2017-18 New Year's social?

Well, it's the end of an era for me. I did the Galaxy Dive for eighteen consecutive years, and ran the accompanying CDF Social the last eleven. But dating a non-diver, and then marrying her, has made it difficult to spend the first moments of the new year together. But Lynn has been great about it, letting me do the Galaxy Dive while waiting at the surface.

So this year we will be somewhere else. If the CDF Galaxy Dive is to live on, it will be with someone else running the show. I will be happy to help out arranging things in the weeks leading up to it, but that's it.

We need a volunteer!

I would be willing to organize it, I have been to a couple of these so I have an idea of what goes into it but if you can give me a call I could get a better run down and get the ball rolling. 904-982-4144

I'll call you later today. There is still a chance I'll be there (tiny chance) but someone else will have to run it.

I spoke with "sludge" this evening, we will be doing the social at ginnie springs this year. THIS IS A FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENT OPEN TO ALL DIVERS AND NON-DIVERS ALIKE, AND I MAY ADD A REALLY COOL WAY TO RING IN THE NEW YEAR. We should have the pay for one days admission(Dec 31) get the second free(jan 1) when you mention you're with the CDF. I work for a company which puts on events so i will be able to bring speakers, raffle tickets, corn hole and some other items to make this year better than ever. Im going to be getting donations from local shops but anyone who can scrounge up prizes would be great; with new years eve being on a Sunday a tentative schedule will be:
Sunday DEC 31:
Day time(starting around noon) we will be at the devils pavilion having a cook out, raffle prizes, diving, socializing, raffle prizes etc
Night(starting around 6PM) we will be at the ginnie pavilion cooking out and preparing for the galaxy dive

Monday Jan 1:
Devils pavilion will be home base but everyone is encouraged to get in some dives and come hang out


soon we will be sending out a list of food and other items for people to bring for the cook out. The list will be numbered and if you see something you could bring just reply with the item number and we will put your name next to it and cross that item off, as always for those who cant make it monetary donations are graciously accepted via pay pal account sent to jeff.dobbertien@gmail.com or venmo account jeff-dobbertien all of which will be allocated to cover expenses of the cook out or if you make a donation for a specific item we can do that as well. My number is at the top of the thread if you have any questions. This is an awesome event to get to know one another in person and we look forward to seeing everyone there!

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Originally Posted by jdobbertien

I spoke with "sludge" this evening, we will be doing the social at ginnie springs this year. THIS IS A FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENT OPEN TO ALL DIVERS AND NON-DIVERS ALIKE, AND I MAY ADD A REALLY COOL WAY TO RING IN THE NEW YEAR. We should have the pay for one days admission(Dec 31) get the second free(jan 1) when you mention you're with the CDF. I work for a company which puts on events so i will be able to bring speakers, raffle tickets, corn hole and some other items to make this year better than ever. Im going to be getting donations from local shops but anyone who can scrounge up prizes would be great; with new years eve being on a Sunday a tentative schedule will be:
Sunday DEC 31:
Day time(starting around noon) we will be at the devils pavilion having a cook out, raffle prizes, diving, socializing, raffle prizes etc
Night(starting around 6PM) we will be at the ginnie pavilion cooking out and preparing for the galaxy dive

Monday Jan 1:
Devils pavilion will be home base but everyone is encouraged to get in some dives and come hang out


soon we will be sending out a list of food and other items for people to bring for the cook out. The list will be numbered and if you see something you could bring just reply with the item number and we will put your name next to it and cross that item off, as always for those who cant make it monetary donations are graciously accepted via pay pal account sent to jeff.dobbertien@gmail.com or venmo account jeff-dobbertien all of which will be allocated to cover expenses of the cook out or if you make a donation for a specific item we can do that as well. My number is at the top of the thread if you have any questions. This is an awesome event to get to know one another in person and we look forward to seeing everyone there!

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Corn hole?? Must mean something different down South...
:)

Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by Jack Hammer

Corn hole?? Must mean something different down South...
:)

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:popcorn

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Originally Posted by Jack Hammer

Corn hole?? Must mean something different down South...
:)

Sent from my SM-T810 using Tapatalk

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No it means the same thing and it's yummy.

It's a game that's also called "beanbag toss." :roll:

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Originally Posted by Sludge

It's a game that's also called "beanbag toss." :roll:

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That's funny cause up north "bean bag toss" means **** ***.

So to get this thread back on track, have you started a list of who is bringing what dish to pass?
I'll start,
T.Bix- Two crock pots of my wife's chili

We will be putting out the list of things in the first few days in December as people finalize their plans to come to the event.

I was wondering if this thing died on the vine. I'm still in for the chili or I should say my wife is.... She'll punch me in the throat if I don't make sure she gets the credit.... JK... Can't wait to see you bunch of reprobates...

