Question re: Sheck

[Webmaster]

Received this via email if anyone can confirm a date:

From: "Alys Brockway"

Hi,
I am trying to verify a date of a dive at the Weeki Wachee Spring-Weeki Wachee, FL by Sheck Exley. One source says he dove this spring the first time in 1980 the other 1985--I was hoping that someone within your group could help me with this information. Thanks, Alys

You might find the info in the appendix of Caverns Measureless to Man. I can't seem to find my copy at the moment.

[chimie007]

You might find the info in the appendix of Caverns Measureless to Man. I can't seem to find my copy at the moment.

No "Weeki Wachee" in the index. Perhaps under a different name.

Did you look in the log appendix around 1980 and 1985?

[chimie007]

Did you look in the log appendix around 1980 and 1985?

The log appendix only lists the divers he dove with along with a date and number of dives but no mention of the dive sites.

[phreaticus]

1980..Sheck, Jamie Stone, and Jim Benz(sp?) dove it a week or so before Vaughan Maxwell and I dove it. They all got in (barely), the flow was around 185 cfs (it's 97 or so right now...EXTREME DROUGHT!)....
It was up to 195-200 (close to statistical norm) a week or so later...I got in, Maxwell tried three times and didn't.....
Getting out was a WHOLE 'nother matter! The most terifying dive of my life, I'm luckey to be alive...seriously! That's not to even mention my first dive there in 1974 or so......it was even worse (but obviously just shy (just!) of drowning!)...
Imagine Manatee headspring at high flow, times two or three, velocity-wise....not a pleasent evening...!
This drought is an amazing opportunity for the KUR/WWKP (not WKPP) team to hit the cave and survey/document....won't happen again for a long time (unless we all start having to import water in Florida).

[aabrockway]

Thanks for the help with verifying the date of Mr. Exley's dive at the Weeki Wachee spring. I've read recently b/c of the severe drought that the karst group is getting in there now. Thanks again, Alys

[Walter Pickel]

I am pretty sure Sheck's 2 dives into the main room were 6/2/1980 & 6/10/1980.

*Flow
6/2/1980 - 158 cfs
6/12/0980 - 156 cfs

June 1980
Max: 158 cfs
Min: 154 cfs
Avg: 156 cfs

*Correlated from formula developed by USGS and SWFWMD

[Walter Pickel]

You might find the info in the appendix of Caverns Measureless to Man. I can't seem to find my copy at the moment.

No "Weeki Wachee" in the index. Perhaps under a different name.

Sheck took the Weeki Wachee and Twin Dees parts out of his final manuscript. Some earlier versions of the manuscript had a few pages dedicated to these systems.