Telford Spring
Can someone clear this up for me. A buddy and I are trying to dive Telford Spring on Monday. We have heard that the only way to get there is walk/scooter up the river from the boat ramp (South side on the river just east of the bridge). Is there a closer road or ramp?...Sure seems like a far walk, but if its worth it I am game. Any information would be great!!
There is a small boat ramp just a few hundred feet NORTH of the spring run. This is the one that I use. You get there via a small dirt road just East of Dive Outpost that runs behind Rennekers
that's the wrong ramp the one at the bridge, dsix36 mentioned the right one. from there, swim up the river or walk, a lot of people drop down and pull and glide.
I think Dsix36's ramp is the only one anyone uses. Because the flow is low, the swim up the Suwanee is easy now. The low water in the river leaves an 18 inch waterfall in the spring run. The hard part is getting over that waterfall to the Telford headpool.
"I like to do dangerous things safely."
Leave Dive Outpost by making a left and the first left onto the dirt road. Take that to the end (a 3 minute drive). Park off the road in one of the spots that is clearly oft-used by cars.
Gear up, swim (if facing the river the flow is going right to left) right. You can walk but you will be fighting flow, stuff in the river not easily seen, etc.
You will swim anywhere from 9-12 minutes or so until you see the very obvious (crystal clear water) spring run. Stay close to the right side of the river (bank) as you are swimming up river.
You will see some tires in the water then the spring run. This will cost you anywhere from 200-300 psi or so (leaving plenty of gas for the shallow Telford system). Some folks carry a small separate bottle for the swim. I have not.
As Allen said, the run is definitely the hard part with the water low now. You have to get up the run to the cave which means standing up somewhere and walking.
Ensure you have spools to cover the 2 gaps in addition to whatever else you carry. Then, enjoy the heck out of that very cool cave.
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Cave Mann
Originally Posted by whodunit68
Just watch out for the monster....
9/11....... I remember .........
that goes without saying, CJust watch out for the monster....
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Cave Mann
How far it to the gaps? I remember one guy in there who took an exployer reel and ran it to the far side of the second gap.
I guess he was intro or something and could not go over a gap so he just used a longer "primary" reel.
Gotta love those who follow the rules!
If cave diving were Star Wars, who would be Yoda?
the first one is about 200' up the main line and the next one is not all that much further. I've not measured it and it's been at least a few months since I've been there but it's an approximation to start with.
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Cave Mann
Swimming up the river is not fun but walking/stumbling up the spring run and staying in the water is the hardest part. Some divers get out of the river and walk in the sand along side the spring run and then get in the spring and justify this by saying this is within the high water mark. The return with the float down river is kinda fun!
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