Upstream Manatee - how to move in the flow?

[brianstclair]

Dove Manatee upstream yesterday with my buddy (viz 15-25') and I was curious what techniques you all have tried to move against that flow? I didn't see many places to pull - the bottom for the most part looked like sand and some clay - and the viz plus the fact that I'm not very familiar with the cave yet made me want to stay fairly close to the line. Any good places to get out of the flow? Ceiling walking where the ceiling was a little lower and near where it met the floor seemed to work a little.

We only went in maybe two or three hundred feet and my buddy turned on thirds (intro diver on a single tank). I've heard that once you get past a certain point the flow dies down a little? Is that true?

Just curious to see how you guys approach the first couple hundred feet of that cave. It looks pretty big, by the way - I'm looking forward to more dives in there!

Brian

[FW]

Sheck Exley had published a list of propulsion techniques for various caves. IIRC, the one for that part of Manatee was called "groveling". Basicallly you stuck both hands down in the sand, and pulled yourself forward like "pull and glide". His concept was, the current would move the silt so fast that it wouldn't be a problem.

I suspect that technique would be frowned on today for conservation reasons.

[Cave Ranger]

I dove that stretch of Catfish Hotel for the first time last August. The conditions were the same as you described. Strong flow, 15 feet of viz and a lot of particulates. By the time we got to Sue Sink we were pretty winded. Once you get to Sue Sink though you can catch a breather out of the flow behind the Debris cone. I'm not sure after that as that is as far as I've been.
Your right. Pull and Glide isn't much of an option.
Your reward though is a fun ride out with the flow, neutrally bouyant and flying like Superman through a tunnel. WooHoo!!

[mpoucher]

Flow in Manatee is almost always high, but it seems particulalry high right now. Its tidally influenced and high tides reduce the flow a little. You can get out of the flow in some places by getting behind columns or in alcoves, but it takes a few dives to learn them. The flow reduces some once you pass the sewer tunnel (about p.1700') and again when you pass the Milk Tunnel (about p. 2700'). The worst spots are at Sue Sink and coming up on Friedman's Sink. We were in a couple weeks ago and we were being blown all over the passage as we rounded corners due to the flow.

[John L.]

My first dive at Manatee was a miserable experience. I too, was not familier with the system, and wanted to keep the line in sight, but I encountered the same thing, light scalloping of the walls, no hand holds and the darkness ate up my HID light. We went in at Catfish, and we made it a few hundred feet past Friedmans, but I was winded as hell at times, and had a CO2 headache from hell after the dive. The guy I was with who was familier with the cave was doing the sand dig on the bottom, and I too resorted to that also. At Sue's sink, I was literally thrown backward down the debris cone. I was a negative as I could get, scratching and clawing trying to put on the brakes. And when you get back to Catfish, you have to walk a mile to get back to your vehicle. Fun stuff. I am getting my scooter lessons next week, and I will tackle it again with it.

[JE]

We would enter @ Friedman's & swim downstream with the flow to Catfish, or upstream against it, but it seemed a lot easier from there.

JE

[aw]

If the flow is always a problem in Manatee, why can't we add a poor man's scooter (pull rope) up to Sue's sink like we did in Cow?

I know it's unorthodox and some will say we need to learn the cave, etc. etc. But I do think it would make the dive more fun, esp when you're not doing 15 dives there to "learn" the cave in the next number of weeks. It would also reduce the temptation for those not real familiar with the system to just enter at Friedman's and fly downstream. One of them "trust me" kind of things.

[jpdiver]

are scooters allowed at Manatee?

[John L.]

If the flow is always a problem in Manatee, why can't we add a poor man's scooter (pull rope) up to Sue's sink like we did in Cow?

.

Now that's a real good idea.

[ARY]

I suspect that technique would be frowned on today for conservation reasons.

What's wrong with scooping? Flow and mud should heal the damage fast i would think. Also it is the only method to bail out from syphon in Catfish if you need it. Too bad you still can scoop a broken glass though...

Scooters are ok in Manatee as far as i know but the section between Satfish and Spring not suitable for vehicles.