Emerald Sink, 'Good Ole Boy' system alive and well

[diveongas]

I noticed the Emerald Sink January 20 workday/social in the Events forum. I read it, planning on being there. Then I read the following in Mr. Kelly Jessop's post:

"For those that attend and wish to apply to dive, they may do so at the end of the workday by completing a diver application. These applications will be submitted to the Emerald Sink Advisory Panel for review during its quarterly review of all qualified applicants. To qualify, you will need to have copies of the following to be submitted with your application: Full cave certification, trimix certification, and proof of 100 full cave dives. "

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HE TALKING ABOUT? The officers at the park (STATE PARK) get to decide who dives there, if and when, they feel like making a decision. Do they stop regular visitors at the park entrance and say, "here's an application, in 3~4 months we'll decide if we want to let you in."

Are the park officals wkp-ers? Is this Advisory Board made up of state-paid employees? This could be ALOT of FUN.

NO other FLORIDA STATE PARK has any such nonsense requirements. Why should open water divers be barred from using the surface pool. THEIR TAXES are paying for it and also the park's staff who are clearly stepping over their boundaries.

I JUST CAN'T WAIT until Karl, aka Genesis, reads MR. Jessop's post.

Maybe it's time to stop this train before it even starts rolling. I personally meet all of the requirements as described, but it would not be right to enjoy access to a facilty that is denied to others that are paying for it.

I hope to be there JAN. 20th and get one of these so-called applications. In particular, I'd like to know the name of the park authority implementing them.

I plan to retire soon, and will have lots of time on my hands. I've always wanted to "fight" the "good fight." Perhaps I can just fill the Emerald Sink in with paper from challenges. I'd rather nobody dive there than to limit it to just a few park-selected elitists.

[Kelly Jessop]

I noticed the Emerald Sink January 20 workday/social in the Events forum. I read it, planning on being there. Then I read the following in Mr. Kelly Jessop's post:

"For those that attend and wish to apply to dive, they may do so at the end of the workday by completing a diver application. These applications will be submitted to the Emerald Sink Advisory Panel for review during its quarterly review of all qualified applicants. To qualify, you will need to have copies of the following to be submitted with your application: Full cave certification, trimix certification, and proof of 100 full cave dives. "

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HE TALKING ABOUT? The officers at the park (STATE PARK) get to decide who dives there, if and when, they feel like making a decision. Do they stop regular visitors at the park entrance and say, "here's an application, in 3~4 months we'll decide if we want to let you in."

Are the park officals wkp-ers? Is this Advisory Board made up of state-paid employees? This could be ALOT of FUN.

NO other FLORIDA STATE PARK has any such nonsense requirements. Why should open water divers be barred from using the surface pool. THEIR TAXES are paying for it and also the park's staff who are clearly stepping over their boundaries.

I JUST CAN'T WAIT until Karl, aka Genesis, reads MR. Jessop's post.

Maybe it's time to stop this train before it even starts rolling. I personally meet all of the requirements as described, but it would not be right to enjoy access to a facilty that is denied to others that are paying for it.

I hope to be there JAN. 20th and get one of these so-called applications. In particular, I'd like to know the name of the park authority implementing them.

I plan to retire soon, and will have lots of time on my hands. I've always wanted to "fight" the "good fight." Perhaps I can just fill the Emerald Sink in with paper from challenges. I'd rather nobody dive there than to limit it to just a few park-selected elitists.

This project to open up diving at Emerald was a joint effort of 5 agencies and the DEP. Emerald was purchased by the state as an environmental buffer,not to be used for recreational purposes. With the hard work of quite a few people recreational access was obtained with stipulations from the park system on accessing the sink. The stipulations were that an individual wanting to dive here had to meet the qualifications which are defined as full cave,trimix card,and proof of 100 cave dives,and these names are placed on a list that the park keeps so when someone wants to dive there the park just references it. Sorry no good ole boy system here,quite simply if you have the documents then you get on the list as requested by the park. Actually in every way possible this has been made to be easy,and a request for documentation has been placed out there so we can get people in to enjoy this place,because the whole purpose of this project was to get another system open for the cave diving community. I am just one person of this panel,and I posted things on the forums at their request,but any complaints or you feel the need for a "good fight" you should please also feel free to direct to Jason Ottinger,Larry Green,Lamar Hires,Jarrod Jablonski,Greg Flanagan,and Lamar English. In reference to why they didn't open the surface pool for diving. You need to contact Sandy Cook park manager of Wakulla springs state park about that,but more likely the answer to that is they opened Cherokee springs down the road for that purpose. I am sorry you feel some impropriety is occuring,but there has been some hard working volunteers and donors that have seen this project through a long and tenuous path,and in appreciation we are having a cookout social,and getting helping to get people signed up to dive. I hope you come,and most importantly,lets go diving.

