A Great Week at The Millpond

[ianr33]

Spent most of last week in Marianna. The weather was perfect. Got to dive with old friends and meet some new ones as well.

Visibility in JB and Twin Cave was excellent, Hole in the Wall.....not so much.

Diving highlights were doing the circuit in Twin and a double stage swim dive back to the Trashroom in JB.

A very amusing day was spent trying to dive Bozell which is a good paddle upstream from Florida Caverns State Park. After a close encounter with a snake Zinc headed off into the obvious entrance. After 30 feet or so the cave took a hard left and became No Go for doubles. We figured it was an evil ploy of Edds to sell another Nomad Despite trying a couple more silty,syphony holes we never did find the backmount entrance.
Finally Zinc decided to try another stagnant looking pool just over a small hill. So he took his fins off,walked over there and hopped in. Dropped down to 5 feet ,looked under a log and found himself face to face with a gator Apparently it's difficult to swim backwards with no fins and double 104s
Lots of effort,little diving and a fun adventure.

Photos are the dock at Twin and the road to Bozell.

Also a neat video of Shangri La
Shangri La - Florida 2010 on Vimeo

 

[GLENFWB]

Well now I can put a face with a screen name. I was the guy talking to you at Ed's about the entrance to Bozell. We dove JB and Twin that day. We also took a tour around Shangr-La. You are right, weather was awesome. Glad you guys had some good dives....better luck next time at Bozell. It is worth a trip back.

Spent most of last week in Marianna. The weather was perfect. Got to dive with old friends and meet some new ones as well.

Visibility in JB and Twin Cave was excellent, Hole in the Wall.....not so much.

Diving highlights were doing the circuit in Twin and a double stage swim dive back to the Trashroom in JB.

A very amusing day was spent trying to dive Bozell which is a good paddle upstream from Florida Caverns State Park. After a close encounter with a snake Zinc headed off into the obvious entrance. After 30 feet or so the cave took a hard left and became No Go for doubles. We figured it was an evil ploy of Edds to sell another Nomad Despite trying a couple more silty,syphony holes we never did find the backmount entrance.
Finally Zinc decided to try another stagnant looking pool just over a small hill. So he took his fins off,walked over there and hopped in. Dropped down to 5 feet ,looked under a log and found himself face to face with a gator Apparently it is difficult to swim backwards with no fins and double 104s
Lots of effort,little diving and a fun adventure.

Photos are the dock at Twin and the road to Bozell.

Also a neat video of Shangri La
Shangri La - Florida 2010 on Vimeo

 

[Dive-aholic]

Bozell is definitely better suited for sidemount, especially the first couple hundred feet. You really have to know where the bypass is to find it. Also, keep in mind that the land surrounding Bozell is private property and we shouldn't be stepping foot on it.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Spend a little time in the basin and you can find the BM entrance, thats how I found it... after everyone suggested wedging myself at the bottom of some retarted crack(uh, no).

 

[_Slacker_]

... after everyone suggested wedging myself at the bottom of some retarted crack(uh, no).

You mean the little crack below this sidemount diver?

 

[GLENFWB]

Hey Bugman, I found a note on my slate the other day that said, "Do we have to come back through here??" I started laughing...I remember writing that question to you right before going through that crack sideways the first time! But I made it..with a camera and strobes!

Spend a little time in the basin and you can find the BM entrance, thats how I found it... after everyone suggested wedging myself at the bottom of some retarted crack(uh, no).

 

[Zinc]

After a close encounter with a snake Zinc headed off into the obvious entrance. After 30 feet or so the cave took a hard left and became No Go for doubles. We figured it was an evil ploy of Edds to sell another Nomad Despite trying a couple more silty,syphony holes we never did find the backmount entrance.
Finally Zinc decided to try another stagnant looking pool just over a small hill. So he took his fins off,walked over there and hopped in. Dropped down to 5 feet ,looked under a log and found himself face to face with a gator Apparently it's difficult to swim backwards with no fins and double 104s

Snakes, gators, and holes I can't back mount... welcome to North Florida, what a blast!

I'm still not totally convinced that Edd didn't point us that way to seal the deal on a Nomad.... either way it worked

Spend a little time in the basin and you can find the BM entrance, thats how I found it... after everyone suggested wedging myself at the bottom of some retarted crack(uh, no).

We spent 93 minutes poking around the SM holes in that basin before I tried the other pool w/ the gator. Later I shared my notes and drawn map w/ Edd, figured I passed over the actual BM entrance thinking it was another siphon...

Gave two separate attempts short of digging before resolving to "Say No to Crack" in BM. I'm really looking forward to going back to Bozel to settle unfinished business.

 

[Cave Diver]

Finally Zinc decided to try another stagnant looking pool just over a small hill. So he took his fins off,walked over there and hopped in. Dropped down to 5 feet ,looked under a log and found himself face to face with a gator

Nice, but where are the pics of the gator?

 

[Zinc]

Nice, but where are the pics of the gator?

Yes, the HD Helmet cam would've been great just then.

The gator seemed less than thrilled at my dropping in, turned and headed away while I flutter kicked my fin-less converse hi tops in it's general direction and going nowhere under double 112's till the two inflators kicked on in my attempt to polaris out of there...

 

[_Slacker_]

We spent 93 minutes poking around the SM holes in that basin before I tried the other pool w/ the gator. Later I shared my notes and drawn map w/ Edd, figured I passed over the actual BM entrance thinking it was another siphon...

I'm not sure I'd admit to that in public :cool2:

If you go into the cave from the spring run and follow the line, you will come to a window that you can exit to get to the second pool. You'll know if you miss the exit as about 10 more feet in you reach a sharp left turn and are staring at the restriction. See attached photo, sorry but it's the best I found from my last trip, for the BM entrance. This entrance almost directly under the rope swing. It doesn't look like much but if you run a line to the back of it it drops into the cave just past the restriction.