Ginnie DPV Rules

[wingman]

A diver is to tell the Ginnie Staff member they are scootering, when they sign in at the counter. The Staff member then gives you a special color wrist band to indicate you are a using a DPV.

Actually there is a lot of confusion here about the dpv policy, if I remember correctly, each day is a different color and you will have your cert written on the band, ie. cave or dpv if so qualified. Now I think and hope someone will correct me and provide the correct policy that you either have a dpv certification or are grandfathered in if your full cave cert was before a certain date (2000??). If all it takes is abe davis or wakulla please let me know. Thanks. Bill

A diver is to tell the Ginnie Staff member they are scootering, when they sign in at the counter. The Staff member then gives you a special color wrist band to indicate you are a using a DPV.

Actually there is a lot of confusion here about the dpv policy, if I remember correctly, each day is a different color and you will have your cert written on the band, ie. cave or dpv if so qualified. Now I think and hope someone will correct me and provide the correct policy that you either have a dpv certification or are grandfathered in if your full cave cert was before a certain date (2000??). If all it takes is abe davis or wakulla please let me know. Thanks. Bill

I am not really sure about the color scheme that Ginnie uses, so I put “a special color wrist band” in my post, referring to the DPV color of the day. It makes since that Ginnie would switch colors on different days. I believe the “DPV band color” is different from the “full cave band color”. They never wrote my certification level on my wrist band.

What I recall, and I will confirm it later tonight, is similar to what you posted:
(1) If you are full cave certified before 1997 (I don’t have the exact date here at work) “and” you have Abe Davis or Wakulla, you are grandfathered in.
(2) If you are full cave “and” you have a DPV certification.
(3) If you are a full cave instructor.

[Gary]

Actually there is a lot of confusion here about the dpv policy, if I remember correctly, each day is a different color and you will have your cert written on the band, ie. cave or dpv if so qualified. Now I think and hope someone will correct me and provide the correct policy that you either have a dpv certification or are grandfathered in if your full cave cert was before a certain date (2000??). If all it takes is abe davis or wakulla please let me know. Thanks. Bill

Each day is a different color arm band and they are dated and marked with your cert level.

You either need a DPV card OR
Abe Davis with a Full Cave Cert prior to 1996(1995?) to be "grandfathered" in.

I was grandfathered but still went out and got DPV trained.

My opinion is that too much damage is done to the cave by irresponsible, inconsiderate and/or unskilled scooterers (and swimming cavers too to be honest). If requiring a card helps that then great - if not require more then just a card.

I found the old Ginnie flyer and here is what it says (I don’t know if these rules have changed since it was posted):

ATTENTION ALL CAVE DIVERS !

Ginnie Springs will be instituting and enforcing new rules concerning the use of Diver Propulsion Vehicles within the cave system at Devil’s Eye & Ear Cave.

Effective on January 1st, 1998:

Any Diver that wishes to use a DPV in the Cave must meet the following Requirements.
1. Full Cave Certification
2. All cave divers certified Prior to January 1st, 1997 must provide proof of 100 cave dives by showing one of the following:
Abe Davis Award (actual award or sticker on c-card)
Wakulla Award (actual award or sticker on c-card)
Cave Diver Instructor Card (Intro Cave or higher)
DPV certification (NACD, NSS-CDS, or equivalent)
3. All cave divers certified On or After January 1st, 1997 must be trained and hold a DPV certification. This DPV certification must be from the NSS-CDS, NACD, or equivalent.
4. DPV use is NOT ALLOWED in the Following areas:
Double Lines
Main Land
Beyond the Henkel Restriction
River Intrusion Tunnel
Sweet Surprise (aka. 2250 Tunnel)

Any further Questions concerning the use of DPVs may be directed towards the Ginnie Cave Diving Staff.


Like Gary, even though I was grandfathered in, I still completed a NSS-CDS DPV Pilot Class.

[JDR]

I am shocked to hear this policy. While living in Gainesville, I scootered Ginnie 3+ times per week. I was never questioned by anyone when I took my inexpensive scooter to the water.

If DPV certification is required, what happens to divers from GUE who don't receive scooter training and don't have cards from NSS or NACD? I know several who scooter Ginnie on a regular basis.

IS the question more about selective enforcement? Has anyone been told not to scooter at Ginnie when entering with a scooter?

Cheers and safe diving,
j. Rumph

[Dave]

Yep, I was told to "take it out of the water, and dont bring it back" I was then watched like a hawk for the rest of the day :shrug: whatever, never been back since.

[Neptuno]

Yep, I was told to "take it out of the water, and dont bring it back" I was then watched like a hawk for the rest of the day :shrug: whatever, never been back since.

maybe you need to get a gavin and they will leave you alone...

[Caver95]

Will a PADI DPV card work?

[Rich]

Will a PADI DPV card work?

Hey Nick, if I issue you one will you issue me one?

Safe diving,

Rich

[Widiver_Paul]

I'm going to throw in my 2 cents, after having my own experience at Ginnie on Tuesday- I was with a group of seven extremely experienced Cave divers and Cave instructors that all had complaints about the use of scooters and etiquette in Ginnie- There seemed to be some guy with his "flaming" scooter that kept 'buzzing' teams doing pull and glides from the ear- This was a large cavern with 200'+ visiblity and the line could easily be seen from dozens of feet away. Between the scooter buzz-bomber and the rude people breaking up teams (one team was an instructor and 2 students), it seems a few bad apples need a refresher on courtesy and maybe another DPV course. Ginnie is the only place we saw bad manners, except for some moron that thought it was cute to cut someone's Primary in Peacock I this week (why would anyone do this?).
I can see the desire for scooters in Ginnie (my fingers are still healing a week later), but this kind of carelessness could easily result in a ban on them for everyone, so please people, mind your manners