P3, 10/30/08

[Serota]

Ken and I did 2 dives today in P3 and found conditions to be "good" - viz. 30 - 50' dependent on where in the system you were and flow into the syphon to be modest, but very noticiable (especially in the first 500' or so from the entrance). On the first dive, we followed the mainline to around 200' past the "T" and along the way placed jump reels where we would begin/end a small circuit off of the mainline for the 2nd dive. I thought the area after Henley's Castle jump and to the "T" was very impressive in terms of rock formations and also in this area it seemed to be raining albino crayfish. The clearest water we saw was also in this area.

We completed the circuit for the 2nd dive easily, but were later discussing how we were both thinking that the side passage was not a place you would want to have to follow the line out in bad viz., as there are many line traps, in fact, I think even the mainline has its share of places where it would be difficult to follow the line. Overall, excellent dives in a system that is a bit "different" and more challenging than some.

[RHolmesJr]

Thanks for the report!

[Serota]

We dove P3 again today and found the viz. & flow to be the same as previously reported on 10/30. Today we followed the mainline to 1100' and jumped to the "Spring Tunnel" line. Our plan was simply to follow the Spring Tunnel until one of us reached a turn pressure (yes, sooner than 1/3s for the syphon) or until one of us just wanted to turn. The first 100' or so of the Spring tunnel is low and VERY silty and I was thinking of turning just because it was getting tedious when after going under and even lower spot, the passage suddenly opened up and became large. The tunnel remained large and very interesting for several hundred feet and I turned the dive at an abrupt left turn that ducked under and appeared to be entering another very low area. We hadn't reached turn pressures back at the jump, so we continued another ~200' to Henley's and turned there. Exit was uneventful. Run time of 85 min., total penetration ~1800', no deco!

Walter, feel free to post this on your site if you wish.