Does anyone know if there is a cave at Troy Springs?
Backmount or Sidemount?
How long is the cave?
Thanks
Jurgen
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Does anyone know if there is a cave at Troy Springs?
Backmount or Sidemount?
How long is the cave?
Thanks
Jurgen
More like a "no mount". It isn't very long, and when the current is up, very hard to get into.
FWIW, I suspect the rangers would take a dim view of anyone trying to get into it.
No cave diving allowed, they see you go in with "cave gear" (3 lights, reels/spools, etc ) and law enforcement will be called. Your gear will be confiscated until your court hearing, which by the way, if the laws are anything like Michigan, they can confiscate your vehicle as well, it’s considered part of your gear since it got you there.....just fyi
Several years ago my dive buddy was fixin' to take Intro and wanted to get used to doubles in open water, including lights, reels, etc. The ranger said, "Nope, no lights or reels by anyone, including Full Cave divers."
Not that it's that important to me as I think Troy is fine the way it is but there is river access. Couldn't some cantankerous hardass swim in from a boat? I recall there being some sort of barrier but I didn't look at it that closely.
I dove Troy for the first time back in November and viz was around 50 feet. My buddy and I were diving Double LP 85's as that was all we packed for the trip. We also had 1 Safety reel each, HID lights with backup etc. We were rigged for Cave because that is what we had been doing earlier at another site. We had a little gas to burn off and some time to kill so we decided to check out Troy Spring.
We went into the high flow small Cavern and putzed around in there for a while and then we went over to the Paddlewheeler wreck and spooked a few Turtles.
I didn't see any sign saying we couldn't dive with doubles, reels etc. We never saw any Ranger. Is this some kind of unwritten rule or did I just not see the sign?
As far as I'm aware, the state park service has jurisdiction within 400ft from "Mean High Water or Ordinary High Water Line within the riparian lines of any state park unit".
So I guess this gives them the right, under Florida State Law, to limit access as they deem necessary.
Not knowing any better, a buddy and I did a cavern dive there last fall using doubles, lights etc.. The ranger we talked to not only didn't stop us, but was very interested in what we were doing, our gear etc.. In this case I guess ignorance was bliss; although it wasn't a particulary interesting dive.
Ditto. Soon after Troy opened to diving Kathleen and I headed there with sidemount gear. Didn't hear the no cave diving rule til much later. I had gone by a couple weeks earlier and scouted the place and took note of the rules - including the no solo diving rule - and came back later when I had a buddy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Serota
I remember a couple tight spots but sidemount was fine. Here are my comments from the dive:
I also remember doing some line repair while we were in there. Not sure, probably 500-600 feet of cave passage to the end.Quote:
Originally Posted by Myself
Thanks for your info.
I was doing a openwater dive with my grilfriend last weekend
at Troy, and at one point I went into the cave, just like 20 feet
to the beginning of the line and was wondering how far the cave is going.
I was diving with my doubles & lights, the park ranger saw me
comming out of the water but did not say anything about diving
with my cave diving gear.
Jurgen
What would they charge you with, and what would their evidence be? Last I heard (and I'm a native) there were no laws against diving with whatever gear you want (spearfishing aside).Quote:
Originally Posted by mmcauliffe
I respect park rules, but threatening me with a LEO visit for a unprovable violation isn't much of a worry to me if I really wanted to dive it.
Drew
Both rangers at Troy are very nice and friendly. One them told me that they are plans to bar off the cave entrance. I dont see it happening anytime soon though. With backmount your dive will end very soon and you might even damage parts of the cave.
I never had problems with cave gear. The only time the ranger was unhappy it was when a couple of OW divers reported me for diving solo and that that my dog was in the water.
I guess a K9 does not quilify as a dive buddy.
If you put him in that one ATA helmet that guy made for his dog and cat.
sharing air is a bit tough.
For information on cave diving at Troy Springs State Park please contact the female ranger at 386-935-4838, it is the number for the park office
if you do not get an answer leave a message and she will return your call.
