Good cavern dives for beginners?

Hey everybody, I recently did a cavern diving course at Ginnie Springs and and I totally fell in love with the clear water and unique rock formations. However, now that I have my cavern diver cert, I've realized that almost every cave system in Florida seems way to advanced for me. Does anyone have advice on any really good places to go that are slightly challenging but not dangerous or too scary. All I've done so far is Ginnie Cavern, which I thought was way too small and lame and the beginning of Devil's Ear (with my instructor) which was --mindnumbingly-- cool but not great for beginners because of the intense flow. I guess the kind of cavern that would be ideal for me is something with a huge room with moderate flow where I good practice my bouyancy skills, safety drills and reel skills, while giving myself some room to play around. Thanks for any advice or directions!!

:D :D
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Andre

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Originally Posted by andrebasso

Hey everybody, I recently did a cavern diving course at Ginnie Springs and and I totally fell in love with the clear water and unique rock formations. However, now that I have my cavern diver cert, I've realized that almost every cave system in Florida seems way to advanced for me. Does anyone have advice on any really good places to go that are slightly challenging but not dangerous or too scary. All I've done so far is Ginnie Cavern, which I thought was way too small and lame and the beginning of Devil's Ear (with my instructor) which was --mindnumbingly-- cool but not great for beginners because of the intense flow. I guess the kind of cavern that would be ideal for me is something with a huge room with moderate flow where I good practice my bouyancy skills, safety drills and reel skills, while giving myself some room to play around. Thanks for any advice or directions!!

:D :D
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Andre

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Peacock Springs one is very pretty and the flow is low and you also have Orange sink there which is nice. Madison is a pretty cavern but its fairly high flow so I would go with someone that knows it and after you feel better with the flow. ( Its also silty ) Jug hole also is a very pretty cavern but it also high flow and a long walk but worth the trouble once you feel confortable with the flow. Sounds like you have gotten the bug, Follow what your instructor taught you and safe diving. Working on you skills is half the fun.
Safe Diving
Tom

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Peacock Springs one is very pretty and the flow is low and you also have Orange sink there which is nice. Madison is a pretty cavern but its fairly high flow so I would go with someone that knows it and after you feel better with the flow. ( Its also silty ) Jug hole also is a very pretty cavern but it also high flow and a long walk but worth the trouble once you feel confortable with the flow. Sounds like you have gotten the bug, Follow what your instructor taught you and safe diving. Working on you skills is half the fun.
Safe Diving
Tom

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Hey thanks for the dive sites, I will right these down.. Yeah, I definitely got the bug. When I was inside that Devil's Ear system, it was like woah dude! No pictures I ever saw of cave diving could prepare me for the real deal. - Also, the rooms were so gigantic and spacious, I literally felt like I was on another planet - total sci-fi experience. I know that I'm going to need a ton of practice before doing that without an instructor though...

Actually, Ginnie Ballroom is one of my favorite cavern dives. In one cavern, you can experience flow, no flow, wide open big areas, tight spots, tiny little swim thrus, & some decent reel practice. Plus the fact that it is pretty shallow, so you can get some decent bottom times. The thing that annoys me the most is the rope running smack dab in the middle of the cavern.

Next time that you are there, move on down & dive the Eye. The flow is a lot less than the Ear, but you still notice it. Lots of little holes to look into if you take the time to find them. The last time I dove it, I ran out of usable gas before I ran out of things to look at, and both my buddy & I want to dive it again.

As has been mentioned, Peacock has more than one really nice cavern, & the flow is no to low at all of them.

Catfish Hotel at Manatee Springs is a rather nice cavern, but if you don't like flow, this is not for you. One side of the sink is a "spring", while the other side has a siphoning flow.

Blue Springs in Orange City is OK, but the flow approaches that of Devil's Ear, and can get rather deep, 110'+.

Paradise Springs is a really nice cavern, with a variety of depths, from 20' to 100', and no flow. Kind of expensive entry fee, but if you are the first team in, this is a really nice dive.

It has been a while since I have been at Blue Grotto, and while I don't recall it being all that great, some seem to like it. Another no flow sink, and get there early if you want good viz.

There are more, but these are all that I have dove & have liked. Hope this helps, and let me know when you come down next.

