Madison Blue - The Courtyard Dive

[Gregthecaver]

Thanks for all the replies guys.Is there are a good reason that a complete map of the system has not been made?

[Cindy]

There are two full maps of the system. There is also a team working there under permit that is pushing and mapping the cave now. I think Mike Poucher sells the map that Bruic made. Try contacting him at cavesurvery.com. Cindy

[CaptainSpeleo]

The dive that I've always enjoyed the most at Madison Blue was the swim to the Godzilla Room and then exiting it on the opposite and making the loop.

If you're comfortable with occasional tight, silty areas and are experienced with sidemounts, the swim down the Crossunder Tunnel to the deep section dropoff(p1000') is another good dive.

[Gregthecaver]

There are two full maps of the system. There is also a team working there under permit that is pushing and mapping the cave now. I think Mike Poucher sells the map that Bruic made. Try contacting him at cavesurvery.com. Cindy

Cindy,

When you say pushing and mapping does that mean that the two full maps arent "walled out" maps of the system?

Greg

[Cindy]

I think there is still line to be laid in that system. You may have to do many stages and or rebreather and any new line will be side mount. Cindy

[CaptainSpeleo]

I have to give a LOT of credit to the divers who made the connection between the Crossunder Tunnel dropoff and the Rocky Horror dropoff. That was a lot of passage to swim and survey, and without any exit point for thousands of feet. If you get a chance to see a map of all that passage that's not on the regular map, you'll understand what I mean.

[Squirrel Girl]

You may have to do many stages and or rebreather and any new line will be side mount. Cindy

A sidemounted rebreather??????

And now, for no reason associated with this post... I just wanna use this smilie I just saw:

[Moonfuzzy]

There was also one attempt made with Moonfuzzy that ended in us dropping the scooters in the middle of Rocky Horror because her scooter was too heavy, with "new and improved" batteries, as I recall. After swimming into the courtyard a ways, on the way out my HID failed...and had to exit on a backup(actually 2 of my 5 - I carry 5 since I dive solo a lot - held in the same hand) on the scooter. What a fun dive! If you want the play by play, look for a trip report that Moonfuzzy wrote....I believe it was about 3 years ago.

That was a very fun dive, but I think we had more than "3 Strikes" against us on that one!

Here is a link to the report Mike mentioned, goves some detail if you are planning a dive there:
http://cavediver.net/dive_reports/di....asp?DR_ID=291

[Cindy]

You may have to do many stages and or rebreather and any new line will be side mount. Cindy

A sidemounted rebreather??????

And now, for no reason associated with this post... I just wanna use this smilie I just saw:

Yes indeed, sidmount rebreathers! Three types , are currently in development. I just sold my D5 to Forrest and one to Mark. Sidemount rebreathers are being used in the UK. Also Brett Hemphill is putting on together and using it, I am sure it will eventually go commercial. I was actually checking out the Halcyon Rebreather the other day and thinking it could be mounted on one side with your bailout on the other. Personally I like diving where I can see things. If anything is going to leak I want to see the bubbles myself. Cute emoticon by the way! Cindy

[mpoucher]

When you say pushing and mapping does that mean that the two full maps arent "walled out" maps of the system?

Greg

The CDS has a map of Madison to about 6000 feet in the Courtyard and about 2000 feet downstream. Mike Bruic took that data and added the connections between the Courtyard and Crossunder, some of the other cross passages, and the downstream that Guy Bryant, Wayne Head, and others had been pushing back in the 90's. I don't sell either one since they aren't my maps. The CDS has one availalble on their website, but I don't remember if it has all the Courtyard.

Mike Poucher