Falmouth Spring

[jpdiver]

I want to try diving Falmouth next week (on a light mix). According to the report on this site, it appears to be in fairly good condition. But the cave condition report also says "closed to access". Is it closed to cave diving? It certainly has easy access to the spring.

[Gary]

No one had a problem with us diving it last year (or was it the year before).

[traveler]

There's no sign indicating Falmouth is closed to diving, and I've been in a few times this year without problem. However, several weeks ago I was at the nearby Suwannee River State Park, chatting with the ranger, and when I mentioned I was heading over to Falmouth for a dive he said something like "Isn't that closed to diving? I thought they shut it down when that guy drowned last year." Honestly, I'm not sure what the real story is, or where to seek an authoritative answer.

p.s. The line is in pretty good shape between there and Cathedral now, with poly running most of the way and superfluous lines removed. There's a few spots where it's buried for 10ft or less that could stand to be patched, but not until you get out around Aquarius and beyond.

[Kelly Jessop]

I want to try diving Falmouth next week (on a light mix). According to the report on this site, it appears to be in fairly good condition. But the cave condition report also says "closed to access". Is it closed to cave diving? It certainly has easy access to the spring.

Should be open with viz around 20ft +/- I recommend taking a lot of gap reels since their are sections of line that are buried that are longer than a person's reach.

[Cindy]

Falmouth is a County Park and is not open for cave diving. However there are rarely people there and the locals just ignore us. Mid week when less people use the area is best. In the winter you can pretty much just go if the gate is open. Don't cause an incident and you won't have any problems. It's a lot like Charles Spring, no one really cares so they don't make an issue. Todd Leonard and his crew just repaired the line between Falmouth and Cathedral. They are working in that area now so please allow them to work if they are there. We have relined the Cathedral System from the river to the Horror Hole. We are all trying to meet in the middle and make a connection into Edwards. We hope to make the system a little safer with this effort and improve the knowledge of this wonderful cave system. Cindy Butler Karst Terrain Explorations.

[Gary]

When we went we checked the sign and asked the ranger and both said: go ahead.

[Bill Rotella]

I want to try diving Falmouth next week (on a light mix). According to the report on this site, it appears to be in fairly good condition. But the cave condition report also says "closed to access". Is it closed to cave diving? It certainly has easy access to the spring.

How about a dive report when you're done, I'm heading up that way in a couple of weeks.

Bill Rotella

[John L.]

I dove Falmouth last week, and the visibility was closer to 40 feet. It's real dark in there like manatee, and it eats up your light, but while my buddy was closing a 3 foot gap in the line, I hovered up near the ceiling, and I could see him perfectly from way up at the ceiling. We were diving 32%, so we had to turn the dive on depth. But the vis was suprisingly clear.

[Kelly Jessop]

. Todd Leonard and his crew just repaired the line between Falmouth and Cathedral. They are working in that area now so please allow them to work if they are there. .

That is good news because it sure has been needed to be done. I hope the line can be placed off the floor so keep it from getting under mounds of silt from flooding events.

[Cindy]

When I read Gary's post about this area being open to diving I emailed the man in Charge of Public Use of the spring. I knew what Gary said was wrong but I wanted to check and make sure so I emailed Mr McCook. He just emailed me back. Falmouth is NOT open for either open water diving or cave diving. If you dive there do so with the understanding that it is against the wishes of SRWM and you can be arrested for trespassing. Now it has not happened yet but if someone does say something please just leave and don't give them a hard time. They don't have a ranger at the current time. The ranger Gary spoke to either was lost or a trash guy. They have the Sherrif patrol the area and now and then the DEP people. You won't get away with the open waterway argument there.
Cindy Butler