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Originally Posted by phishfood

Actually, Ginnie Ballroom is one of my favorite cavern dives. In one cavern, you can experience flow, no flow, wide open big areas, tight spots, tiny little swim thrus, & some decent reel practice. Plus the fact that it is pretty shallow, so you can get some decent bottom times. The thing that annoys me the most is the rope running smack dab in the middle of the cavern.

Next time that you are there, move on down & dive the Eye. The flow is a lot less than the Ear, but you still notice it. Lots of little holes to look into if you take the time to find them. The last time I dove it, I ran out of usable gas before I ran out of things to look at, and both my buddy & I want to dive it again.

As has been mentioned, Peacock has more than one really nice cavern, & the flow is no to low at all of them.

Catfish Hotel at Manatee Springs is a rather nice cavern, but if you don't like flow, this is not for you. One side of the sink is a "spring", while the other side has a siphoning flow.

Blue Springs in Orange City is OK, but the flow approaches that of Devil's Ear, and can get rather deep, 110'+.

Paradise Springs is a really nice cavern, with a variety of depths, from 20' to 100', and no flow. Kind of expensive entry fee, but if you are the first team in, this is a really nice dive.

It has been a while since I have been at Blue Grotto, and while I don't recall it being all that great, some seem to like it. Another no flow sink, and get there early if you want good viz.

There are more, but these are all that I have dove & have liked. Hope this helps, and let me know when you come down next.

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Thanks for the great advice on the cavern!

Actually, access to the system in question is close to being a reality. I need to change my signature line, sorry. If you look through the Main Forum, you should find a thread called "Emerald Sink update" or the like, that is what the petition was about.

If you live or travel to the more northern reaches of Florida there is a great beginer cavern dive near Ponce de Leon. Just google Morrison Springs. It is about 20 minutes off the 10 and doesn't have any entrance fee right now. It has two cavern areas. The deeper section goes down to 90' and is a sizable area. It used to be an extensive and very deep cave but was dynomited some years back. My favorite feature is the incredible number of eels and catfish living in the cavern. I see something new everytime I go back. Just watch out for locals launching and recovering boats and OW divers tempting fate.

Buford is an awesome cavern dive...one of the best in the state.

Dave
www.divingindepth.com

Vortex, which is close to Morrison is also an excellent cavern dive....it has a large open cavern which starts at a depth at around 45-50 feet at the bottom, flow isn't bad at all and the area is very secure ( dive shop with air fills on scene ). But my favorite of all is Madison Blue ( it's the location I did one of my early cavern dives that really got me hooked on cave diving ). It has strong flow but like an earlier poster said...go with someone familiar and you will be ok. The trick is if you enter through the main cavern, stay near the ceiling ( takes you out of most of the flow ) a guide line takes you all along the left side back to a smaller exit hole ( called the rabbit hole ). You will fall in love with this location as well if you try it out.

andrebasso:

Blue Grotto(on Alt. 27 just west of Williston) and Paradise Springs(on U.S. 441 between Belleview and Ocala) are 2 good choices for cavern diving at the beginner's level. They're about 35 miles apart, so you can visit both of them on the same day. Both have plenty of room to practice your swimming and reel techniques.

http://underwaterflorida.homestead.com/grotto.html

http://underwaterflorida.homestead.com/paradise.html

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Miner:

I hardly think that Buford Sink qualifies as a beginner's level cavern dive.

http://www.divingindepth.com/Desktop...ocumentID=3622

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I like Orange Grove Sink at Peacock SP because there are 2 caverns, upper and lower, which are very different Lower is more open and deeper, while upper is more "tunnel like" and not as deep. You can dive both on the same dive using the same primary tie-off on the log. While there you can go over to Peacock I where there are also 2 caverns, again very different. So, go to Peacock and dive 4 low-flow caverns without leaving the park (except to get more gas at :blackbar)!

PS: if you need a buddy, I would be glad to join you.

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Originally Posted by Serota

I like Orange Grove Sink at Peacock SP because there are 2 caverns, upper and lower, which are very different Lower is more open and deeper, while upper is more "tunnel like" and not as deep. You can dive both on the same dive using the same primary tie-off on the log. While there you can go over to Peacock I where there are also 2 caverns, again very different. So, go to Peacock and dive 4 low-flow caverns without leaving the park (except to get more gas at :blackbar)!

PS: if you need a buddy, I would be glad to join you.