[ARY]

...I plan to retire soon, and will have lots of time on my hands. I've always wanted to "fight" the "good fight." Perhaps I can just fill the Emerald Sink in with paper from challenges. ..

I think there are a lot of other objects for that kinda challange brother. Wanna fight then fight Walmart coming into reality in Alachua to destroy the caves and local peoples life. Johnny came with initiative and worked on pushing it, Kelly was organizing building efforts, this was and is a fight.

I've heard there will be another volunteers effort this weekend on NSS-CDS owned historic site, and that is where i'm personally planning to go.

[Kelly Jessop]

...I plan to retire soon, and will have lots of time on my hands. I've always wanted to "fight" the "good fight." Perhaps I can just fill the Emerald Sink in with paper from challenges. ..

I think there are a lot of other objects for that kinda challange brother. Wanna fight then fight Walmart coming into reality in Alachua to destroy the caves and local peoples life. Johnny came with initiative and worked on pushing it, Kelly was organizing building efforts, this was and is a fight.

I've heard there will be another volunteers effort this weekend on NSS-CDS owned historic site, and that is where i'm personally planning to go.

Ary it was a privledge to work with you one weekend at Emerald,nothing like getting to know somebody when you're elbow to elbow in the mud
I wish I could join you at Cathedral this weekend,but anymore I come down to Florida with a schedule of things to do,and lunch is probably not on it. Please report how the build went if you get a chance.

[johnnyrichards]

I noticed the Emerald Sink January 20 workday/social in the Events forum. I read it, planning on being there. Then I read the following in Mr. Kelly Jessop's post......

If you really want a good fight, let's get moving on getting Sally Ward and Wakulla Springs proper opened for diving. Presently a total of 97 divers have the exclusive right to dive these and other systems by "scientific permit". Science apparently includes setting world penetration records- with the assistance of an overload of support divers- on taxpayers' money.

That's an injustice worth the effort.

Emerald required a ton of effort to open and it's likely that some of the present limitations will be relaxed once we- the cave community- establish that we can behave in a responsible fashion. Let's do so.

If you are up for the Sally Ward/Wakulla Springs fight, let me know. I'm in and we don't need the Emerald Panel's consent to begin working on it.

Johnny

[temrich]

I am new to Florida, and to Cave diving(Full Cave-Aug. 2005). I am willing to fight for anything that is cave related, be it the WalMart fight, or Wakulla Springs. Sign me up!!! p.s. where is Emerald Spring? I would love to come and work for the future privilage of diving there. Travis

[Kelly Jessop]

p.s. where is Emerald Spring? I would love to come and work for the future privilage of diving there. Travis

Thanks Travis,we could use all the help we could get,and I think you meet some good people and have some fun. Emerald is south of Tallahassee.
Here are directions:
Directions to Emerald Sink

Traveling from the East:

Take US 27 toward Perry
In Perry Take US 98 toward St. Marks
Turn right at the intersection of US 98 and Hwy 319 (Crawfordville Hwy)
Head Toward Tallahassee Go through the town of Crawfordville
After passing the Leon Sinks Geological Site, look for New Light Church Road on your left
Make left onto New Light Church Road
Just after turning left, the Entrance to Emerald will be on the left side of the road. The gate will be Open drive to parking area.

Traveling from the West:

Take I-10 West toward Tallahassee
Take First Quincy Exit for SR 267 (Bloxham Cutoff Road) Turn right
after exiting onto SR 267. Keep heading toward Wakulla Springs State
Park Turn left onto Hwy 319 (Crawfordville Hwy) Head Toward
Tallahassee Go through the town of Crawfordville
After passing the Leon Sinks Geological Site, look for New Light Church Road on your left
Make left onto New Light Church Road
Just after turning left the Entrance to Emerald will be on the left side of the road. The Gate will be Open drive to parking area.

Traveling from the North:

Take I-75 South
Take I-10 West toward Tallahassee
Take the Second Tallahassee Exit Hwy 319 (Capital Circle)
Make right after exiting and drive toward the Airport
At the second intersection past Tallahassee Regional Airport, turn right at the intersection of Capital Circle and Hwy 319 (Crawfordville Hwy)

Head Toward Crawfordville After passing the Wakulla Springs Road and Crawfordville Hwy intersection, look for New Light Church Road on your right

Make right onto New Light Church Road Just after turning right,
the Entrance to Emerald will be on the left side of the road. The Gate will be Open drive to parking area.

