Manatee, Epic!

[floridabob]

We dove Manatee yesterday and it was beautiful.

Visibility was 60 at worst up till Friedmans (truthfully, I'm down-playing it....more like 70); 70 at the second sign and 80 plus at the T to Sheck's Mountain.

We spent about 25 minutes pulling out the 2 extra lines that had been run down that 800ish feet of tunnel to facilitate looking at a few leads. Brett went down one side of the T on the end and Matt and I went the other way...the left T that actually runs to The Mountain. Looks like a dead end Brett's way.

The other way looks like there might be passage around The Mountan. Now that extra line is out we can go back.

If any one goes there, we left what we believed to be Sheck's line as a 1' jump to a 45 foot tunnel that leads to a dead end at The Mountain. Just be aware it's now a jump and not a T and we left that line intentionally for nostalgia...despite its a bit older. Still in good shape, though.

We hauled butt out for a total dive time of 4hours 50 minutes. 140 feet per minute in and a bit faster out.

The Magnus would have made it the entire 15k feet, but I switched to a backup about 3200 feet from Friedmans to conserve...rebreather and backup scooter and a butt clipped 80 are some drag.

Scooters were dropped at the Mountain T.

Bob

[diveconjeff]

Epic dives ROCK! Thanks for sharing


Jeff
Diveconjeff@yahoo.com

[floridabob]

Yes they do.

I thought this would end my current obsession with Manatee but instead we bought a set of video lights from Light and Motion. Borrowed 21 watt HIDs and will be going back for some video!

Dammit!

I hope the conditions hold since we are headed to Key West first and I have a new scooter to get so it'll be at least 4 weeks.

Bob

[diveconjeff]

...
Dammit!
I hope the conditions hold since we are headed to Key West first and I have a new scooter to get so it'll be at least 4 weeks...

I feel so bad for you.

Going to be a bit longer for me thanks to my friendly shoulder doc ...

So please post some video to help me make through the dry period

[apitkin]

Attachment 10696

Here is what we've been up to at Manatee. Big team effort to get all the known cave passage surveyed. There are still some side passages that need to be done, but all the main conduit is surveyed. The team includes, but not exclusively, Mike Poucher (head honcho), Brett Hemphill, Matt Vinzant, Charlie Roberson, Bob Beckner, Bob Schulte and numerous other helpers. Special thanks also to Casey McKinlay and Blake Wilson who dropped some safeties in for us when we were cleaning up the most distant parts of the Spring and Syphon Tunnels.

There should be a nice new map at some stage.

[Zinc]

Awesome, well done guys!

Thank you for sharing - Brandon

[scottj]

So what does it look like that far back? Low and silty or ending in a rubble pile? Also what is the max depth? Incredible dives guys and thanks for the work.

[w ripley]

Heard the main spring was blown. Glad you made your dive. That's a long dive by anyone's standards.

[floridabob]

That map will be a "must have" if you ask me.

Dang Ghost Fleet trip.

[floridabob]

Scott--some of the other guys will have to jump in to answer your question as it relates to passage down the siphon T, I have not been there yet. Next trip for me.

As for most of the cave from Friedman's back to the terminal room of Sheck's line, its very good size. Where the line Ts (where we started pulling out the three lines) there is nearly 40 feet from floor to ceiling. It has some small spots, but nothing that requires a "shimmy" move.

Very nice formations in the floor and walls, too.

Worth the trip!

Bob