Grumman581
Guest
My first dive at Blue Springs was around 1981 when I was in the Navy and stationed in Orlando. It wasn't a state park at that time and you pretty much had to hike about a mile through the forest, up and down the ravines, just to get there. To say the least, carrying a hundred pounds of gear was not all that fun back then. We didn't tend to wear wetsuits and the cool water sure did feel good after that hike.
A couple of years ago, I was back in Orlando and while the S.O. and our daughter did the Disney World thing, I tried to refresh my memory of some of the places that I had been when I had been stationed in Orlando, so of course, I had to go dive Blue Springs again. Back in 1981, it was not possible to see the "Cap Rock" (or perhaps it's called "Cork Rock"). The water flow was so great that it stirred up all the shells on the bottom and blew them upwards about 10 ft, at which time they would then fall out of the force of the flow and drift back down to the bottom. It was kind of like seeing a large 10 ft diameter white ball. Everytime I attempted to swim through this area, I would think that I had made it in that I had gotten to clear water, but in fact, I had been turned around and was back where I had started, except facing the opposite way. When I returned a couple of years ago, Cap Rock was entirely visibile and it was possible to get all the way up next to the opening, but every time I tried to peer or go though it, I found myself chewed up, spit out, and pinned to the overhead. I've heard of people who have made it past Cap Rock -- one who didn't survive and the other who apparently recovered his body. but I've never heard any reports of what might be on the other side. With that much flow, there must be *something* over there...
The only problem that I had with the park rangers was that if you came into the park and told them that you were diving, they required you to have a buddy. I dive solo, so I just didn't tell them that I was diving.
A couple of years ago, I was back in Orlando and while the S.O. and our daughter did the Disney World thing, I tried to refresh my memory of some of the places that I had been when I had been stationed in Orlando, so of course, I had to go dive Blue Springs again. Back in 1981, it was not possible to see the "Cap Rock" (or perhaps it's called "Cork Rock"). The water flow was so great that it stirred up all the shells on the bottom and blew them upwards about 10 ft, at which time they would then fall out of the force of the flow and drift back down to the bottom. It was kind of like seeing a large 10 ft diameter white ball. Everytime I attempted to swim through this area, I would think that I had made it in that I had gotten to clear water, but in fact, I had been turned around and was back where I had started, except facing the opposite way. When I returned a couple of years ago, Cap Rock was entirely visibile and it was possible to get all the way up next to the opening, but every time I tried to peer or go though it, I found myself chewed up, spit out, and pinned to the overhead. I've heard of people who have made it past Cap Rock -- one who didn't survive and the other who apparently recovered his body. but I've never heard any reports of what might be on the other side. With that much flow, there must be *something* over there...
The only problem that I had with the park rangers was that if you came into the park and told them that you were diving, they required you to have a buddy. I dive solo, so I just didn't tell them that I was diving.