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Hey everyone!! Thanks so much for the very detailed info about the good cavern dives in Florida. I will definitely visit a few of these places if I get a chance early next year. It's good to know that so many of you Florida cave divers are friendly and helpful!! I'm looking forward to being certified "Full Cave" one day, can't wait!

I'll second Morrison - the only thing to be aware of with it is that the entrance to the deeper section of the cavern is somewhat-restricted and there's a lot of flow right there - not much trouble elsewhere in the cavern (except right where the dynamiting to the cave took place, where the flow is huge)

This isn't an issue on entry, but on exit you have to watch it, or you'll get spat out and ascend at a quite-unsafe rate. Just take your time and work your way out rather than trying to "shoot it" - or you may shoot all right - upward!

Morrison's lower cavern has a lot of area to explore and a nice variety of life, both of fish and eels. And you can't beat the price and "rules" - free and no access restrictions. As noted, do bring a dive flag on a float though - there IS boat traffic there.

Look here before diving Morrison: http://ahps.srh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydro...ew=1,1,1,1,1,1

If the river level is below 5' then the entire basin is typically clear. The lower cavern is ALWAYS clear, but if the river level is high you will frequently have pure soup until you get to the hole.

Here is an image of the entrance to the lower cavern at Morrison Springs. Notice the flow. You may also see the rope someone tied into the entrance. You can expect to see OW divers doing not so smart things at Morrisons on some days. Just stick to your training and do what's right. They can compete for the Darwin award all they want.

http://cavediver.net/photopost/data/...ison_entry.JPG

There is a page on cavern dives, with write-ups, in the resources section.

http://www.cavediver.net/archives/bestcaverns.htm

The dome room at Ginnie is a nice cavern dive. You might have to stage to get to it though! :twisted:

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Originally Posted by flyczek

Here is an image of the entrance to the lower cavern at Morrison Springs. Notice the flow. You may also see the rope someone tied into the entrance. You can expect to see OW divers doing not so smart things at Morrisons on some days. Just stick to your training and do what's right. They can compete for the Darwin award all they want.

http://cavediver.net/photopost/data/...ison_entry.JPG

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The entrance to the lower cavern at Morrison that you're describing, is the flow similiar to the entrance to Devils' Ear? (The little crack right before the Grim Reaper.) If so, I think that might be too much for me at this point. Also, what is the correct procedure for descending into strong flow like that, do you simply swim into it head down, or do you kind of overwieght a little and drop down into it? Thanks.

Its different than the Ear, in that its concentrated in one place.

My usual tactic at Morrison is to get somewhat negative, decend to the bottom, and work my way along the bottom to the hole. Pull and glide works well. There are multiple eddies which are reasonably negotiable; the only real "spot" you have to face it head-on is at the actual hole itself - kinda like the lips at Ginnie (but if you're only cavern, you haven't been there yet.) Once you break through the restriction into the lower cavern be prepared to immediately restore neutral buoyancy.

I find it MUCH easier to enter Morrison than the Ear......

The only real trick is coming back out - there the concern is being jetted upward by the flow and having your ascent get away from you. Again, getting somewhat negative before you go into the exit and getting clear of the flow (don't linger in it!) works well. Just take your time; its not a race.

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Originally Posted by Genesis

Its different than the Ear, in that its concentrated in one place.

My usual tactic at Morrison is to get somewhat negative, decend to the bottom, and work my way along the bottom to the hole. Pull and glide works well. There are multiple eddies which are reasonably negotiable; the only real "spot" you have to face it head-on is at the actual hole itself - kinda like the lips at Ginnie (but if you're only cavern, you haven't been there yet.) Once you break through the restriction into the lower cavern be prepared to immediately restore neutral buoyancy.

I find it MUCH easier to enter Morrison than the Ear......

The only real trick is coming back out - there the concern is being jetted upward by the flow and having your ascent get away from you. Again, getting somewhat negative before you go into the exit and getting clear of the flow (don't linger in it!) works well. Just take your time; its not a race.

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Cool thanks, I will try that. How's the viz in the lower cavern section? Is the room really quite large? I'd love to find a large room to frolic around in and practice my skills. Also, I noticed you have a WWW link at the bottom of your posts. - I wanted to link to my website but I didn't see any text field or way to enter a URL when I went into my profile section.. strange.

