Manatee Springs Question

[Captain Bil]

I'll be in the Chiefland area with a buddy on the 18th of this month. What is the best tide time to dive their? We plan on a gold line run from Catfish upstream and back for the first dive, and we'll see from there.

[Sludge]

I believe they still have that rule about only admitting a certain number of cave divers per day. Once that number is met, they won't let any more in. Even if the first group has packed up and left the park.

So whenever we do Manatee, we make sure we're there when the place opens.

[FW]

What is the best tide time to dive their?

Look at the river graph for Manatee. You want to start the dive while the river is rising, but before it tops out, and starts falling. When the river is at its hight, the flow in the cave is less, and the viz clears a little.
http://ahps.srh.noaa.gov/index.php?wfo=tae

If you notice, the best time changes a few minutes every day. right now, it is a couple hours after midnight, but will be later in the morning, by the 18th.

[Walter Pickel]

I'll be in the Chiefland area with a buddy on the 18th of this month. What is the best tide time to dive their? We plan on a gold line run from Catfish upstream and back for the first dive, and we'll see from there.

Try to plan for a high tide. If there is no separation in the duckweed at Catfish then you are on the slack side and a good time to start (you will have the flow exiting).

If you have someone in your group that has used Friedman's before I would recommend that entrance. There are a few good dives you can do from there -- Chalkey's Bypass, Milk Tunnel, Sewer Tunnel, Blue Water Tunnel if you are feeling up to it...

[Sludge]

The rule used to be that before you could enter at Friedman's you had to have swum to Friedman's from Catfish Hotel. At the time I had swum to within 100 of the sink, but the ranger said that wasn't good enough, and we couldn't enter there.

But that rule may not actually be a rule now.

[marinediver]

Its a certain number of divers checked in at a time, when that number is reached you can wait and check in when one of the teams leaves. You have to have entered at friedmans before, or be with someone that has.

[Captain Bil]

Thanks all, that clears it up for us.

[Gary]

The rule used to be that before you could enter at Friedman's you had to have swum to Friedman's from Catfish Hotel. At the time I had swum to within 100 of the sink, but the ranger said that wasn't good enough, and we couldn't enter there.

I don't think that was ever a rule (or it is a newer rule). You were just supposed to go with someone who had dove there before.

Actually, to get access my buddy and I did swim up to Friedmans - then went to the ranger told them and asked for directions to get there on the surface. His response was "you're not supposed to do that". But he did give us the directions.

[cavemark]

A buddy and I were in Manatee yesterday. We arrived at about 10:00 and were team #1. Dive started at 11:00, water was just a little cloudy in the basin and the vis was lousy (20'-30') for at least 800' from Catfish. Lots of particulate. Cleared up nicely beyond friedman. Turned dive about 1700' beyond Friedman.

There was a small clear spot in the duckweed at the start. Going was slow through a couple of the restrictions because of the flow.

When we got back to Catfish there was an open water team in the basin and when we got back to the ranger station at 1:00 Cave team #2 had just checked in.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Hey Sludge,

How long did you run that Hollis scooter at Ginnie? My buddy was using it yesterday and it dropped to low speed about an hour into the dive. And he was only running it at medium speed It seemed to quit and then he realized it was just running at slow speed (safety feature when the battery runs low?). I was using his SS. We were between Friedman and Catfish so it wasn't a problem, just a slower exit.

Thank you very much for all your planning for the Minight Galaxy Dive. My girls and I had a great time and will see you next year.

[Sludge]

How long did you run that Hollis scooter at Ginnie?

Ear to the White Room jump at 100%. To the Maple Leaf at 75%. To the Double Domes jump at 100%. Back to Junction Rock at 75%. Back to the White Room jump at 100%. To Maple Leaf and out at 75%. Total burn time 35 minutes.