Ginnie Report

[ScubaBob-Squaretank]

If you want to reduce traffic, talk to the agencies about reducing the number of certs they do each year. Make a Cave Card like a hunting tag. There's a lottery and only XX number of people can take a cave class each year.
Bruce

Now how are all these instructors going to pay for there advertising ??

[DA Aquamaster]

Well, for one, I'm really happy that you're doing this. Making notations on the map and connecting them with names helps me understand the dive reports I read. I don't understand why people think that writing a report about diving a tunnel means more people will go there -- after all, the maps are generally available, and the tunnels are on the maps.

Anyway, I look forward to more installments, and more colored lines on the map!

I'm with Lynn on this one. The maps are there and divers talk about them all the time, but some of the smaller tunnels off the beaten path, even way up in the front of the cave (like the lips bypass, keyhole bypass, fuzzy bunny hole, etc), are not places prudent divers usually go without going there first with someone who is familiar with it.

Many of the lines are also usually far enough off the mainline that they are not visible from the main line anyway. That is a far better way to ensure they do not get casual drive by traffic, and it encourges a more or less guided dive with a diver who has already been there, at least the first time.

[atedeschi]

Today Billy and I meet up at Ginnie to buddy up for a dive before he headed north to dive for the weekend. Our plan was to do the reverse Hill 400 circuit and to take photos.

After gearing up we headed down the run and entered through the eye. As we dropped down there was a group finishing up deco and a cavern or intro class entering the eye. Once we got through the eye I drop a deco bottle at the sign and we began our swim. The plan was to reach the lips were I waited until he made it through and then turned around and setup his camera for pictures. We snapped shots and different angles from the lips to the park bench. By the time we finished getting past the park bench and taking photos it took us 36mins.

We continued up the main line to Hill 400 where we placed a reel for our return back to the mainline. Then the swim continued up the mainline and we jumped to the rollercoaster, we continued up the rollercoaster line taking photos until we reached the shortcut jump. At this point I turned the dive because I knew we would not be back to the sign by 2 hours and I knew Billy wanted more pictures on the way out. We exited pulling both the jump reels and shooting more photos around the park bench and keyhole. I reached the sign at 1 hr 56 min, and exited through the eye with a 13min deco. All in all it was a great dive didn’t get to complete the circuit but hopefully we got some good shots.

[JC]

Will you be able to share some of those shots? It is always nice to see pictures of the cave.

[atedeschi]

As soon as I get them from Billy, he will be diving all weekend so maybe next week sometime.

[atedeschi]

After teaching OW students this weekend my dive buddy and I both had a free day and decided to head north for the day to do some diving. Since it was last minute we met at the shop at 4:30am, slammed 4 tanks for him full of nitrox loaded our gear and hit the road for a 3hr drive. About 45 minutes in to the drive I passed out in the passenger seat, sorry Jim, I was up late getting my unit together and last minute stuff for school.

We reached Ginnie around 8:30am, did the usually check in and decided to park over near the eye since it was not busy today. After setting up our gear bringing tanks to the water we went over our dive plan and got suited up.

Dive 1:
Jim and I entered through the ear dropped out bottles on the gold line and began our swim in to the cave. Upon reaching the Hill 400 jump, I placed in a reel, and then headed back up the mainline until we reached the Roller Coaster jump. We jumped to the Roller coaster line and continued in. I think this is an awesome part of tunnel, with the ups and downs, and clay floor. At the 1000' mark, we jumped to the shortcut tunnel, making our way to the end of this tunnel, which ends at the bats. I have seen this part of the cave in pics and videos but the scene still cracked me up. Placing our final spool for this circuit we jumped on to the Hill 400 line and began our exit through Hill 400. The flow began to pick up and we just drifted with the flow. This is a must do circuit and a great way to see Hill 400 with doing any work kicking in to the flow. At the end of the Hill 400 line we pulled our reel and continued our exit. Made our way to the sign, and exited through the eye for our deco. I was very happy with this dive, new part of the cave I have never seen and completed the circuit I set out to do Friday.

Dive 2:
After a 2hr SI, and Jim swapping out his tanks, we headed back in to pull our reels from our first dive and to find a spool I dropped . Again we entered through the ear, Jim dropped his deco bottle and we were off and swimming. Once I made it passed the park bench, I was in search mode for my spool. It was right were I thought, laying on a rock, right before the Hill 400 jump, with the one side of the double ender clip stuck open (damn Lowes SS clips). Once we reached the roller coaster line we pulled our reel, continue in to the shortcut jump, went to the bats, pulled our real and swam back down the shortcut tunnel. After reaching the roller coaster line we continued following it into the cave until, it ended at the Dogleg. We followed the mainline back to the Maple leaf, and someone was nice enough to have a reel already in place for us so we followed it, swimming down the Big Room/Bone Room line. What a awesome cave, I did this part once before but did not remember how dark the ceiling and walls are or how high the ceilings were. Following the line out to the cornflakes, we were back on the mainline and exited the cave.

Two great dives in 1 day, can't wait to get back. I will be out of town the end of this week and weekend but have off next Monday and Tuesday if anyone is interested in going.

Attached is my map of places I have been in Ginnie thus far and I hope to fill it all up.

[ARY]

... with the one side of the double ender clip stuck open (damn Lowes SS clips). ...

