Peacock, Lafayette, Madison

[Xaryo]

and now, is it still close?

[Kelly Jessop]

and now, is it still close?

Still closed. It is going to take sometime to clear out. Flooding is part of the normal process,and it is good,because it provides a "healing" to the cave. In years past flooding was pushed out as the river dropped because the hydrostatic pressure from the springs pushed it out. But,Florida has had a severe drought,combined with severe demands on the ground water from development and agriculture,this hydrostatic pressure isn't there like it has in the past. In the 16 years I have been cave diving,and have seen Peacock flood,this is the first time I have ever seen it blow out without water coming up the slough. When it is clear enough to allow diving,the conditions will be marginal,and will take sometime to resume to conditions you are familiar with. When parks start to open we will announce it here,and on the North Florida Springs Alliance facebook page,but the local dive shops have received almost threatening calls for something they can't control-I have yet to understand why people lose patience over an event caused by mother nature and can become hostile over it. But,then again there are people that are told that a road is closed because of high snow,will insist on driving on it anyway,get stuck,and die because there is no help. Oh well...we will keep everyone up to date as we know it.

[stairman]

Almost threatening calls by who? These idiots should be held accountable. The dive shops arent exactly enjoying the lost revenue here but a spring cleaning and replenishing was needed.

[Kelly Jessop]

Almost threatening calls by who? These idiots should be held accountable. The dive shops arent exactly enjoying the lost revenue here but a spring cleaning and replenishing was needed.

I don't understand it,but then again I can see how some people plan a vacation,make reservations etc,only to be told that the springs are blown (frustration-aggression hypothese). Placing this frustration on the area businesses won't solve the problem,because as you mentioned,they are losing money. The comments from some people that they are going to go diving there any way is counter intuitive,because the caves are flooded,near zero viz,and very dangerous. The biggest problem is that regular seasonal flooding has become a thing of the past with changing weather patterns,so new people coming along don't understand that the springs are flooded,and they can't dive. What surprises me is people will become upset when the springs are flooded and can't dive,but won't bat an eye when they are told an ocean trip is blown out because of high winds.

[Diverlee]

Thanks for the update Kelly.

[apitkin]

Go dive Manatee. It's wonderful right now. How many people have dived the Chalkley Bypass, the Milk Tunnel, the Sewer Tunnel, and for more advanced divers the Blue Water Tunnel and the beautiful cave up to and beyond the Syphon Tunnel T? You could spend a week diving there and not do the same dive twice. It really is one of the best caves in Florida.

When the vis is good even the stretch between Friedman and Catfish is spectacular cave.