Ultimate cavern dive in florida???

[metaldector]

Yeah, last time to Buford, the swamp swallowed me up, at least four times I went to the hip in muck. I told my buddys, "Save your selves, leave me. If I make it back, okay. If not,place a plaque in my memory." BYW I made it back.

[scoupland]

Another vote for Buford. It's a beautiful, spacious cavern. Make sure you go with someone who knows how to find it otherwise they may have to send a search party out to find you when you get lost in the woods. It's best to go during the dry season. If you go when it has been raining a lot, the swamp will get you.

[ssmdive]

Buford

You mean suckage like this?




But then you get views like this


After Buford... Paradise

[Omni]

Buford

You mean suckage like this?


Attachment 2777

But then you get views like this
Attachment 2778

After Buford... Paradise

Wow. nice cavern! Also am I the only one who finds it funny that in the pic your tanks are almost bigger than you are?

[RN]

Yep your right Forrest. That is why I don't post trip reports etc...it keeps the pristine places pristine. I recall someone posting something about a particular tunnel,and in 2 weeks there were marks than i could count.

I post reports...when conditions are bad...

[Benthic]

All this internet discussion causes more people to visit it, as a result, more damage to the cave. FWIW, it is worse when it is on an OW forum. That attracts un-trained "cavern" divers.

Agreed!

Brian

[EEL]

Some of the best caverns in Florida are in the Williston area. The sinks in this area are gorgeous, but for some reason have little flow and almost no cave passage. Railroad Sink has a cavern that descends diagonally eastward through three rooms and the bottom room ends at about 140 ffw. Cherry Sink is one enormous room the ceiling is only a few feet deep, and in places it dries out and has some flowstones. The floor is in the 50 ffw range and the cavern goes back about 100 feet or so. There is/was a complete alligator skeleton on the floor in the back left side of the cavern. Neither of these sinks is easily accessible. They are on private property and require ½ mile walks to get to. These are only a couple examples; Williston is literally pockmarked with many similar sinks. For the cavern certified diver it is a shame that only Blue Grotto and Devils Den are really accessible because the Williston sinks offer a beautiful dives without temptation to continue farther into the cave.

Dive Safe,

Mark

[Dweller]

Originally Posted by FW
All this internet discussion causes more people to visit it, as a result, more damage to the cave. FWIW, it is worse when it is on an OW forum. That attracts un-trained "cavern" divers.

Agreed!
Brian

Buford Sink is no secret to most cave divers. Its not an easy place to access and most divers experience it for their first time with someone who has been there before. Its has a big entrance and its huge cavern with no real going cave passages so how exactly is it being raped or abused? How did any of us know where to go cavediving if it was'nt for books , intenet sites or word of mouth ? Sheck Exley, from what I have researched, was big on sharing info(locations, maps, knowledge) about caves and cavediving to the general public. Who's above Sheck to to think its a crime to discuss spots openly? The problem is unethical people in cave diving. Some who learn to cave dive for the wrong reasons, instructors who are issuing certs to unqualified divers and egos that "think" they are excellent divers . The NSS-CDS , NACD, TDI, etc.. should implement some sort of system where they have qualified "cave rangers" who when observing cavedivers with bad technique or total lack of cave conservation ethics , do something like follow these divers till they exit or write a description of divers on a slate. When the divers exit the "cave ranger" politely asks for their instructors name or cert card. They politely inform the divers of the observed "offenses" and ask them to improve their skills or be aware of damage they might be causing. The instructor goes on a list. When X number of offending divers are traced to an specific instructor, the agency issuing the instructors cert revokes it. Something like that might keep instructors in check and seriously consider who they certify. I mean when you pay for cave training there is no guarantee you will get certified. The instructor has made the money, there is no refund. If the idea is to protect caves , sharing knowledge or talking about sites is'nt the problem. Bad cave divers is the problem. We should police our own but it all begins with agencies and instructors period. Who's clapping now?

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Buford Sink is no secret to most cave divers. Its not an easy place to access and most divers experience it for their first time with someone who has been there before.

Its no secret because of the internet. Alot of the first times at this site is because as an OW diver, they were shown where it is...

Its has a big entrance and its huge cavern with no real going cave passages so how exactly is it being raped or abused?

You'd think with such a huge cavern, it wouldn't get all the contact scarring its apparently getting. Lots of divers going out there don't have the control they need to have to be in that environment. Alot of that is almost certainly due to local dive shops taking OW divers there, without the diving experience and training, to keep off the walls and ceilings.

How did any of us know where to go cavediving if it was'nt for books , intenet sites or word of mouth ?

Being told about different sites from people who've dived with you, and knew you weren't going to fork it all up. Not to mention that people often did there own research back then, they didn't expect to have the information handed to them. This is something exceedingly common nowadays, often, divers complain that they're from out of town and there time needs to be used wisely, and therefore off the beaten trail sites need to be handed to them since they don't have time to look for themselves.

Sheck Exley, from what I have researched, was big on sharing info(locations, maps, knowledge) about caves and cavediving to the general public. Who's above Sheck to to think its a crime to discuss spots openly?

I wonder if Sheck had seen whats become of alot of the caves, if he'd be so keen to discuss caves and locations openly to non-cavedivers on the internet. The internet wasn't really the place it is now 20 years ago when Sheck was still around. I don't know what he'd do, and you don't either.

The problem is unethical people in cave diving. Some who learn to cave dive for the wrong reasons, instructors who are issuing certs to unqualified divers and egos that "think" they are excellent divers .

I agree, but I'd add non-cave divers to that mix...

The NSS-CDS , NACD, TDI, etc.. should implement some sort of system where they have qualified "cave rangers" who when observing cavedivers with bad technique or total lack of cave conservation ethics , do something like follow these divers till they exit or write a description of divers on a slate. When the divers exit the "cave ranger" politely asks for their instructors name or cert card. They politely inform the divers of the observed "offenses" and ask them to improve their skills or be aware of damage they might be causing. The instructor goes on a list. When X number of offending divers are traced to an specific instructor, the agency issuing the instructors cert revokes it. Something like that might keep instructors in check and seriously consider who they certify. I mean when you pay for cave training there is no guarantee you will get certified. The instructor has made the money, there is no refund. If the idea is to protect caves , sharing knowledge or talking about sites is'nt the problem. Bad cave divers is the problem. We should police our own but it all begins with agencies and instructors period. Who's clapping now?

I bet you won't have the instructors lining up for that whether they get there money or not, I doubt they want to be responsible for their students after certification. Then of course, if you took instruction 20 years ago, is the instructor really at fault?

[john]

so how exactly is it being raped or abused?

Every group has somebody that wants to be a "DIC".

Mostly Open water divers due to lack of awareness. Or people like you that dont recognise it as rape and abuse.