Rebreather Dives, Rocky Horror and Madison Blue

[saturation]

Thanks everyone for very useful information. On out last dive at Madison on OC, we made it past an area where the clean limestone tube of a cavebecomes dark and clay like, and the cave flattens out more. But there are no distance markers so hard to know distance but still on the mainline; we were at least far past the gauge and past a cookie with a dolphin on it. These were double stage dives and about 3.5 hours of run time. This was our second push with 2 stages and we got farther as we learn to maneuver inside RH better, but I don't think we are getting much farther than that dive and that may be it for distance, unless we bring 2 stages through RH, bring scooters [ wishful thinking that is ] or we move to RB, and the list goes on!

[w ripley]

On out last dive at Madison on OC, we made it past an area where the clean limestone tube of a cavebecomes dark and clay like, and the cave flattens out more. But there are no distance markers so hard to know distance but still on the mainline; we were at least far past the gauge and past a cookie with a dolphin on it...I don't think we are getting much farther than that dive and that may be it for distance, unless we bring 2 stages through RH, bring scooters [ wishful thinking that is ] or we move to RB, and the list goes on!

If you haven't talked to Wayne Kinard about Madison (Amigos Diver Center, Fort White) then you should. Wayne and a team have been working Madison for several years. He's the man to talk to.

My buddy has put together a 5 foot long composite map (it's for us to work with and nothing official) showing everything (relative word!!!) between the 5,355 foot upstream mark to the 3,000 foot siphon downstream mark (all from the basin). Wayne has a copy that he would probably show you. It shows the Pressure Gauge set around the 2,594 upstream penetration mark, right before Karen's Squeeze tunnel. KS is an easy tunnel to spot as it starts under the main line, on the left side of the main line, and you can look down into it at several spots, actually seeing its cave line, as you swim over it upstream. You probably remember seeing it.

The map shows the general turns, offshoot tunnels, and depths, all which make knowing where you are and planning for your next dive a little easier.

You can't use a scooter in Madison without the permission from the State. If you get it, then try starting at Marz Sink, scootering up to the entrance of RH, dropping your first stage, pushing the scooter thru to the Well where you would have one LARGE steel stage bottle (vs 2 alum 80s - i.e., logistics of getting 2 bottles and a scooter - vs 1 bottle and a scooter - back out thru RH). That would make all the difference.

Without a scooter, then it looks like a 3 bottle stage dive, with 2 "fresh" al 80s waiting for you at the Well.

Regards,

Bill

[saturation]

Hi Bill,

Thanks for those tips!

Yes talk to Wayne all the time, the next thing you know 2 hours have gone by and I forgot to fill our tanks, and all the restaurants in cave country are about to close! But its all worth it. The stories are priceless but its not so much the story, but how Wayne tells it and the included facial expressions.

Thanks for those tips. Will ask about the map, not so much to push further, but to know more about where we've past, how far we've traveled, so that in the future if we make another try we'll get a better idea of how far stages will take us, and how long our deco will be, and have a better picture of our position.

If you haven't talked to Wayne Kinard about Madison (Amigos Diver Center, Fort White) then you should. Wayne and a team have been working Madison for several years. He's the man to talk to.

My buddy has put together a 5 foot long composite map (it's for us to work with and nothing official) showing everything (relative word!!!) between the 5,355 foot upstream mark to the 3,000 foot siphon downstream mark (all from the basin). Wayne has a copy that he would probably show you. It shows the Pressure Gauge set around the 2,594 upstream penetration mark, right before Karen's Squeeze tunnel. KS is an easy tunnel to spot as it starts under the main line, on the left side of the main line, and you can look down into it at several spots, actually seeing its cave line, as you swim over it upstream. You probably remember seeing it.

The map shows the general turns, offshoot tunnels, and depths, all which make knowing where you are and planning for your next dive a little easier.

You can't use a scooter in Madison without the permission from the State. If you get it, then try starting at Marz Sink, scootering up to the entrance of RH, dropping your first stage, pushing the scooter thru to the Well where you would have one LARGE steel stage bottle (vs 2 alum 80s - i.e., logistics of getting 2 bottles and a scooter - vs 1 bottle and a scooter - back out thru RH). That would make all the difference.

Without a scooter, then it looks like a 3 bottle stage dive, with 2 "fresh" al 80s waiting for you at the Well.

Regards,

Bill