Alachua Sink

[Diverlee]

Looking for a guide for Alachua Sink. Thanks .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Draker]

Good luck.

[Diverlee]

There used to be several.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kelly Jessop]

There are quite a few and they are always accommodating,see the CDS web site. Conditions can be questionable it there is a lot of rain since this is a swallet.

[Diverlee]

Thanks Kelly. 😃


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Draker]

If you'd like, send me a PM and I'll give you a run down of who will actually dive with you, who will schedule and not show up, who will cancel a day or two before the dive, who won't return an email request, who doesnt live in the state, who is medically unable to dive, and who will require a checkout dive in Peacock first.

You will hear excuses about too much rain, not enough rain, poor visibility, cold water and dark water.

You will be lucky to get a return phone call or email.

There are a few great guides and active divers who will make an effort to take you diving...and then there are others who are not as responsive.

Also, expect to hear that Alachua is not intended to be dove for fun and is for scientific research purposes only.

IMO, the NSS really dropped the ball when they asked the CDS to "manage" this site.

As I said, good luck.

[Diverlee]

Thanks. I did find a reliable person. Have dove with him before.
I do know what your saying. 😏


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kelly Jessop]

You will hear excuses about too much rain, not enough rain, poor visibility, cold water and dark water.
.

Sounds like you've had a bad experience,sorry to hear. I won't make excuses but the reasons given to not dive the system are accurate. Alachua is a swallet,which is natures storm drain which drains off surface water during rains, which blows out the system. This results in cold,dark ,tannic water which makes for an unpleasant dive,and marginally safe. Frequently there are times when you have to swim in a zero viz basin,and zero viz cave for 200ft before you encounter some viz,which is not a safe dive for a first timer. It is a great dive,and unlike Ginnie where we always expect it to be clear,Alachua is very finicky ,lately has been bad versus good.

[Sly-vester]

They will say its a science only dive because it is, that is dictated by the NSS. Guides can usually find some science to do there. The site has poor visibility normally this time of year, and especially after lots of rain because it does. That is just the way the site is. A recent vis report from last week end wasn't good. The Guides are overseen by the Alachua Sink Guide Committee. Guides can't charge, carry no insurance, and are not required to special training to lead dives.

[Draker]

Kelly, please let me know when you are available to dive the site. I'm not turned off by cold, dark or tannic water in a cave. I've dove the site several times already and my reason for wishing to dive it again is so that I might petition to become a guide there myself.
My primary gripe with the current list of guides, is that very few are ever available or willing to actual guide.
If guiding at the site is not fun or something they are willing or able to do, they should step down.
I'm not sure why we have a guide for Alachua who lives in TX and when I contacted him in Feb of this year he explained that he was not medically fit to dive.
There is a guide listed who has not dove at all in at least a year. Due to a medical condition.
Another who will not even respond to a request to dive. And prob does not dive much any more anyway.
Several others who will placate your requests with "when the conditions get better".
I realize that this is an advanced site and I realize that these guides can't charge and I very much appreciate the time and effort that it takes to take a "stranger" diving, but if the current list of guides is not active, willing or wanting, then something has to change.
When I discussed my interest in becoming a guide with the property manager, I was informed that he felt there were already plenty of guides to fulfill the current need. I disagree as I have made numerous attempts with multiple guides over the past 8 months and have yet to dive the site this year.