The lower cavern is HUGE (100'+ in diameter with lots of shelves and undercuts to look in and around) and vis in there is wall-to-wall, even if the topwater is totally blown due to high river levels.

There are two vents to the cave (blown up, not passable, although it is opening again over time - water's relentless!) on the bottom and lots of pea gravel particles on the floor that dance in a "volcano-like" manner from the water flowing up into the cavern from the cave.

Water temp in the lower cavern is 68-70F all year.

I go up there once in a while as its close to my home and is a decent place to practice skills, plus the price is right. You do have to bring your own filled tanks though - the closest dive shop is at Vortex ~10 miles up the road.

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Originally Posted by andrebasso

what is the correct procedure for descending into strong flow like that, do you simply swim into it head down, or do you kind of overwieght a little and drop down into it?

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Pretty much head-down, pull-and-pull. I've tried getting very negative and going down feet-first, but unless you point your fins EXACTLY into the flow, your feet will be blown upward, either behind you or in front of you.

Russell

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Originally Posted by Sludge

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Originally Posted by andrebasso

what is the correct procedure for descending into strong flow like that, do you simply swim into it head down, or do you kind of overwieght a little and drop down into it?

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Pretty much head-down, pull-and-pull. I've tried getting very negative and going down feet-first, but unless you point your fins EXACTLY into the flow, your feet will be blown upward, either behind you or in front of you.

Russell

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That is great advice and makes perfect sense, I wish I knew that before I tried the Devil's Ear. I think my left fin smacked me in the face a few times. lol.

Yeah, feet-first doesn't work into that kind of flow, nor does a "horizontal, perfect trim" descent. Think "torpedo" :-D

Morrison sounds incredible for a beginner cavern diver, I can't wait. Btw, I heard from many different people that the cave entrance is slowly opening, would they close it back up if it did open? Also, I know Ginnie Cavern is gated off, are there many other cave entrances that have gated access now that used to be divable. Just curious, I won't be going there with a torch or anything. :lol:

I doubt it.

Such intentional destruction is no longer considered "cool". There are a couple of people who claim to have passed the restriction at Morrison. I'll believe them when I see them do it - you'll understand the first time you dive there why I say that.

A friend of mine here at work claims to have dove Morrison before the closure with a milk carton for buoyancy and other 'primitive' equipment.

From what he remembers it was an incredible cave system.

If I recall before it was dynamited and sealed off, it dropped to almost 300' in depth.

Wow, that is fantastic! Can you tell us more about it? Maybe something that you remember specifically, like a room or formation unique to Morrison? I know it's been a long time ago, though.

My friend doesn't remember much at all.

So if I understand correctly Morrison is just a cavern dive now due to the A$$ Holes from the 60's BTW there is a great dry cave on the UF campus they did the same thing to. What are the chances of opening this up giving mother nature a little help?

I was at Morrison about 5 years ago back when you had to pay $18.00 to dive it. I was still relatively new OW Diver but I was already showing symptoms of the early stages of "Cave Madness". My buddy who was Cavern certified at the time led the way with a Dive Rite primary reel and we swam our way thru the resident Eels to where the cave entrance used to be. I had already read the story about the cave being dynamited so I wasn't surprised to see the blockage. Seeing the sand and rocks bubbling up and dancing around in the outflow was quite entertaining. Even back then I thought that it was a shame that someone thought that they were doing a public service by blowing it up. I fantasized in my fiendish little brain about taking a giant suction hose and removing all of the rubble so as to reopen the cave passage as nature had intended it to be. The larger boulders could be pulled from the passage using a Crane. I'd imagine that would be one world class silt-out though.
Maybe we could get Shop-Vac to sponser the project. ;-)

There are two "vents" there now.

One is low and horizontal, and the other a near-vertical fissure crack.

The latter looks closest to being able to be passed, but man, its TIGHT and the flow is like a firehose in your face. CAREFUL if you go down to the vents - be on your game, or you'll get jetted up and/or have your mask blown off your face!

Its DEFINITELY more open than it was a couple of years ago. What's beyond that initial restriction though I don't know. I bet some comealongs, stakes, lines and such could be utilized to try to clear some of the debris, but you'd literally be playing with your life. If you precipitated a collapse of some of the formations in there you could easily have something come down on you - that would be the end of that.