Now that it's a state park, is there any ongoing effort to open it up for diving?
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Now that it's a state park, is there any ongoing effort to open it up for diving?
I have heard a rumor somewhere but if it is possible I am certain it is being pursued.
Cant remember if it was on another thread or conversation in FL last spring.
JCG
http://www.ocala.com/article/2013090...9787?p=1&tc=pg
Last page of article references the possibility of Scuba diving being allowed at Silver Springs. This was published today, September 7th.
This would be a beautiful thing that we should all rally and support. Thx Shocky for the thread and MacLeod for the article.Quote:
Originally Posted by MAMacLeod
Quote:
Originally Posted by Herbie
It would be nice, they have halted restoration temporarily around Silver Springs....so it may be a bit before things like diving are even considered.
Someone might know how to contact Eric Hutchinson. He mapped this spring and should be able to describe the passage.
I sent an email to the state person who has been working the park issue. As soon as I hear from them I will let you know. I referenced NFSA and all the hard work they and divers in general do to preserve our springs.
JS
PS. 1 October is when the state takes over.
Something might need to happen is the county ordinance will need to be revised. Not sure since the state ownership might supersede the county restriction. But I truly don't think there is mass appeal going cave. Could be a great OW site like Alexander Springs.
Edit the map does exist here is the only picture I could find online
Open to OW would be a great start , mass appeal(?) Alexander Spring has no going cave(penetration) except for otters but Silver Springs definitely does, i would hope all cave divers on this forum could generate "mass appeal". AKA $$$ for State/county/park etc...Quote:
Originally Posted by curtschu
Just read an artical in the Gainesville Sun that Silver Springs wiil open to cave divers only. They did not say when.
“We're proposing, for the first year, especially, not having any open water students diving there,” Foote said. “Divers will have to be certified. They can't be learning how to dive.” - http://www.gainesville.com/article/2...arch?p=4&tc=pg
Looks like no OW cert dives.
I have never even been to Silver Springs... but this would be awesome since it's MUCH closer to home :D
+1...went there as kid with my folks doing the glass bottom boat thing, Silver Springs if opened to cave diving would become my home cave.Quote:
Originally Posted by corvettejoe
Not going to be a dive for the cave masses......lots of no mount and very unstable stuff......
This is a good article for the Geologist. There is a reason that Silver Springs is friable vs. The North Florida caves. I posted this to Kelly but maybe some background here would be useful.
According to the map lots of backmount/ sidemount passage available. Unstable/delicate/fragile/friable is often a word used when others want a system to themselves(example: WKPP). I'm not saying thats the case here but until a general consensus/study of the Silver Springs cave system dont go negative yet. Waynes World(School Sink) is considered unstable by some and comfortably diveable by others. Anyone on this forum ever actually logged cave dives at Silver Springs please share.Quote:
Originally Posted by phreaticus53
Anybody got a link to view a better map?
Am I the only one who didn't know Silver Springs, and Silver Glen Springs were different places?!?!
It's possible...Quote:
Originally Posted by Greenwood_60
Speaking of Silver Glen, anyone dove there recently?Quote:
Originally Posted by Greenwood_60
While I have not dove in Silver springs I have dove a couple of others that are on the southern edge of the Ocala Uplift. Paradise , Apopka, Blue Springs OC they have the common trait of being soft and friable. I am not a geologist so I would love it if Kelly could get his geologist to chime in. I did contact Eric Hutcheson but he's not interested in CDF.Quote:
Originally Posted by Herbie
Check out silverspringsalliance.org. I joined.
John
The only way to dive Silver Glen is to use the river and the FL Statute that states the spring is part of the "navigable waterway" in Florida.Quote:
Originally Posted by Herbie
http://www.cavediver.net/forum/showt...in-Silver-Glen
Eric has the place on lockdown via the single issued permit with the Forestry service guys at the park.
I attempted to offer assistance to him and his team, but apparently they have enough support for their "project". As such, there is no way to access it by land.