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Originally Posted by jdobbertien

We will be putting out the list of things in the first few days in December as people finalize their plans to come to the event.

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Have you contacted GSO yet? Does the new management still do these type of events?

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Originally Posted by FW

Have you contacted GSO yet? Does the new management still do these type of events?

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I'm waiting for GSO to return my call.

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Originally Posted by FW

Have you contacted GSO yet? Does the new management still do these type of events?

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Yes but you need a springs grilling certification
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Originally Posted by MichaelAngelo

Yes but you need a springs grilling certification .

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Well, since you're the only person I know that holds that particular certification, I guess that makes you this year's grillmaster.

Just a heads-up, but nothing is written in stone here. I spoke with the Groups person at Ginnie and we talked about everything we need to happen (pavilion at no charge and two-for-one entrance for attendees). She said she'll run it all by her superiors and get back to me in a couple of days. I have no reason to think they won't give us the same deal we've gotten for the past eleven years, but we have to keep a lookout for another venue if things don't work out.

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Originally Posted by Sludge

Well, since you're the only person I know that holds that particular certification, I guess that makes you this year's grillmaster.

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I'll let you know. Due to an operation last month, I am currently without the use of my right arm some I am pretty useless. Besides my cert was just grilling and not Florida Springs Grilling and from a lesser agency and not GIR.

MA -- hope you're be back to "normal" somewhat soon as I'm around now and able to hit the water. Let me know...

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Originally Posted by WEPIV

MA -- hope you're be back to "normal" somewhat soon as I'm around now and able to hit the water. Let me know...

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Not possible before April but more likely next summer before I am in a cave. But dinner is possible.

We'd love to come down from GA and meet people. Anyone planning to camp, or is this usually a local crowd?

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Originally Posted by MoistenedBint

We'd love to come down from GA and meet people. Anyone planning to camp, or is this usually a local crowd?

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It is not a local event, but I quit camping at Ginnie years ago, because of the noisy drunks.

There will be divers there from the Midwest and Puerto Rico at least. We will be camping to take advantage of the double dip as well as the post dive soda pops and no DD needed factor.

We are all good to go for reservations for ginnie. So next is just getting out the who brings who list. Russell can you post the list? This is the email from ginnie:

We have reserved the Devils Eye Pavilion for you to use for December 31st, 2017. As in the past, your group is welcome to use the pavilion for the day at no charge. In lieu of the deposit we will imprint your credit card when you arrive.

Park admission is not included in the pavilion reservation. Our daily admission for the non-divers are $14.02 per adult and $3.73 for children 6-12 years old. Day passes expire ? prior to sunset.

The camping fees are $22.43 per adult, $6.49 for children 6-12 years old and $10.28 per site, Fees are per night and do not include sales tax. Our camp fees cover the daily admission for the day you arrive and are good until ? prior to dark the day you leave.

Our scuba diving fees are per person, per day and are good until mid-night. Dive fees are $30.00 and $22.00 for certified cave divers. Sam as also approved a free day of diving on January 1st, 2018 for your divers when checking in for scuba diving on December 31st. (Kind of buy one get one freeJ.)

Just a reminder that the fees do not include sales tax,

Also, Sam has also given the okay for your guests to stay until 1:00 am. (New Year’s morning).

I am attaching our current group reservation sheets as well as our diver group rate sheet. Please look over the material and let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks for your voice mail and we look forward to seeing you down at the springs.

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Originally Posted by jdobbertien

This is the email from ginnie:[/B]

We have reserved the Devils Eye Pavilion for you...

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I guess I need to call her again. We talked about the Little Devil pavilion. GSO can't decide what to call the various pavilions. "Devil's Eye pavilion" is the one down by the Devi's Eye Spring. Or sometimes it's the one up by Little Devil Spring. Regardless of what they call it, we want the one near the bath houses.

Are we doing the Galaxy dive in the Ball Room (Ginnie) or down at the eye or ear?

Ball room

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Originally Posted by T. Bix

Are we doing the Galaxy dive in the Ball Room (Ginnie) or down at the eye or ear?

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Originally Posted by jdobbertien

Ball room

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We will have the Little Devil's pavilion during the day, but move to the Ginnie pavilion for the Galaxy dive.

Hi all, when do you usually start? And are non CDF folks allowed, like my wife. Or are non cave divers allowed? Like my friends that are training still gor tgeor cave certs? If so, can we stop by, and what should we bring? I dive their often, but not sure I personally know many folks other than seeing them pass by? Thanks.

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Originally Posted by CavePadawan

Hi all, when do you usually start? And are non CDF folks allowed, like my wife. Or are non cave divers allowed? Like my friends that are training still gor tgeor cave certs? If so, can we stop by, and what should we bring? I dive their often, but not sure I personally know many folks other than seeing them pass by? Thanks.

