Madison blue 04-26-15

[IowaCaveDiver]

Just finished our dive at Madison… visibility goes crystal-clear right after martz… Literally 10 ft after the jump. Prior to Martz, the basin is greenish and the cavern is 20' viz. increasing to 30+ in the main passage. Godzilla is sitting on the mainline wait to be moved back to his home. Flow is way down, still present but way better than normal. It took us 18 minutes to swim from open water to the martz jump and we were moving at a leisurely sails pace. Get out there and dive Madison before conditions change. The gnats are bad... Very bad.


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[cmint]

Godzilla is sitting on the mainline wait to be moved back to his home.

Godzilla is still in the Godzilla room. Someone put a smaller one (actually a stegosaurus) on the main line, I think to mark/name the jump.

[Kelly Jessop]

Godzilla is still in the Godzilla room. Someone put a smaller one (actually a stegosaurus) on the main line, I think to mark/name the jump.

Cave junk begets cave junk

[cmint]

Cave junk begets cave junk

aww it's cute, as long as it doesn't get out of hand.

That yella' string isn't natural either

[twaldo]

aww it's cute, as long as it doesn't get out of hand.

That yella' string isn't natural either

What would it take to upgrade the forum software to have a like button... because I really wanted to like this post.

[Kelly Jessop]

aww it's cute, as long as it doesn't get out of hand.

That yella' string isn't natural either

The problem is these things historically get out of hand. One piece of cave junk that is added will encourage more people to add something because they think it is "fun", and this causes more. Have seen this happen so many times. for example, one bat at the bats became 3, followed by the troll, and then the Barbie doll. Godzilla used to be one, and then others added more, and at one time we had 4. Then there was find the hidden mask game, move the blue dolphin etc etc etc. Personally the more cave junk we add really makes people think instead of cave conservation minded cave divers, we are treating the place like a play ground. Yellow string is life safety equipment which is imperative for the sport to exist, cave junk has no place in the cave.

[Jack Hammer]

The problem is these things historically get out of hand. One piece of cave junk that is added will encourage more people to add something because they think it is "fun", and this causes more. Have seen this happen so many times. for example, one bat at the bats became 3, followed by the troll, and then the Barbie doll. Godzilla used to be one, and then others added more, and at one time we had 4. Then there was find the hidden mask game, move the blue dolphin etc etc etc. Personally the more cave junk we add really makes people think instead of cave conservation minded cave divers, we are treating the place like a play ground. Yellow string is life safety equipment which is imperative for the sport to exist, cave junk has no place in the cave.

Well said Kelly.

[FW]

I agree with Kelly. You go into caves to see the cave, not plastic toys. It is a lot like spray painting graffiti on bridges, or writing initials in the clay bank at Cow. Once someone starts, it escalates.

[twaldo]

I agree with Kelly. You go into caves to see the cave, not plastic toys. It is a lot like spray painting graffiti on bridges, or writing initials in the clay bank at Cow. Once someone starts, it escalates.

I have to disagree just a bit with that statement.... there seems to be an awful lot of monuments in the caves too. I mean graffiti is one thing, small things to break the monotony is another. The stegosaur at the jump we made at Madison a few weeks ago is now a landmark for me to know were that jump is (yes double arrows are there, but double arrows are at EVERY marked jump) I'm not suggesting a different "icon" for each jump in a cave, but it definitely makes a more memorable marker. It's not like we are talking about Carlsbad with tons of beautiful formations.... it is mostly just rock and water with a really cool clay bank every once in a while or particular rock formation every 1000 feet.


Now, don't get me wrong, I can't wait till I can make it back to the Rouses monument in Ginnie but all things in moderation.


Tim

[shellmoundal]

I have never been in a cave at it monotonous. There are fossils to be seen at every turn if you are paying attention. I don't need plastic toys to keep me entertained in the cave. We all have too many things to be aware while diving in a cave. Best to be aware of the formations you are passing so you will be able to recognize the jumps on the next dive. If a diver needs a toy to recognize the jump , he or she must be a new cave diver. Safer to pay attention to detail and not items that can disappear over time. Every jump has a telltale sign that can be recognized.