It's a neat boat ride in the middle of the night.
Yep...lotsa BIIIIIIIG red-eyed lizards!!!!!
Just thank them for their hard work. Spending 20+ years trying to finish a map under a mapping permit for a cave which is that short has to be frustrating.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tegg
I did find a blog post, which shoes they're still hard at work.
http://krbernotphotography.blogspot....-were-off.html
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-viYAuJHXFi...0/s1600/12.jpg
settling in and getting comfy like that might be why it's taking so long to get that survey done
If you don't tell people about a cave they would be jealous but when you offer to dive it there will be thousand ##### reasons ... But everyone wants to know and so eventually rumors reach land watchers and say then the entry hole goodbye...
THANKS for privatizing a public cave for twenty years and keeping it available only to your "team". James what "shoes" are hard at work? Ya I think I will take my jon boat and the F.U.K.D. crew to dive there soon, dive report will be posted. Adios amigos.Quote:
Originally Posted by jj1987
Good to see the fragile system being protected for those exclusive species of giant shrimp and crayfish. Conservation looks like the main objective in the photo, once you get past all the Mares logos. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by jj1987
Either way, back on track....
Anyone with any more details on Silver Springs and it's use for divers?
Isn't that a "giant shrimp" in the pic? :smt102Quote:
Originally Posted by Tegg
FYI...over 75 percent of the dive-able caves in Florida controlled by government entities are either closed or HIGHLY restricted to diving, and if you think that's bad try other areas. 90 percent in the midwest are "closed to diving" even though they are on navigable rivers open to other activities. Permits are issued to individuals and groups for numerous reasons and the information gathered is invaluable. Florida is much more open than other areas. Not that I am in agreement for restrictions on diving on public lands already open for other activities.
You are correct. The bad taste left is when a particular "group" seems to have an eternal permit to a system on a project that somehow seems to never end, and this "group" shows no effort in helping to possibly open the system for other qualified divers.Quote:
Originally Posted by jebernot
What gets me is local governments will restrict qualified people from diving in an publicly held resource. If that resource was open to diver the economic impact if diver and cave divers would bring an influx of economic impact to the area. I have watched local government spend millions on boondoggles to spur economic growth, but when it comes to diving which would cost them next to nothing say no without any consideration.Quote:
Originally Posted by jebernot
You people have to be nuts to want to go anywhere near the Silver river.
http://nypost.com/2013/09/12/herpes-...orize-florida/
We have those at Ginnie as well. We just call them locals.Quote:
Originally Posted by OFG-1
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
Perhaps, but at least you can reason with the monkeys.Quote:
Originally Posted by JamesK
I was OK with the monkeys until I read the article.
The herpes are bad enough, Then I read this...
"The monkeys eat dirt and spiders and live near rivers."
WTF!!!
Just wait'll ya see them fly!
Quote:
Originally Posted by hunabku
The author is likely a gibbon, and aims to besmirch the good name of the Rhesus family.
Edward Gibbon, perhaps? He was once thought to be a talented besmircher.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cannibal Isles
Train Rails Off. This thread has really hit the skids
Yup. Lots of us here with loose associations, flight of ideas, and vivid imaginations. Maybe from being bitten by herpes-infected Rhesus monkeys while trying to sneak dive Silver Springs.Quote:
Originally Posted by curtschu
Transplant a few three toed sloths and Florida will soon look like Central America!
There's only a handful of possible reasons for the man keeping divers out of the cave.
It's the unofficial government hiding place for:
1 Arc of the Covenant
2 Alien bodies
3 Human-Alien Hybrid breeding
4 Bigfoot
5 Unicorn farm
Other reasons..........
1 Somebody spilled coffee on request for diving forms rendering them illegible
2 Bribe was not enough
3 Somebody called somebody a slob
4 Postage not placed on envolope or postal machinery ate letter
Or I'm way off base and just quoting NCIS and Mad Magazine in a vain attempt at humor.