Hornsby Springs info??

[Sludge]

they built some type of water park for the kids as they wouldn't let them in the spring any more.

There is a good view of the River Ranch Water Park on Google Maps.

[phreaticus]

Just looked at the old map...my directions were a bit off, but the depths I remembered are about right. There's a lot more passage than what's on that old map, btw....
If you want to know what Hornsby's passages look like....go dive Cathedral/Falmouth...pretty much the same size, configuration (large phreatic tube half full of silt), rock color....viz , of course, is all conditional on the health of the aquifer....which we all no ain't too good!

[WEPIV]

My uncle tells of a dive there back in the late 1960s with Dave Desautels. He described it being cold and dark and he didn't like the mosquitoes when they got out as it was night time.
I have gone there to visit, (no diving), and my son's school goes there every end of school year for a party and they all go to that water park, which I thought was pretty sad as they have a spring right there. (Although, not always in the best of shape.)
My son tried to swim in the spring and they wouldn't even let him do that.
Apparently, the Adventist allowed cave diving there initially but they said you had to follow their rules or else. Well, guess what happened...? Their rules were not followed and that was pretty much it for diving there, at least officially.

[Cindy]

I talked with the Manager out there a couple of years ago. Trying to set up a guide system from the sink. I would have to go to the Seven Day Adventist leadership to get any place. They are very touchy about liability. In general I don't think they want the hassle. About 4 years ago Pete Butt did a dye tracing from Mill Creek Sink to Hornsby Spring and they are connected. I think if a couple of Seven Day Adventist Cave divers approached the leaders in this area it could be opened again on a fee basis.

[Benthic]

Couldn't you just go by boat...?

Brian

[Kelly Jessop]

Couldn't you just go by boat...?

Brian

Very shallow spring run as I recall and probably worse with the drought. If I recall a cave diver tried this and made the camp people upset,which probably didn't help gaining access.

[jcook]

Very shallow spring run as I recall and probably worse with the drought. If I recall a cave diver tried this and made the camp people upset,which probably didn't help gaining access.

Scooter and rebreather then? Be like an underwater ninja. lol

[Kelly Jessop]

Scooter and rebreather then? Be like an underwater ninja. lol

Maybe some dive manufacturer needs to create a Frodo ring.

[amphipod06]

Maybe some dive manufacturer needs to create a Frodo ring.

or a cape of invisibility....

Dive safe,

Celia

[JE]

I talked with the Manager out there a couple of years ago. Trying to set up a guide system from the sink. I would have to go to the Seven Day Adventist leadership to get any place. They are very touchy about liability. In general I don't think they want the hassle. About 4 years ago Pete Butt did a dye tracing from Mill Creek Sink to Hornsby Spring and they are connected. I think if a couple of Seven Day Adventist Cave divers approached the leaders in this area it could be opened again on a fee basis.

"Pete Butt did a dye tracing from Mill Creek Sink to Hornsby Spring and they are connected".

If I am not mistaken, this would be a traverse from behind Sonny's in Alachua all the way under I-75 thru to the Hornsby entrance, correct ? At one time in I envisioned a rebreather dive doing just such a traverse ! Is it possible ? That would be one hell of a dive ! Lee Gibbons & I both discussed this a few years ago.
You can retrace my posts, i think i have a thread dating back to pre-1993 !