Tytoona Cave-Arch Spring

[DES]

Hi Cavers,
I have been a long time lurker here and have enjoyed both informative posts as well as the comical ones.

I am intro cert'd and working on apprentice but due to changes at work I am having problems getting out of PA to quench my desire to dive North FL caves. Most days I just close my eyes and dream of seeing beautiful formations and the peacefullness riding the flow, then reality wakes me up and I realize that I am along way from cave country.
Which leads me to my search for day trip cave diving.

I have been reading about this system http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/3766/tytoona.html

The access info states

Cave diving without the express written consent of the Tytoona Cave Nature Preserve Management Committee is prohibited. (see Tytoona Cave Diving Policy Guidelines).

But there is no diving policy page. Looks like it is run by NSS?
I have written to the contacts but cant get anyone to return mails.

So,
Has anyone dived there since Roberta Swicegood tragidy?

Local grottos are kind of hush about diving there but most are dry cavers.

Any help or ideas for other local oppertunities would be greatly appreciated.

[OutlawCaver]

I personally knew Roberta. She was a true sump diver if I ever met one. She had little interest in diving the Florida springs although I am pretty sure she surveyed Little Devils. I was overwhelmed when I heard we lost her. It has almost been 20 years now.

I know very little about the Arch Spring system other then she claimed good viz was 20 feet and water temps were in the high 40s or low 50s.

Good luck and be careful in your pursuit.

Vince

[jhleech]

I found the policy off the NSS web site.

http://www.caves.org/preserves/tcp/mp-tcp.html


Tytoona Cave Diving Policy Guidelines:

In the past, Tytoona Cave has been off-limits to cave diving. The Management Committee will allow access to NSS cave divers providing that the diving policy guidelines are followed. These guidelines are as follows:

A letter of intent specifying reason, planned dive date, group size, experience, and participant credentials must be received by the Tytoona Cave Nature Preserve Director no later than 30 days prior to the planned dive.

All planned dives into Tytoona will be reviewed by the Tytoona Cave Nature Preserve Management Committee. The Committee reserves the right to accept or reject all diving requests unless told otherwise by the NSS Board of Governors.

Each diver must be certified NSS/CDS Full Cave or equivalent and should have sump diving experience or should be willing to be guided.

Each diver who qualifies under these guidelines must sign appropriate liability forms.

As part of the submitted dive plan, an appropriately trained and willing rescue dive team contact must be provided to the Committee. Availability will be confirmed by the Committee.

Approval or denial will be given to the person submitting the dive request at least seven (7) days prior to the proposed dive date. Management Committee members will be on-site at the time of the dive and reserve the right to call or abort the dive due to the condition of the cave, equipment or personnel.

Copies of photos, dive trip reports, accident reports, scientific study or survey data and any other documentation resultant from the dive must be provided to the Tytoona Cave Nature Preserve Director. Non-compliance on this point will result in denial of all future diving privileges at Tytoona.

[jason]

If memory serves, the only recently approved dives in Tytoona were to allow rescue/recovery divers the opportunity to learn the system in the event of a beyond-sump accident. Arch Spring is privately owned and the owners don't even want people looking at the spring, let alone asking to dive it. There is little hope of diving in Tytoona without some sort of research-oriented proposal - which I can't imagine being approved for an intro diver. The exploration opportunities are extremely technical, with a series of extremely deep phreatic loops, cold water, poor viz, and constricted passages. I don't mean to pee in your wheaties, but you're probably stuck in florida for a while.... Although, several people on the board speak highly of some mine diving up your way.

Jason

[DES]

Thanks, that kind of explains why everyone I talked to kind of clamed up about diving it.
Exploration was not one of my goals, as I promised not to do that at Intro level. Was just looking for a more local place to dive and practice.
Guess I will have to keep practicing in rusty old wrecks

I don't mean to pee in your wheaties, but you're probably stuck in florida for a while.... Although, several people on the board speak highly of some mine diving up your way.

Jason

If only I was stuck in Florida!,, do you have any info on mine diving?

[bullfrog]

Hey, Where are you in Pa? Anywhere near Altoona?

[Webmaster]

There are quite a few caves in PA, you should be able to find something suitable. I can think of several caves here in TN that could be reasonably used for practice where there are areas that are not completely water filled.

When talking to cavers in the area you might start out by about asking about wet caves to practice in rather than a full on dive site.