Ginnie 8/3 & 8/4

[diveconjeff]

Ok, so it was pretty crowded... and the water is rising.

But the diving was pretty darn good once in the cave. Never came across another diver. Dove Sweet Surprise on Friday night. Water was a bit hazy at first , but kept getting clearer and was awesome by the time I entered SS. I tied off the taxi and thoroughly enjoyed a nice leisurely swim checking out some of the passage on the right hand side as you enter SS. The swim was slow and unhurried. Putting my recently upgraded light to good use leaving very few nooks and crannies with at least some momentary illumination. The dive was perfect except for one thing.

It was really hot and humid. Apparently, that can cause sweat, which in turn can cause certain adhesives to release. Which in turn can lead to a plumbing failure ... and finally lead to a really cold deco. Still an awesome dive even with the extra cleanup required.

Returning Saturday night, I entered the park an hour after sunset in an attempt to escape some of the heat & humidity. Not! However, I did alter my prep to maximize my chances of successful adhesion. Enjoyed the benefits of the extra efforts.

The river had risen another 12-18 inches in 24 hours. Campers were running around like ants looking for high ground. There were even tents in the pasture by the Ginnie gate

For my efforts, I was rewarded with another great dive and a reminder of how diverse Ginnie is. Only been diving there ten years, yet was rewarded once again with an new to me unmarked jump a ways past stage bottle rock. Using my recently upgraded light, I was able to see hints that called me away from the main line . Once again, eagerly I secured my taxi and stage bottle, tied in and set off to see new to me cave. It was pretty clear this area is not often traveled. After a few low dusty bits, the line took a hard turn straight up. So if you've been here, you should know where I am taking about. Using the mantra "slow is pro" I followed the passage and had a blast.

Already looking forward to my next trip.



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