I was asked to make a post because not everybody knows what we do at these socials, and we have been talking about it as if everyone does.

The socials held at Ginnie Springs have no admission fee, you just have to pay to get into the park, and pay to dive, if that's your plan. We ask attendees to contribute a food item or pack of soft drinks, or whatever (see the signup list at http://www.cavediver.net/forum/showt...-items-2012-13 ), but if you're not sure if you can make it, and then show up at the last minute empty-handed, nobody will care - we always end up with a lot of extra stuff anyway.

Anybody and everybody are welcome at the socials - you don't have to be a cave diver, or even a diver. Lots of people bring non-diving friends or family members. There will always be people hanging around, so don't worry that "my wife won't have anything to do while I'm diving" or anything like that.

About the Galaxy Dive - this is an annual tradition we have been doing for awhile (this will be my fourteenth). Right before midnight on NYE we all go into Ginnie Cavern and turn off our lights. One person has a ziploc bag with about a quart of "glow juice" down by the grate. A few moments before midnight, he opens the bag and the little dots of light swirl around the cavern. Like stars in the galaxy - get it?

Ginnie's rules allow any open water-certified diver to dive the Ginnie Cavern, so this is NOT for cave divers only. We always have a handful of open water divers. We also have a few people making their first Galaxy Dive, and they always tell us it was way cooler than they imagined.

Oh - and there will be door prizes!