Traveling from the South:

Take US 19/ Alt 27 toward Perry
In Perry Take US 98 toward St. Marks
Turn right at the intersection of US 98 and Hwy 319 (Crawfordville
Hwy) Head Toward Tallahassee Go through the town of Crawfordville
After passing the Leon Sinks Geological Site, look for New Light Church Road on your left
Make left onto New Light Church Road
Just after turning left the Entrance to Emerald will be on the left side of the road. The Gate will be Open drive to parking area.

[rblackburn]

NO other FLORIDA STATE PARK has any such nonsense requirements. Why should open water divers be barred from using the surface pool. THEIR TAXES are paying for it and also the park's staff who are clearly stepping over their boundaries.

Where have you been? If memory serves, the last fatality at Emerald was an open water diver. There are a lot of state parks with special rules:

• Currently Wakulla State Park can only be dived under scientific permit.
• No Scooters at Peacock, Lafayette Blue, or Madison
• Must have 100 cave dives and then be guided the first time at Bonnet
• Open Water divers only allowed to dive Orange Grove at Peacock Springs, and that has only been in the last year that it was opened to that.
• Troy Springs allows NO CAVE DIVING
• Must be guided the first time you use Freidman Entrance to Manatee
• O'Leno State Park can only be dived under scientific permit.
• Suwannee River State Park can only be dived under scientific permit.

We, as a cave diving community, have the chance to get that changed at Wakulla. If we show the state and park officials we can play by the rules set forth, maybe, just maybe, they will relax them and open other locations within the park to the cave diving general population.

Remember, doing anything at a state park is a privledge, not a right.

[Jay]

Kudo's to all the hard work for those who got Emerald open. Anybody who knows the slightest bit of the history and the atmosphere surrounding access to caves in that area realize how hard it was and what a huge first step it is towards other access.

Yes, there are rules involved, but they are fair and reasonable when looking at other systems, whether they be state, county, commercial or private. Without those stipulations it is highly doubtful Emerald would be open.

Emerald represents the current climate concerning opening any challenging dive site on state property. They want proof and assurances that the divers are qualified and experienced.

It is easy to be an anarchist and complain about any current structure out of selfishness. The hard part is to work with the bureaucracy to come to a satisfactory arrangement.

[Daedalus]

Where have you been? If memory servers, the last fatality at Emerald was an open water diver. There are a lot of state parks with special rules:

• Currently Wakulla State Park can only be dived under scientific permit.
• No Scooters at Peacock, Lafayette Blue, or Madison
• Must have 100 cave dives and then be guided the first time at Bonnet
• Open Water divers only allowed to dive Orange Grove at Peacock Springs, and that has only been in the last year that it was opened to that.
• Troy Springs allows NO CAVE DIVING
• Must be guided the first time you use Freidman Entrance to Manatee
• O'Leno State Park can only be dived under scientific permit.
• Suwannee River State Park can only be dived under scientific permit.

We, as a cave diving community, have the chance to get that changed at Wakulla. If we show the state and park officials we can play by the rules set forth, maybe, just maybe, they will relax them and open other locations within the park to the cave diving general population.

Remember, doing anything at a state park is a privledge, not a right.

The only problem is, when you play by the rules and do not protest them, it reinforces the rules. When the state appropriates a new property or opens an existing one to diving they seem default to the most onerous rules. A lot of people have died at Little River and that is going to be a state park eventually if the rumors are true. Are they going to mandate 100 dives? A guide system? No solo diving and no scooters are a very likely possibility.

The state park system is using sledgehammers to swat flies. I am not advocating disobeying the rules at these parks, limited access is better than no access, after all. However I do not think it is right to exclude anyone from enjoying public resources in a safe manner that does not deprive anyone else of their use. If someone wants to dive solo, or with a scooter, or in a sidemount cave, or just in the cavern zone, they should be able to do so.

Divers are discriminated against and have to pay extra money to use these parks (10$ vs. 3$ per day - lets leave the annual passes out of it - I imagine a special "Divers Park Pass" is in the works right now that costs $100 annually). Peacock Springs is the one exception I have visited where divers appear to be getting special attention that justifies the added expense. Madison Blue, Jug Hole and Manatee do not have the tank benches that makes gearing up much easier. The parking lots at some state parks are located far enough from the spring that lugging tanks is a discouraging prospect. Most of the time the cave diving agencies and members are the ones who have to donate the money, time, materials to provide the infrastructure we need - while birdwatchers, day hikers, swimmers, picnickers, etc are catered to with much less non-state involvement.