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Everyone is welcome, even non divers. You will have to tell the people at the Ginnie desk that you are there for the Cave Divers Forum event to get the 2 day for one day price deal.

I plan to arrive at 8am, but we may not get totally set up before 10am.

Well, we're less than a week out and have almost no participation. It looks like we're going to pull the plug on the picnic. (Only three people signed up to bring stuff.)

There will still be six to twelve people doing a Galaxy Dive, so feel free to dive during the day on December 31 and join the group around 11pm at the Ginnie pavilion. I wish I could be there...

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Originally Posted by Sludge

Well, we're less than a week out and have almost no participation. It looks like we're going to pull the plug on the picnic. (Only three people signed up to bring stuff.)

There will still be six to twelve people doing a Galaxy Dive, so feel free to dive during the day on December 31 and join the group around 11pm at the Ginnie pavilion. I wish I could be there...

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Well, since I already bought them, there will be plenty of chips for lunch :roll:

We will still make a crock pot of my wife's chili to share with whoever shows up. Kinda disappointed to see this event ebbing to a low as it is always fun to settle in on a rock or your favorite perch with 40 other divers just before midnight. What time will be good to be ready to eat before the Galaxy dive?

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Originally Posted by T. Bix

What time will be good to be ready to eat before the Galaxy dive?

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We always started the evening cookout around 7pm. We started preparing the glow juice around 10:45.

So is the daytime social canceled, the evening social canceled, or both? Just wondering whether to buy the stuff I signed up to bring.

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Originally Posted by Troglodyver

So is the daytime social canceled, the evening social canceled, or both? Just wondering whether to buy the stuff I signed up to bring.

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Only the daytime picnic is canceled. I am bringing my stuff to the evening cookouit.

I'll bring stuff for the evening cookout too.

All done! It was a small group but it was awesome to see for the noobs among us. Thank you to Russell for the guidance and to Jeff for the legwork and galaxy dive and to the donors for the food. It was rainy and chilly but there were the familiar faces around the pavilion. We voted and decided to do the galaxy dive around nine so everyone could get warmed up and on their way before the temp dropped to what seemed like sub-zero... We know these things ebb and flow between two and a thousand divers in the ballroom and hope this is as low as it gets interest-wise. Even if you've seen it a hundred years in a row (like some of our old timers) it still leads to the social aspect of what we all love so much. Great to see everybody that came out, missed everybody that didn't come out, hope to see you all soon above or below the surface.

I had a great time with everyone that attended. Thanks for welcoming me to the group!

The Chili was great! If I had known the galaxy dive was moved to 9pm, I might have stayed longer.

We were both feeling pretty run down last week, and decided getting some (warm) rest outstripped our wish to drive down and meet folks. It was the right decision; we're still recovering and exhausted. The crappy weather helped seal our decision. Hopefully we'll be there next round.

Sorry to hear the social was not as attended in years past...its a great event...just a thought though would it be more accessible and attended if it was at JB and on another day besides new years?...

Maybe Russell can weigh in here but I thought they did that one year with special permission to camp at JB and other accommodations made for our group. I don't recall how the attendance was but it was something different.

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Originally Posted by T. Bix

Maybe Russell can weigh in here...

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The last time we did it at JB it was relatively unsuccessful. We only had about fifteen people for the cookout, and I believe four of us did the Galaxy Dive. That's why I said I'd only run NYE socials at Ginnie from now on.

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Originally Posted by Sludge

The last time we did it at JB it was relatively unsuccessful. We only had about fifteen people for the cookout, and I believe four of us did the Galaxy Dive. That's why I said I'd only run NYE socials at Ginnie from now on.

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Here's a look back to show everyone how times change. My first Galaxie Dive was in 1982 and Wes was in charge of that event. The crowd probably numbered around a hundred and I'd estimate we had around 40 or so divers in the water. The event seemed to grow in popularity from year to year, and around the 91 time frame, it was so large that we had to have committees to organize everything such as food, entertainment, the bonfire and, of course, the Galaxie Dive. I was in charge of the dives in 91 and 92 and we had so many divers that we had to do Two Galaxie dives to accommodate everyone. We probably had 40-50 divers per dive ( looking back that was too many ) and at least a half dozen guys in Full Cave gear as safety divers. Tons of food and music and, of course, Wes always had his latest videos to show everyone. It was a very popular event ( back in the day ) In a lot of ways, things haven't changed as we move forward. Someone still has to be in charge ( Sludge ) and so on, and pull everything together, and keep the magic going. Some years have more attendance than others. Weather certainly is a factor! We now have many new faces in the crowd and these are the folks that will be telling the stories, down the road!