Intro / Apprentice / Cave 1 Caves in Florida

[CaveSloth]

Let's try this a different way...

Most cave divers seem to agree that these cave sites are good for newly certified cave divers:

• Peacock Main / Orange Grove
• Little River
• Madison Blue
• Jackson Blue / Hole in the Wall / Twin
• Devil's Ear / Eye

Are there ANY other caves in Florida that are good for beginning cave divers? Not that the above aren't "enough". I am just curious and interested!

[Kelly Jessop]

Let's try this a different way...

Most cave divers seem to agree that these cave sites are good for newly certified cave divers:

• Peacock Main / Orange Grove
• Little River
• Madison Blue
• Jackson Blue / Hole in the Wall / Twin
• Devil's Ear / Eye

Are there ANY other caves in Florida that are good for beginning cave divers? Not that the above aren't "enough". I am just curious and interested!

I will differ a little bit from your list. Orange Grove may be not a great choice for newly certified cave divers, because the passage has narrow floor to ceiling height. This passage used to have loose silt on the floor, but now there are litany of hand prints/gouge marks on the floor, as well as abraded areas on the ceiling, which suggests it is a challenge for people to traverse this passage with neutral buoyancy. In some areas of the passage there is goethite, which is fragile, and needs caution. I would recommend getting proficient in other mainline Peacock passages,before moving to OG.

I would add Manatee to your list

[JahJahwarrior]

On SB it was pointed out that Manatee will get you into deco faster, and has sometimes lower viz, but I have fond memories of some intro dives there. The drag is getting there an hour before they open to ensure you can dive. And now you need to be careful not to go downstream of catfish hotel.

I think you need to ask your instructor for recommendations on how to approach new caves, and be ready to call a dive early on, if a cave turns out to not be a good environment for you. Asking the internet you'll get various opinions, what is comfortable and safe for some people is not for others, and many of us have forgotten our intro days.

I did a heck of a lot of mainline only intro dives at ginnie after shutting down the office when I started at intro, and I never got bored. Almost a decade later and I'll gladly join you for a mainline intro dive, it will be fun for me still. Same for peacock and little river and Madison. Dont worry too much about your list, just go and dive and you'll start to get real world experience to build your own list from your experience and talking to divers in person. And there will be times that you dive a cave and call the dive 5 minutes in, but when you return a few months and dives later, you find its enjoyable and safe, whether because the cave conditions changed, or you did.

[Brent]

On SB it was pointed out that Manatee will get you into deco faster, and has sometimes lower viz, but I have fond memories of some intro dives there. The drag is getting there an hour before they open to ensure you can dive. And now you need to be careful not to go downstream of catfish hotel.

I think you need to ask your instructor for recommendations on how to approach new caves, and be ready to call a dive early on, if a cave turns out to not be a good environment for you. Asking the internet you'll get various opinions, what is comfortable and safe for some people is not for others, and many of us have forgotten our intro days.

I did a heck of a lot of mainline only intro dives at ginnie after shutting down the office when I started at intro, and I never got bored. Almost a decade later and I'll gladly join you for a mainline intro dive, it will be fun for me still. Same for peacock and little river and Madison. Dont worry too much about your list, just go and dive and you'll start to get real world experience to build your own list from your experience and talking to divers in person. And there will be times that you dive a cave and call the dive 5 minutes in, but when you return a few months and dives later, you find its enjoyable and safe, whether because the cave conditions changed, or you did.

Excellent comments! Nothing more to add. Lets go diving!

[CaveSloth]

Thanks y'all!

[CaveSloth]

I know y'all are sick of my lists and if it aggravates you I invite you to just ignore me but here were the sites that I had thought might make good beginner cave dives, just want to double check with you... are we sure none of these are ever going to be easy / fun / safe for the beginning cave diver?

• Bozel Spring
• Ebro Blue
• Lafayette (Blue Spring)
• Lafayette (Green Sink)
• Lineater / Stevenson
• Telford
• Wakulla (Clearcut Sink)
• Wakulla (Emerald Sink)

If we are sure none of the above are recommendable to the beginning cave diver, are these the recommended caves for someone with full cave certification or someone who was ready to go beyond the core sites or would others be more appropriate?

[twaldo]

I would add Manatee to your list

I disagree, as for all effective purposes a new cave diver, I find Manatee above my skill level... minimally go with someone who is familiar with it... The one dive I did there with someone else was enjoyable, the one dive I did there by myself was terrifying. Flow had a LOT to do with both dives.

As far as Little River, I just don't get a lot of return on investment diving there, I blow through gas so quickly due to the flow.. I LOVED Little River as a cavern dive though.

Yes, flow really affects my dives at this point.

[rddvet]

I disagree, as for all effective purposes a new cave diver, I find Manatee above my skill level... minimally go with someone who is familiar with it... The one dive I did there with someone else was enjoyable, the one dive I did there by myself was terrifying. Flow had a LOT to do with both dives.

As far as Little River, I just don't get a lot of return on investment diving there, I blow through gas so quickly due to the flow.. I LOVED Little River as a cavern dive though.

Yes, flow really affects my dives at this point.

I always liked little river. I now love little river because of scooters.


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[Jim Wyatt]

I learned to cave dive in Little River -- mid 1970's -- great cave. You learn how to dive high flow in Little River or you don't make it to Table Rock.

We camped out there for days in a row and Dale Stones' dive shop was just a few miles away.

As an 18-20 year old we always enjoyed the local girls who frequented the swimming hole, especially after hours...

[Brent]

I learned to cave dive in Little River -- mid 1970's -- great cave. You learn how to dive high flow in Little River or you don't make it to Table Rock.

We camped out there for days in a row and Dale Stones' dive shop was just a few miles away.

As an 18-20 year old we always enjoyed the local girls who frequented the swimming hole, especially after hours...

We all want to know; what was it that you "enjoyed" with the local girls??