Future Dive Sites??

I was just checking out some old maps of systems that are currently closed, but 7-10 years ago they were public accessable. To all of you that have been cave diving 10+ years what dive sites did you love to dive years ago that are now closed and prohibited access? I'm not asking to reveal and "secret spots" but places that we all know of that are now closed to the public.

And what do you think the future of cave diving sites will be if all that seems to have happened over the last 10 years is close more and more sites?

Everything south of Tallahassee

Arch is top of the list in my mind. Not a big system, but close and interesting.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Limestone Cowboy

Arch is top of the list in my mind. Not a big system, but close and interesting.

---

I was thinking Arch, Isabella (black hole), Palm Sink, Nursery Sink, Nemesis, and mainly most of the places in pasco that used to be open, are now on private property and unaccessable. They are not even permit restricted. They are just closed. But I'm sure there are alot of places in cave country that 10 years ago were accessable, but now are on someones property and are non-accessable.

I agree that sinks south of Tallahassee...
McBride slew, Little Dismal ( I even donated $250 to thre stairs there back in the day), Cheryl and Emerald (although this may soon change :-D ) And
Hornsby spring outside High Springs
But on the bright side the following used to be closed and are now open
Hart Springs, Morgan Springs, Eagle's Nest, Buford Spring, Jackson Blue,Madison Blue
Safe Diving,
Lee

The caves in Talahassee are closed?????


OOOPS, did I say that out loud? 8)

Emerald (soon open)
Appoka Blue (well I had access anyway)

Men such as I dare dive where they want.

A lot of the sites Titen mentioned were never really open, just not watched so carefully. I blame it on the intensive population growth down here. When I go to Marianna to dive, it's like Brooksville was when I was a kid. That sort of thing feeling makes me happy and sad at the same time, ya know?

Drew

Arch Sink - a small cave system but with passages in different depth ranges(50' - 190'+) and very diveable on a single high-volume tank without a lot of extra gear.

Ward Sink - probably the best and clearest non-cave deep sinkhole(150' - 190'+) that I've ever dived.

Palm Sink - another deep sinkhole(130' - 145'+) which is always clear below 100' and which makes for a nice circuit dive.

(I surveyed and mapped the above 3 sites in 1994 - 1995)

Black Hole Sink - another small cave system that deadends in a large room at 110'.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When these sites shut down, it put a serious damper on having diving sites close to home. :(

I'd like to dive Black Hole Sink. A buddy and I hiked in from Old Dixie Hwy only to find a very well used trail leading right to the water that starts behind someones house. If the home owner was ok with letting you park on the street and walk through his yard it would be an easy access to it. But he was not home and we were chased away by the sounds of barking dogs, we didnt wanna attract alot of attention since we had just been hiking in chassahowitka and were wearing camo and had machettes sticking out of our backpacks :wink:

They must have done some building since I last dived there because I don't remember any houses being there. I'd drive my old 1986 Jeep CJ-7 down the 200 - 300 yard trail from Old Dixie Hwy. and park on the edge of the pond. The sinkhole entrance was to the left on the opposite side of a fallen tree. The permanent line was tied off in open water near the surface. I did a solo dive and videotaped it not too long before it was shut down and a large berm put in place to prevent access to the trail.