Janet
Yes they are, so why are the rangers at Blue Springs State Park and Ichetucknee so bitchy? They really seem to hate it when divers show up with park passes...Quote:
Originally Posted by HomoErectus
Dave
Which Blue Springs? There are about six of them :wink:Quote:
Originally Posted by loquat149
Who are they going to get to put the bars in???Quote:
Originally Posted by HomoErectus
Yes, there are several blue springs in Florida, but there is only one "Blue Springs State Park", no? I'm referrring to the one near Orange City in Volusia County.Quote:
Originally Posted by mmcauliffe
Dave
I'll wager Blue Springs Orange City. The funny thing is I have never had a problem with the park staff checking in at Blue Spring OC. The only problems I have had was with the FWC ranger. That guy thinks his poop don't stink. They want you to pull over to the right to check in to dive, but if you dive very slowly past the stop sign making sure the gate ranger knows you are pulling over he'll come running over like his hair is on fire yelling about the next SumBi!ch diver that runs that stop sign :!: :!: :!: :!: The guy really needs to lay off the coffee :)
Curt
The Ranger at Itchtucknee was very friendly and talkative to me and my 3 buddies when we dove the Jug Hole on Thanksgiving day 2005.
Of course I'm sure he's not the only one who works there and 1 or 2 of them could be total assbags. Same as anywhere else.
:blackbar2 Edit from moderator: Nah, I think that's a bit too much.
Other than that I don't feel too strongly about this issue.
I dont know that information.Quote:
Originally Posted by mfascuba
Yes, you are correct sir...thanks for the clairificationQuote:
Originally Posted by loquat149
Well apparently the Mods haven't seen Ace Ventera Pet Detective. I used artistic license but basically that line about dieing from Syphilis is from that movie.
I've never had a run in with this FWC officer at BSSP. I've just read so many complaints on this forum about this person I decided to play up the character and stir the pot. Just trying to be humorous but I guess I fell flat on my face with that one. I didn't realize Pat Robertson was on the Mod Squad. I shall keep it 100% Vanilla and squeaky clean from henceforth. I promise.
Now about that dang old Troy Spring.
We knew you were *trying* to be funny caveranger, but the real rangers read this site too, and they may not have the same sense of humor :-)
Plus there are two sides to every story, so if you have never experienced a bad time from the ranger there why perpetrate ill will towards him?
Point taken....but I didn't say anything insulting about any park rangers. I made a joke about an FFWC officer. What?....In a free society I don't have a right? Some of them deserve a little razzing. We have one here in Martin County who practically gives a body cavity search to every person on a boat with Scuba gear but overlooks the sportfishing crowd,. By the same token I do research work here with a group of divers and we've worked very closely with F.F.W.C. to study and collect data on Artificial reefs.
Those of you who know me also know that my Father is a retired Florida Park Ranger of 37 years and he retired last April. So having grown up in a State Park in South Florida from the time I was 3 to the time I was 18 I guess I feel comfortable enough around those guys to poke fun. The Rangers at Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Hobe Sound used to pick on this little skinny kid on the Moped who much to their chagrin, always seemed to catch rather large Bass in the outback of the park and we always used to joke around with each other. Maybe I'm just too comfortable in that realm.
I'm truly not angry or anything about any of this. If you all want to walk on eggshells with the fear and terror of offending government employees WHO WORK FOR YOU and the possible outcomes thats completely ok with me. I AM a government employee and a public servant....and I'll always call a Spade...a Spade. Censor me however you see fit. It's your Forum.
Just serving as a bad example.....It's my calling.
TSSP is a home for at least 2 cave systems (well known). Main spring mainline is about 400' backmountable (pray for your valves and feel sorry for the cave). It is constantly CAVING (brown breakdown boulders all have fresh white sliced side), high flow, silts easily. ML starts about 100' in. It is old line and it is in BAD condition. You have to run your reel through sharp low fragile outcropings at the entrance, depth stays around 70'. You have to be crazy to get there but if you go - consider solo, you will be lucky not to get entangled in your own line on exit.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jurgen
There is a small and easy to silt cavern at depth of 30', it goes in a direction of the steps approx 30-50' in. It would be a nice demo-place to show students why cave divers use guideline: within 5' from the entrance you will see absolutely no daylight when exiting.
There is also very interesting sidemount system with multiple entrances not connected to Troy but also discharging to Suwanee. At summer time presense of local waders make it feel similar to Telford (you know what i mean).
Which is, of course, moot, since cave diving is prohibited here.Quote:
Originally Posted by ARY