Ginnie Springs Devil's Eye 16 July 2013

[MacLeod]

To break up the drive to Marianna, I stopped for a dive today at Ginnie (not much else available in the area). I ran into Rich and Bev (nice meeting you), and Rich said the flow was down....
The tarp is up, and the water in the run was up about 5 or 6 steps at Turkey Roost. The water in the Eye has a bit of a greenish tinge, but is otherwise clear. Entering the gallery, I noticed that the flow was indeed down, and was able to SWIM through the Lips while carrying a stage! The visibility wasn't bad (40'-50', but not the usual crystal clear water on a "slack" day at Devil's). I made the jump to the Bone Line, to find the flow in that tunnel was way up compared to normal. The visibility in this area was down a bit (maybe 30'), with a fair amount of particulate in the water (reminded me more of Manatee than Devil's). Even after dropping the stage, I still found it necessary to do some pull and glide. After making the dog-leg near the White Room tunnel, I expected the flow would drop some, but found swimming upstream to be slow and tiring. Looked around at another jump, and then turned the dive. The ride back to the mainline was really quick (much faster than I've ever experienced in that section of cave. However, the trip back through Keyhole and the Lips actually required a bit of swimming! Which actually made a nice slow trip with time to look around in the gallery. Amazing how pretty that part of the cave really is when you slow down and look in some of the side swim-through's and formations--instead of pushing to a jump--or riding the flow out at flank speed!
Anyway, another fun day of diving--and more in store for tomorrow at the Mill Pond!

[Jim Wyatt]

Thanks for your report.

[BabyDuck]

yes, really nice report, a. thanks.

[FW]

Now I am curious. Where does the Bone room flow go, if not out through the Lips?

[hunabku]

Recirculating vortex


I'd like to know too. Thats an interesting system hydraulically

[MacLeod]

Now I am curious. Where does the Bone room flow go, if not out through the Lips?

Forrest,

I'm not sure exactly what is happening with the flow at that point. At the point where I tied in the jump reel to the main line there was a small amount of flow (lower than normal), but an increase in flow (heading towards the system exit) as I started to approach the permanent white line for the bone room. Pretty much a reverse of what I normally experience. I'm not sure if there is a bit of a reverse eddy current happening higher in the passage at the junction, as I was fairly low while running the jump line. I'm interested in hearing if anyone else notices this, or has a scientific explanation for the current water movement.

I do know that on entry, I was able to hover just above the lips prior to going through--and didn't need to pull my way through as normal...wish it was that easy more often! I will say that the flow coming through the Eye was just as strong as ever.... So maybe all of that water is taking a little different route.

[WEPIV]

Now I am curious. Where does the Bone room flow go, if not out through the Lips?

Bypass...?

[FW]

Bypass...?

Possibly. Maybe someone should dive the bypass, and see if the flow is up there.

[JamesK]

Possibly. Maybe someone should dive the bypass, and see if the flow is up there.

Did the bypass tunnels Sunday. Spent over 30 minutes playing in and around them and the Fuzzy Bunny tunnel. I did not notice anything out of the ordinary as it relates to flow.