Berman Room...

[sdenney]

I made a dive yesterday past the Hinkle for the first time. We swam to the 3500 foot mark and turned it before a tight restriction. In the Berman Room there is a blue plaque with a message in German. Does anyone know what it says?

[lonestarfl]

Loosely translated it says...
Fond memories of my friend Berndt "Ashi" Aspacher.
Ashi was an NSS/CDS cave instructor who died in a cave diving
accident in Germany. Devil's Eye was his favorite cave dive.
Lee

[sdenney]

Thanks for the update. I made it back up there and copied it down in my wetnotes.

[bernieflyer]

I heard stories about Ashi.... what years was he around N. Fla??

[PeterBuzzacott]

I didn't notice this when I was in there last weekend, but then I wasn't looking for it, (I was looking up at the upper walls and roof mostly).

Anyone know if the plaque is still there?

[Brent]

I heard stories about Ashi.... what years was he around N. Fla??

Ashi was a fellow CDS instructor who was attending UF around the 91 time frame. Our common bond was the fact that I lived near his hometown in Germany during my Air Force career. We did a lot of dives together and here's one that you may get a laugh out of. Back in that time frame the training committee ( of which I was a part of ) was discussing the pros and cons of having a requirement for carrying an extra mask, just in case!! The committee was split on the decision and so to prove a stupid point, I said I would swim out from the top of the Hill 400 ( 1000 feet ) with no mask and Ashi was the safety diver. It was no big deal all in all. Ashi was married in the Ginnie pavilion and after graduation from UF, he returned to Germany. Ashi died in a cave call Blautoff ( believe the name is correct ) sometime around 2000.

[FW]

I didn't notice this when I was in there last weekend, but then I wasn't looking for it, (I was looking up at the upper walls and roof mostly).

Anyone know if the plaque is still there?

We turned well before 3500'.

[Brent]

I didn't notice this when I was in there last weekend, but then I wasn't looking for it, (I was looking up at the upper walls and roof mostly).

Anyone know if the plaque is still there?

Last time I saw the plaque, it was in the Dome Room just past the Hienkle which is around 32-33 hundred or so distance

[Sh0use]

We turned well before 3500'.

Yes we did when we dove with you! But when we dove the next day we were all up in the Berman Room.

[FW]

Yes we did when we dove with you! But when we dove the next day we were all up in the Berman Room.

Aah!