Glad you have had a good dive. If you run the end knot thru the hole of a spool and then clip your double ender into knot twice (not thru the hole of the spool) - it will hang free and will not unlock. The last time I've heard it was Jim Wyatt teaching this way.

[atedeschi]

That is the way I have my spools, the gate on the double ender never closed, so even though I clipped it to the dring and pulled to make sure it was on, after a few kicks I guess it just rolled enough to slip back off.

[atedeschi]

After a few issues with colds and schedules, my dive buddies fell through. I decided to head up to Ginnie anyway on Friday morning. After having to rebuild my BOV Thursday night when my unit failed its pressure test, I loaded my car for the drive in the morning, and hit the pillow. After what only felt like minutes the alarm was buzzing and 5:30am was here. I hoped in the car and made my way north. The whole drive up I thought the sky was going to let loose from all the fronts moving in but I was lucky to only drive through a little drizzle.

I made it to Ginnie a few minutes pass 9am checked in and parked by Little Devils. I was surprised that there was some what of a crowd, compared to what I have seen in the past few weeks. As I dropped my gear in to the water and was getting ready for my dive, I met Jim Wyatt (BTW it was nice to meet you Jim), and discussed my dive plan and what he was up to.

My dive plan was to head up hill 400, placing a jump in at 1000' heading to the syphon tunnel, then immediately jumped off the syphon line to the double lines. From there I wanted to swim the circuit back to Hill 400' and if I had time maybe check out the Ice Room. I knew it was big goals for one dive but I figured hey why not give it a shot, but my only limiting factor was the bailout plans I had written (2hr max BT).

For my actual dive, I entered by little devils, dropped in to the eye and made my way to the mainline, dropping my deco bottle by the sign. Once I started swimming up the gold line to the lips, my light surprised me in how much it lit up the tunnel. The reason for mentioning this is my primary is broke and I used my UK C4 led fitted with a goodman handle. Upon reaching the Hill 400' jump, I placed my spool in, swam up to about 600' and dropped a bailout bottle. At the 1000' marker I installed a spool to the syphon line, then swam back to the Hill 400' line and continued up to the 1200' marker and installed a jump to the other end of the Double Lines line. After making this jump, this part of the cave looked interesting and I decided to continue in. As soon as I began swimming the cave drops down about 10-15' and through a minor restriction. Heading in the cave was beautiful and low and wide, with a majority of the bottom being clay. I was taking my time going slowly checking out this awesome looking cave, and thinking how nice my sidemount would be cruising through here but definitely do able on my Kiss. After passing through the first major restriction or at least the one I believed is marked on the map and went till I saw the 1400' line marker.

At this point I turned around and decided to see if I could make it back to the other side of the double line circuit and complete it. By the time I reached the jump by the 1200' marker, I noticed I would not have time to complete the circuit and pulled my spool. Cruising down the hill back to my first jump spool I headed on that line and swam up the double lines line just to take another look at this part of the cave since my first visit a few weeks ago. I made it again to 1400' on the front side of the double line circuit and was 1 hr 25min in to my dive, which meant time to head home to make it back to the sign before 2hrs. I headed out of the cave cruising with the flow, pulling my spools. When I reached the Hill 400 line another team was exiting as I reeled in my spool. As I was swimming out I chuckled to myself, about having dive buddies now even though I do not think they knew I was behind them. At the 600' mark, my stage was retrieved and I continued my exit, reaching the sign at 1 hr 52min.

All in all it was a great dive, I got to see some new part of the cave, a better idea of the distance of the jumps and happy with my new stage bottle rigging. Now I need to write in more bailout plans in to my wetnotes (up to 4 hrs I guess). Hope to give this dive ago next week. It was also nice to meet YBWET and daehag (spelled right?).

Dive Summary
BT: 1 hr 52
Deco: 17 min
Max Depth: 99'
Avg. Depth: 80'
Setpoint: 1.1
Total Distance In: 1400'

FWIW I have been keeping track of distances and flow; here is a summary if anyone is interested.

9/27/09: 1250’, 30min, 42 fpm (Just drifting out from double lines)
10/3/09: 900’, 21min, 43 fpm (Just drifting from Bats to Mainline down the Hill)
10/16/09: 1300’, 27min, 48 fpm (Kicking some until making it to about 600’)

FYI/Warning: One of my mini spools fell off my clip, so beware there maybe a spool floating around, or loose line. The spool is a mini spool with pink line and marked 20’ on the side.

[CaveBuddy95]

I'm with Lynn on this one. The maps are there and divers talk about them all the time, but some of the smaller tunnels off the beaten path, even way up in the front of the cave (like the lips bypass, keyhole bypass, fuzzy bunny hole, etc), are not places prudent divers usually go without going there first with someone who is familiar with it.
Many of the lines are also usually far enough off the mainline that they are not visible from the main line anyway. That is a far better way to ensure they do not get casual drive by traffic, and it encourges a more or less guided dive with a diver who has already been there, at least the first time.

Just to say that its the same kind of problem here in Mexico. The lines are being changed on a frequent basis (supposed to be the act of only one person!!) and some 'hidden' jumps become Ts and so on.
If you want to go in some place not used very often, then you have to develop the skills and awarnes that would be necesary. Finding a 'hidden' jump is part of map reading/explration so if you are at that level, you should know better.
Preservation is the key, conservation is the mojo!