Rain/Flood seasons

[deafcavetechdiver]

Hey everybody!

On Thanksgiving weekend, diving at Ginnie Springs was awesome and beautiful. My instructor mentioned this to me last May. The best time of the year for the cave divings was November. Last May, there was a flood at Peacock Springs two weeks before I arrived. There was a slight tannic but the viz was still good. Considered it was luck.

I am from Chicagoland. I was thinking about coming down there in March 2006 but I am concerning about the rainy/flood season. Can you tell me if March was good for the caving diving?

Let me know!
Thanks, Michael

[CaptainSpeleo]

Flood times are not written in stone. It all depends on the amount of snow melt from up north and how much it rains in "cave country". The rivers can flood pretty much any time of the year. Your best bet is to check the cave conditions a week or so before you plan a trip down here.

[Jordan]

You can always find a place to go cave diving here. Floods won't affect the Mill Pond and they actually open up places to dive that aren't diveable during dry times. Just plan your trip for whenever and come - we'll find you a hole to throw you in

[IowaCaveDiver]

I certainly agree with Jordan... I've been down to NFL every march for the past several years and usually had good dives, although a few times had some close calls as some sites reversed or flooded just a day or two after my diving ended. But as he mentioned, the mill pond seems to always have decent diving if not above acceptional most of the year no matter what conditions. Jackson Blue is definatly a cave worth visiting if you've never been.... very Ginnie like and crystal clear high flow water. I think caves of that area are slowly starting to grow in popularity now that gas is readily available (and cheap) in that area. I had always headed to Ginnie/peacock areas on my trips but now have fallen in love with the more northern ares... check it out! Drop me a note when you come, i'd love to go for a dive now that i'm moving to tallahassee.

-Matt

[deafcavetechdiver]

Hey Capt., Jordan and Matt!

Thanks for your feedbacks!

Sounded like that I should not worry about the floods. Yes, I would check the cave conditions on this website.

I didn't think there is any snow in southern states like up here in Chicago.

If any place is flooded, there are still alternatives I can go like Mill Pond or Jackson Blue you mentioned. One guy kept telling me about it. Why, it was no wonder that he became a park ranger so he can dive there frequently.

Matt, I will drop you a note as soon as I get down there. Congrats to you for a new job in Tallahassee. FYI, it gets colder up here! Shucks!

Michael

[curtschu]

Flood times are not written in stone. It all depends on the amount of snow melt from up north and how much it rains in "cave country". The rivers can flood pretty much any time of the year. Your best bet is to check the cave conditions a week or so before you plan a trip down here.

Snow???? Where is there snow that effect NFL caves? The head waters of the Suwannee river is the OKEFENOKEE in Southern GA. last I checked they don't get much snow. The Floods the last couple of years have been the result of either days of rain in south GA. or a Hurricane.
You can look at the weather there and then look at this website and judge when the river is going to flood the springs.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/serfc/ahps/RVFFL.htm
http://www.srwmd.state.fl.us/water+d...ver+levels.asp


Curt

[deafcavetechdiver]

Curt...I totaly agreed with you.

Captain, I don't want to offend you. I had seen burst and flashed floods at Missouri Caves because of high elevations and melt snow from north. It looked scary than in Florida.

Michael