Manatee: 9/16/08

[atedeschi]

thanks for the info, i want to start diving this system, a little more often. Trying to go about once a week or maybe every other week. I can do Tuesdays and Thursdays, and sometimes weekends. I am diving sidemount or can do it in BM, so if anyone is interested or if any of you with more experience in this system want some help or to show me around some, I would appreciate it.

[apitkin]

4) If you want to enter at Friedman's, swim upstream and exit at Catfish or Manatee, what are your suggestions if you have one car and parking etc.

Actually, you can easily walk from Catfish back to Friedman's. The short cut is through the campground (turn left as you are walking to the main parking lot from Catfish). It takes about 10-15 minutes. Probably best not leave any valuable but portable gear lying around, although we've never had any problems.

Andy

[Gary]

4) If you want to enter at Friedman's, swim upstream and exit at Catfish or Manatee, what are your suggestions if you have one car and parking etc.

As mentioned staging vehicles works but we've always left one with the gear at the exit and the other walk back to get the car. I think we've given up the staging deco at the exit and will just drop it at Friedman's and carry it to whatever exit.

In addition to the "Rabbit Hole" (which is pretty dang tight for backmount) you may also want to checkout the side line midway between Catfish and Manetee. It goes a long way and is quite challenging.

[jdsffa]

The best way to dive Friedman's is defiantly to stage vehicles. It makes it easier than worrying about where to leave the gear if you walk back. My partner and I dove Manatee yesterday and I felt the flow was actually down a little bit. Was able to pull myself into the head spring twice after are relatively short dive(time limit). I also found the there are 2 holes in the ground at sue 1 inflow and one outflow had not come across that before very cool.
I did notice yesterday there was no line in the inflow side of Sue and was wandering if it had been removed for a reason, like pothole at Peacock I though the line was there for emergency exits so as to be easily found.
The down stream line to the main spring is about 30ft in from the sign one the re bar and could be challenging to find due to low vis if you don't know where to look. All in all great dive saw more the cave than I had seen in the past.

John

[WEPIV]

Yes, I agree with John's post above. It was a great dive yesterday at Manatee. The vis seemed better than usual and the flow not as hard. And I always say that being shot out of the head spring in one of nature's best rides. Sure beats any amusement park as far as I'm concerned.
After our cave dive I enjoyed a nice dive with my recently certified 13 year-old son in the head spring basin.
A great day of diving!

Gene

[loquat149]

Can someone provide a report of recent conditions?

Thanks,
Dave

[atedeschi]

Dive Report from 1/29/09
http://tampadiving.com/sections/divi...=162&region=FL


Questions
1) 900’ upstream of Friedman, just past a big rock off the left wall there looks like a jump to a tunnel, but there is not line in it or double arrow. Is that jump or passageway?

2) About 270’ upstream of Friedman, white arrow (dirty, no markings), jump on right side. Is this the end of the Bypass?

3) Made it 1500' upstream of Friedman and figured I should see the Milk tunnel. I guess i missed it, but is it Marked? anyone have a Distance?

4) The Line markers upstream of Friedman went 1000’, 1100’, 1000’, 1200’ why is that?

5) How far is the the bypass? and how long is it from the main tunnel down the sewer to the bypass?

Clarifications
1) The Sewer tunnel (Backmount) is 203' downstream from Friedman. You will see a line that ended tied around a small rock and the tunnel was about 3 feet in diameter (On left wall if heading downstream). The sewer tunnel is that line? Or is it near that jump and if so where?

2) The rabbit hole (Sidemount), starts maybe 50 feet past the start of the goldline going upstream from Catfish, on the right and goes downstream back to Catfish basin. If you go to the far side of the sink from the steps, there is a small entrance there.


Also looking for a buddy for Thursday morning if anyone is interested.

Thanks,
Ant

[apitkin]

1. I think you're talking about the Pillar Room. It's just a loop.

2. Yes.

3. The Milk Tunnel is 700' upstream of Friedman's. Usually the water gets clearer once you're past it.

4. No idea. I do not know who put those line markers in.

The Sewer tunnel does not begin directly from the main passage, but is a very short jump off the Chalkley Bypass. The downstream end of the bypass is tied off high on the left hand wall (as you're going downstream) above a bank of silt. The main line is tied to a post on the floor on the other side of the main passage at this point. About 100-150' up the Bypass (after a sharp turn to the left) there is a double line arrow and the Sewer tunnel begins as a vertical fracture on the right. The jump is only about 6 feet. If you find yourself at a low bedding plane restriction you've missed it. However, the rest of the Bypass is worth seeing, with some cool clay banks.

If you go any distance up the Sewer tunnel be careful, because the line is fragile and has already broken many times. We are planning to reline it soon.

Andy

[Walter Pickel]

3. The Milk Tunnel is 700' upstream of Friedman's. Usually the water gets clearer once you're past it.

If you are attentive, you can see that the area around the entrance to the Milk Tunnel is cloudy (hence the name)...It will not look like a regular jump. You need to go through a small entrance and the line will be staked to your left once you go over a mound.

[atedeschi]

3. The Milk Tunnel is 700' upstream of Friedman's. Usually the water gets clearer once you're past it.

If you are attentive, you can see that the area around the entrance to the Milk Tunnel is cloudy (hence the name)...It will not look like a regular jump. You need to go through a small entrance and the line will be staked to your left once you go over a mound.

I have heard numbers from 700' to 900', whats your take on the distance? And if I understand you correctly its not marked at all but you will see it get cloudy, its on the right wall if heading upstream and line will be on your left?

do you know what the distance is from sewer to bypass jump?

thanks,
ant