Waterhole 3 today, UGH!

[stairman]

Thought we'd try something different today. Boy was it. After sinking down to our knees in mud we sprung fourth across the familiar duckweed cover to hyrrilla out the yingyang. Forward motion was almost impossible as we tried to submerge. Vis was inches and never did find the opening. After surfacing the mud stunk so bad and we had hyrrilla hanging off us. We got whooped on that one. Maybe winter will kill off the choking plants and water levels higher coulnt hurt. P1 is 3 ft below the lower platform. Lowest anyone has seen it.

[Kelly Jessop]

Thought we'd try something different today. Boy was it. After sinking down to our knees in mud we sprung fourth across the familiar duckweed cover to hyrrilla out the yingyang. Forward motion was almost impossible as we tried to submerge. Vis was inches and never did find the opening. After surfacing the mud stunk so bad and we had hyrrilla hanging off us. We got whooped on that one. Maybe winter will kill off the choking plants and water levels higher coulnt hurt. P1 is 3 ft below the lower platform. Lowest anyone has seen it.

Please remember to check your gear for hydrilla,and clean it off real good. A sprig of hydrilla can be carried to the next site you dive and then the same thing will happen there.

[Dsix36]

Ok, I know what duck weed is, but what is hydrilla and which areas am I likely to find it?

I know, I know, google it.


Nevermind, I figured out how to use google.

[RN]

Please remember to check your gear for hydrilla,and clean it off real good. A sprig of hydrilla can be carried to the next site you dive and then the same thing will happen there.

Yep! Just look at the Mill Pond!

[stairman]

I thought the duckweed cover would block the sunlight needed for its growth but it hasent. We did pull it all off that could be seen. I thought of jumping in the middle so the muck wouldnt stir up on the edge but was affraid of submerged logs, ouch! No doubt, Waterhole 3 is best seen coming out and not going in.

[Rich]

So Randy, I gotta ask why in hell would you want to get in there in the first place? I've seen it from underneath too many times to even think about trying that! We were in P3 the other day and it was pretty bad there also, but you have a lot more room to play with.....

Safe diving,

Rich

[Kelly Jessop]

Ok, I know what duck weed is, but what is hydrilla and which areas am I likely to find it?

I know, I know, google it.


Nevermind, I figured out how to use google.

Hydrilla was brought here in the 60s from Africa for fish aquariums,and it has over stayed its welcome,and become very invasive,like kudzu vine.

Real important divers check their gear for hydrilla,duckweed etc before going to the next dive site. We are a source of contamination,and our vigilence can keep the basin of the other sites more pristine.

[JCGoodwin]

What I am hearing is water levels and growth are at peak right now.
A little rain might not be a bad thing.
It has just began to rain a bit up hear and the temps are steadily falling which always help to stunt growth.
I am hoping to find better conditions in Oct. / Nov.
It seems that overall FL water level has been down this past season.

JCG

[Rich]

If you ignore the lack of rain, and the fact that we need it so badly, cave conditions are spectacular right now, at least vis wise! Peacock's crackling as is P3, the Castle's clear as a bell. LR vis is back to pre 2003 levels, but without the butt kicking flow. The river caves are still clear as is Indian, in fact it was the best I've ever seen it! Hopefully we'll get some prolonged rain here soon, but vis will probably drop when we do. The basin at Peacock is really low right now, as Randy mentioned, but it's not the stagnant cesspool it was three weeks ago, where exiting the cave was like swimming into a really funky hot tub! Guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.....

Safe diving,

Rich

P.S. Exiting P3 the other day was interesting, there was so much hydrilla and duckweed on the surface and our bubble free expedition did nothing to disturb it and it was actually very cool to look at it from underneath....

[stairman]

Rich, I havent swam the waterhole tunnel yet, have of course passed the jump many times so thought Idtry to get in from its openwater but bad idea. There was beaver tracks around its edge as is in P3 so Im sure hydrilla contamination is probably caused more by them than by divers. A rope and grapling hook should be employed to help rid the sinks of this evasive plant.