Falmouth-Cathedral Canyon System

[rddvet]

As a newly cert'd cavern diver I guess I'm doing the same thing all of you did and reading everyting I can about the local systems. And of course I'm doing the obligatory reading of caverns measureless, during which I jump on here, caveatlas, or google to learn more about the systems I'm reading about.

I'm reading about dives into Cathedral Canyon and Falmouth spring, and I'm coming up short on info online about it. Not too much on caveatlas, and what I have found online makes it seem as though the property is still owned by NSS-CDS, but I can't tell if it's open for diving or not. It appears at one point there was mention of it being sold by the NSS-CDS, but then I found flickr photos of stairs being built for diving(I assume).

Hopefully this isn't a topic that's common knowledge to everyone but me, but I was looking for info or history to fill in the spots I'm missing. Most importantly after reading about it, it sounds like a beautiful dive and was wondering if it is still diveable. I know I read somewhere that it was fairly clear for a long time and then flow reversed bringing down viz?

Thanks for the info.

[billyf]

http://nsscds.org/cathedralsink

[rddvet]

Geez. I found that link as a link on a different webpage and when I clicked on it, it was a dead link. I assumed it was dead on the nss's website do didn't even think to actually try searching from there. Oops

[Kevin Leonhardt]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but by most people's standards cathedral is not a beautiful dive. Though, this is strictly due to visibility. The best I've seen is 20', which in a cave that large means you see a wall, or a wall and the floor. Despite this, I've enjoyed the dives I've done there.
Todd Leonard wrote an article, which i believe was published in GUE quest, about the exploration he and Bjarne Knudsen did there around 2004. They pushed it out past 17,000. In my opinion, that 17,000' dive is probably one of the most challenging dives anyone's executed. Search for that article for the rest of the story.

[FW]

I have seen Cathedral with 50' of viz, but that was a long time ago, before all the "spray fields" were put in upstream :-(
I still like diving there, in spite of the current low viz. You are required to be Abe Davis, or E.Q. (100 dives beyond full cave), and go in the first time with someone that has been before.

[rddvet]

Reading about it is I guess a little different than its current reality. I figured there was a reason I didn't hear more about it.

What do you mean spray fields. As in agricultural applications?

[FW]

What do you mean spray fields. As in agricultural applications?

Yes
http://www.sera17.ext.vt.edu/Documen...ray_fields.pdf

[Benthic]

I have seen Cathedral with 50' of viz, but that was a long time ago, before all the "spray fields" were put in upstream :-(
I still like diving there, in spite of the current low viz. You are required to be Abe Davis, or E.Q. (100 dives beyond full cave), and go in the first time with someone that has been before.

Also, you must be an NSS-CDS member.

Brian

[stairman]

Ive seen it from the surface. I like the history of Sheck living right there on the property. I suspect the runoff from all the farms is what has happened to Lafayette Blue and its many openings as well. Another big cave that you only see part of.

[TONY CHANEY]

I felt the same way Stairman. Our instructor took us there just to look around and check the stairs being put in. Told us the story of Sheck living there. Very cool to me, but then again I really enjoy the history of cave diving.