Update: Peacock CLOSED

[Kelly Jessop]

Received word from park management,Peacock will be closed to diving as of today (Saturday March 2nd)

[reiterman]

Someone will be surprised by this. You know it will happen.

[Jim Wyatt]

This also includes Orange Grove Sink.

[Mark Vlahos]

Yesterday we did two dives in Peacock. First dive up the Peanut Tunnel. Visibility around "the mistake" was in the 4 to 6 foot range. The rest of the system was a hazy 20 feet and the water finally completely cleared around 1600 feet. Second dive was toward Olsen. While the cavern was relatively clear as soon as we headed down toward the chimney visibility dropped to 3 feet and remained poor until the 700 foot mark. From the crossover tunnel to Olsen the cave was completely clear. During the course of our day at P I the water level in the basin rose approximately 2 to 3 inches as measured in an extremely unscientific way at the steps.

We did not dive P III, but there was water flowing freely over the beaver dam and our guess from the banks was that P III was probably syphoning hard since there was little evidence of the additional water running toward P I.

Although we did not dive at Orange Grove, others were saying that it was still clear.

The closure is NOT a surprise to me.

Mark Vlahos

[Kelly Jessop]

Although we did not dive at Orange Grove, others were saying that it was still clear.

The closure is NOT a surprise to me.

Mark Vlahos

Park is aware that Orange Grove is clear presently,but that will change fast. There is actually scientific data from sensors that shows the reversals happen quickly,so Olsen and OG will happen very soon.

This is a good thing,the caves need this real bad. Sucks we can't dive,but this natural process is what keeps the caves enjoyable. Please understand,and be safe at the other sites.

[Trey R]

I shot this Friday just as the river was coming into P3.

[TONY CHANEY]

Exactly what it looked like when I was doing my training.

[FW]

Exactly what it looked like when I was doing my training.

If that was in 2008, it was worse then, because the river came up faster.

[Mark Vlahos]

When we did the dives I mentioned in my earlier post we tied our primary reel directly to the wooden frame of the steps as a precaution against a total blowout. Strange as it sounds the cavern and the basin were relatively clear.

[Yannis]

Just out of curiosity, why do you tie your line all the way out the water? At peacock I always run a line from the rock just outside the opening, to the main line. Is that not sufficient? I am a new cave diver so am trying to get as many details as possible. Thanks