Blue Spring, Orange City

[roguediver]

I live 10 minutes from it but have never dove it.

[Superlyte27]

Who dives Blue Spring, in Orange City???

I dive it once or twice a year. It's 20 minutes from my house.

[corvettejoe]

Let me know what you guys do and I will work to get you reimbursed for out of pocket expenses for the project. I have new Grim Reaper signs too.

Thanks Jim!
It just needs to be the same size as the original sign (as the bracket was built for).

You can run over the base and brackets with a truck and it wouldn't bat an eye.
I designed it so that if/when the sign wore out or got vandalized, it would be easy to replace it without having to make a new one.

I never explained the sign design either anywhere I don't think...

I built it to solve a problem the old one had. The old one's mount caused cave damage, but because of the configuration of the cave entrance, there weren't many other places to put it. Also I kept in mind that it is one of the first things a new open water diver will do....go dive Blue Springs (orange city) and get a picture with the sign! (I have pics with it, all my new at the time OW friends did it, etc)...so it needed to be picture friendly still for open water people.... but still serve it's main purpose of warning you of the cave dangers... It now sits freely and does not damage anything.

so... I built it with concrete reinforced with with rebar. I included two large u-bolts on the rear so that cavers could have a tie off point (since there's nothing down there to tie off to). I got to see it in use once, and was happy to see people using it as intended.

The main brackets are angled aluminum bent at an angle with reinforcing pieces in the bends. It's sturdy enough that the brackets could be picked up and hold the concrete up. I think we calculated the weight at about 300lbs. It was fun getting it down there.

I made it at home and after curing for a week, we called the park and they let us in an hour before park hours opened, and then closed off the spring area until we were done. (we had lots of lift bags and rope all in the opening). The sign placement I had originally wanted was on the left ledges around 55-60ft. Still visible to OW divers for photos, etc and warning them clearly of what's ahead... but as we were about to place it, Tegg found a better position for it about 70ft, just where the gravel bottom was and off to the right side. It's in the perfect spot for tie offs, and OW divers can still safely see it (though it's just now barely under the overhead... I wouldn't advise OW people to go where it is, but then again, it's there to tell OW people to not go past it, and they go down all in there anyway).

I visited it almost a year later and while the concrete was covered in algae, the metal had only surface crud on it. Once I scraped it off, the metal was fine and didn't appear to be corroding any. The sign was still strong and firmly placed (it takes a lot to move it, its heavier and more laterally seated than a concrete bucket style sign). The sign at the time I visited it was in great shape, but someone had scratched out the organization names off the bottom of the sign, and someone else had scratched their names on one edge, but it was algae free and easy to see still.

I was hoping to use this design to replace some others that were worn out and/or needed replacing once I saw how this one performed.
The angle of the brackets could be bent to accommodate any angle of the sign for that particualar cave's floor where it was placed.

Then I heard a few months later it was torn off the brackets and just haven't had time to get back there to do anything about it.

Tegg and I were planning to do the repairs, but we just need a new sign and to schedule it into our calendars to do so.

[corvettejoe]

After finishing reading all the comments... lets plan a dive!

The nice thing about Blue Springs is you can get a nice full dive in and out before noon. Bring wheeled carts and chain locks for said carts (lots of rednecks).
It's only a cavern, but pretty cool to look at if you haven't done it before. I still enjoy this spring. The spring run is really pretty too, full of wildlife.

[Tegg]

I will discuss my ideas for a more permanent solution. It will include some steps to reduce the possible vandalism such as what has taken place thus far.

[corvettejoe]

I will discuss my ideas for a more permanent solution. It will include some steps to reduce the possible vandalism such as what has taken place thus far.

But how are we going to get the high voltage lines down there?

[Tegg]

The poison spear darts should help... Although the high voltage lines would last longer... hrrmmmm

[FW]

Do they make underwater game cameras?

[corvettejoe]

Do they make underwater game cameras?

THERE'S an idea!

We can run some power lines for the camera off the electrical shock lines wrapped around the sign that also power the blow dart guns and video the fun

This "improved sign" is getting better and better...

[Ken Hill]

I posted the below ten years ago. The sign base was weighted so as to preclude someone using it as weight, tied to a rope, then tossed into the vent in order for someone to achieve Darwin Award status. The last victim there used a bucket of cement. /K


BLUE SPRING ORANGE CITY KEN HILL 08/02/2003 22:53 About ten years ago an individual attempted to get past the cork rock and suceeded to a depth of 140ffw. He used a rope with a weight attached and lost his grip on the rope. /// Said individual was pinned beneath the cork rock with a broken back from the force of the out flow. The late Henry Nicholson at great risk to himself, freed his remains by cutting his harness with a tree saw. //// Currently the curious are treated to free flows and loss of masks. Merely swimming over it has produced instant ascents from 120ffw to the dome at 80ffw. There have been many AGE's there according to Volusia County Sheriff. This is the major reason it is against park rules to dive beyond the rock. /// This system is changing in character all the time. The cork rock is becoming smaller and the vents fore and aft of it are becoming larger. Some day who knows, but not now. /Ken