2-28-07 Vortex Dive Report

[mulefeathers]

Please do not take offense to the question. Just have never been there and the pictures really did not show anything. I guess the real question would be do you need to be cave certified in order dive in the cavern? But I am all for saving $32

 

[DawgDiver]

What is the attraction? From the pictures it doesn't look there is much to see. Might have to try. It is beyond time to get wet.

The cavern is pretty cool. It's free. Oh, and I like to sit in the basin, take out my regulator and drink some fresh water.

There's no less of an attraction than at Vortex. What's at vortex to see unless you are cave certified? Not much.

 

[DawgDiver]

Please do not take offense to the question. Just have never been there and the pictures really did not show anything. I guess the real question would be do you need to be cave certified in order dive in the cavern? But I am all for saving $32

No, you do not have to be cave certified to dive in the cavern during the day. At night it's a different story, although there is nobody there to regulate what you do. You will need a light for the cavern, however.

 

[mulefeathers]

The cavern is pretty cool. It's free. Oh, and I like to sit in the basin, take out my regulator and drink some fresh water.

There's no less of an attraction than at Vortex. What's at vortex to see unless you are cave certified? Not much.

Well I have never been to Vortex either. I have only been in the quarry at Pelham and off the coast in the salt water. Diving the gulf is usually a big deal because I take the boat from Jackson MS to Dolphin Island and launch. But would like to be able to get in more dives throughout the year and that area is not that far of a drive.

 

[DawgDiver]

Well I have never been to Vortex either. I have only been in the quarry at Pelham and off the coast in the salt water. Diving the gulf is usually a big deal because I take the boat from Jackson MS to Dolphin Island and launch. But would like to be able to get in more dives throughout the year and that area is not that far of a drive.

Personally I really enjoyed morrison. It's a fun place to spend an afternoon and do 2 or 3 tanks. The water (on days it's not flooded) is the clearest i've ever seen, and the cavern is quite a bit of fun (for me anyway, all i ever dive is quarries and our local nasty lake). I think the fact that it's free just makes it even better. I wish i wasn't over 4 hours away, i'd dive it more often.

 

[mike_s]

Mule Feathers..

You don't have to be cavern certified to go into the cavern, but caution should be noted. It's an overhead environment and no direct access to the surface.

on some other caverns, the opening is large. on some it's somewhat small. Morrison cavern has pretty much two rooms. The first room really isn't in the cavern but halfway down the hole and on one side. the room opening is about the same width/height of the room. the room is about the size of a VW mini-bus. You can swim in/out w/o problem and no current. It is overhead though.

The second room is what most folks consider the cavern. It's a larger much larger room that reaches water depths of about 90+ feet. I'd say the ceiling of the room is maybe 50 to 60 feet. maybe the room is about 40' by 50' with a ledge that drops off. (someone correct me if they have better measurements).

The opening is a diaganol entrance with a rope in place to guide you in and to use as a hold. The opening is maybe I'd guess 8' by 8'. (again someone correct me if they've got better measurements).

Care should be taken when entering as it's a tight fit and the current can be strong. The spring produces something like 25million gallons of water per day, which is a lot of water moving out of that hole. You can feel it going in/out. When you come out, you need to make sure that you're holding on to the rope so that the current won't whisk you up and out and exceed the ascent rate.

With all that said, it's not something for someone right out of OW class to do. (They don't take the OW students in the cavern btw...)


here's some pics that Seayoda took.


As you can tell the water can be really clear

Here's the top of the funnel that goes down to the cavern entrance

here's the large cavern room entrance going down below the log.

the smaller cavern room that is off to the side before you enter the 'big room'

 

[DawgDiver]

Maybe it's changed but when I was there last summer there was no rope to hold onto at the cavern entrance.

 

[utdivermatt]

Mule Feathers..

You don't have to be cavern certified to go into the cavern, but caution should be noted. It's an overhead environment and no direct access to the surface.

on some other caverns, the opening is large. on some it's somewhat small. Morrison cavern has pretty much two rooms. The first room really isn't in the cavern but halfway down the hole and on one side. the room opening is about the same width/height of the room. the room is about the size of a VW mini-bus. You can swim in/out w/o problem and no current. It is overhead though.

If its overhead, its a cavern. Regardless of any other conditions. Thats not to say you cant do it, but realize there is an overhead enviroment is just that... regardless of how easy it looks

 

[wjefferis]

This is my two cents of advice. If you are not cave certified you really have no business entering the lower cavern. It is a tight entry in and defintely a cave dive by all definitions. Get the correct training and experience before entering. Many people ignore the warnings and enter the cavern without proper training, knowledge and gear. People have died at Morrison and other Florida caves by ignoring the warnings and feeling that they were supermen or superwomen. Your an adult and obviously you can make your own decisions, like I said...just my two cents worth of advice.

 

[mike_s]

Check out these two PDF maps of Morrison. (see below)

The 2nd one is a side profile. You can't go past about 90' deep as the cavern was blasted many years ago to keep people out of the cave. But the upper part of this map shows the 'funnel' going down into the cavern and with the smaller 'side cavern' (shown as first room) in the funnel.

http://www.floridacaves.com/morrisoncavernmap.pdf
http://www.floridacaves.com/morrisonmap.pdf

Maybe it's changed but when I was there last summer there was no rope to hold onto at the cavern entrance.

I guess someone cut the rope.... I dont' get to dive it as much as some of the other folks do. that rope was real nice to hold onto to keep you from getting swept upwards in the current.