Ichetucknee

[metaldector]

Does anyone know if Ichetucknee Springs State Park, Florida, is open to cave diving at this time? I dove it last year in late October an thought it a great dive but a very long walk. I'd love to do it again (with a cart). I've tried calling the park but the phone is not answered. So if anyone has good info. please post.

[Line Squirrel]

Does anyone know if Ichetucknee Springs State Park, Florida, is open to cave diving at this time? I dove it last year in late October an thought it a great dive but a very long walk. I'd love to do it again (with a cart). I've tried calling the park but the phone is not answered. So if anyone has good info. please post.

Yep, it's open, dove Jug Hole this past Monday

[metaldector]

I'll put it on my list of fall dives.

[loquat149]

Does anyone know if Ichetucknee Springs State Park, Florida, is open to cave diving at this time? I dove it last year in late October an thought it a great dive but a very long walk. I'd love to do it again (with a cart). I've tried calling the park but the phone is not answered. So if anyone has good info. please post.

Yep, it's open, dove Jug Hole this past Monday

BTW, how far can you go with a backmount?

Dave

[Cave Ranger]

I made it thru the Bedding Plains restriction and Diamond Sands restriction wearing LP 85 Doubles back in November of last year. I WAS WRONG!!! It's too hard on the cave not to mention your nerves trying to squeeze through that. Wear a single tank with an H valve so that you can angle yourself sideways or better yet learn to sidemount.
I'm not kidding. I'm a pretty lanky guy with Eel like qualities and I had a few Oh S###!! moments squeezing through that. Just say No to Doubles in the Jughole.

[Moonfuzzy]

I would agree - most people should avoid doubles at Jughole. There is a cavern you can get into easily, and then a bedding plane restriction. I can get through that with my HP 100's (and a girl-sized body frame) without hurting things, but I would propabaly have issues if I used 95's or some other larger diam. tanks.

I didn't go through the diamond sands restriction with doubles. My buddy did by removing his tanks, but he is male and we know that all of you have brass ones. ; ) (He also got thru the bedding plane with care - HP 120's)

I have since gone back with sidemount - there is a lot more to see and it is much easier.

I ALWAYS use a cart for my gear here. I just refuse to carry it all by hand, although pushing it over tree roots is not easy either.

Either way - enjoy!

[Gary]

I would agree - most people should avoid doubles at Jughole.

And avoid singles also. Supposedly on singles you can get thru there by angling your body at a 45deg so the tankdoesn't scrape alsong the ceiling the whole way thru the bedding plane - but a single tank beyond that restriction just isn't enough redundancy.

Single tank in the cavern. Sidemount goes thru either restriction with ease. I hear Optimas don't come close to fitting.

Max penetration is p550', Diamond Sands restriction at p250'. Not a long dive. Almost no side passages and they are tighter then diamond sands restriction.

It a LONG hike from the parking lot with tanks. Bring a cart or a wheelbarrow and gear up when you reach the water. With the long walk and short dive this is unlikely to ever become a very popular cavedive.

[CaptainSpeleo]

The cave system is small(less than 600' penetration) and max depth is about 85'.

Low volume sidemounts(i.e. aluminum 80's, steel 85's) is the way to go. There's no need for high volume tanks because it's a lot more gas and more weight than you'll need.

Stay to the right of the line when entering the bedding plane and to the left when exiting it. If you take your time and explore the entire cave system, the dive will last 35 - 40 minutes.

Set up your tanks and gear in the parking lot before loading them in a cart and making the 400-yard trek to the spring. Finding out you have a leak or malfunction or missing piece of gear after you get there can be very frustrating.

[ARY]

H valve on a single cylinder is a VERY FRAGILE setup (much more vulnerable than doubles with manifold) and therefore if you carry single on your back you have to be twice more careful touching a ceiling. In the Jug's first restriction it is simply not possible to avoid a contact. Not to mention that your buddy will be unlikely to help if he\she uses the similar configuration.

It takes a very little time to assemble a one side basic sidemount rig from the same Hog components: backplate w.harness, wing. Wing goes between your back and a backplate and can be tied to the mounting holes with two pieces (10-15" long) of the shockcord with knots on both ends (or use (bolt+nut)x2). You will have to put a stage bottle harness on your steel cyl w.H valve. Clip it on as a stage: bottom clip in your left waist D ring, neck clip into your left or right (diagonally) shoulder D ring. If you can take extra stage on the other side it would be even better (it will require to install extra D ring on the right side of your waist belt). You have to watch cylinders as they will tend to hang too low (comparing to the special sidemount rig) due to their stage derived harness. Practice it in a shallow water for 10 mins.

You don't have to convert into SM just for that one divesite.

[Kelly Jessop]

Good advice.

I used to do this cave on a single tank until seven years ago I had a buddy who had a double valve roll off in the bedding plane-they couldn't turn their valve back on,and I couldn't get to them. I had to push my long hose on the floor to the OOA diver.

No matter how many people say it can be done this way safely,I will disagee vehemently. This is a sidemount cave that deserves respect,even though it is only 570' long