Florida 32327
AGENDA
1. Call to Order
2. Introduction of Staff
3. Opening Remarks by Division of Recreation and Parks Staff regarding the
proposed inclusion of recreational cave diving at Edward Ball Wakulla Springs
State Park
4. Public Comment
5. Summary of Comments
6. Adjournment