I am looking for information on Cave diving in Missouri. More specifically, how much diving there is and where, depth, VIz, air fills, and temps, etc. Gue Cave 1 level diver looking for somewhere closer than Florida to do some dives within reasonable limits. Thanks for any info you can give.
Cave Diving in Missouri.....Info needed.
- Thread starter jrudicel
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We have dived Missouri quit a bit. We dive Roubidoux and Mine Lamotte often. I haven't been in Cannonball tey though I will soon. There are also a bunch of river caves that you need a boat to get to.
Roubidoux is a great cave. Moderate flow and good vis for a good part of the year. There is a big cavern Zone and the cave runs at about 45 ft for the firt couple of hundred feet. This part of the cave is huge, both wide and tall. Then there is a vertical drop (the stair case) down to about 145. There is a little dick under and the cave gets low and wide. It's plenty tall enough for doubles though. From there it runs between 135 and 150 until 1300 ft or so and then it gets a bit deeper. Last I heard the OCDA had pushed the cave to 6 or 7 thousand feet and the line was tied off at the ceiling at 260 ft. Temps run between 50 and 56 degrees. We do it on mix and are still doing it with a single stage. You can entertain yourself for a bunch of dives without doing the deep section though. The first couple hundred feet and the stair case have lots of nooks and crannies to poke around in.
I'll post about Mine Lamotte Later. I need to eat dinner.
Where in Indiana are you?
Roubidoux is a great cave. Moderate flow and good vis for a good part of the year. There is a big cavern Zone and the cave runs at about 45 ft for the firt couple of hundred feet. This part of the cave is huge, both wide and tall. Then there is a vertical drop (the stair case) down to about 145. There is a little dick under and the cave gets low and wide. It's plenty tall enough for doubles though. From there it runs between 135 and 150 until 1300 ft or so and then it gets a bit deeper. Last I heard the OCDA had pushed the cave to 6 or 7 thousand feet and the line was tied off at the ceiling at 260 ft. Temps run between 50 and 56 degrees. We do it on mix and are still doing it with a single stage. You can entertain yourself for a bunch of dives without doing the deep section though. The first couple hundred feet and the stair case have lots of nooks and crannies to poke around in.
I'll post about Mine Lamotte Later. I need to eat dinner.
Where in Indiana are you?
Mike,
I am about 1 hour south of Indy and 1 hour north of Louisville , Ky. I just got my GUE Cave 1 with David Rhea in Florida and was just looking around for some alternative dive spots within driving distance ....and within my training limits......to check out in the near future. I had heard there are some cave sover that way, but was unsure on depths etc.
I am about 1 hour south of Indy and 1 hour north of Louisville , Ky. I just got my GUE Cave 1 with David Rhea in Florida and was just looking around for some alternative dive spots within driving distance ....and within my training limits......to check out in the near future. I had heard there are some cave sover that way, but was unsure on depths etc.
You need to hook up with us. We haven't done much in Missouri this spring but come late summer or early fall it'll be an almost every weekend thing for us. I think Roubidoux, at least the first part would be a great cave to cut your teeth on.
What we call Mine Lamotte is an old lead mine that flooded back in the fifties. The town is actually called Mine Lamotte and the mine is called "the Offsets". It's huge with several entrances and multiple levels. It's a real maze and I've only seen a small portion of it. Often the vis at the entrances and the shallow sections can be poor but clears up nice further in and a little deeper. The deepest I've seen there is about 70 ft but I know where there is a deeper section. There is also a room called the Bat cave (air over water) that has the most bats I've ever seen in one place in my life.
I don't know why but the water is cold here. It's colder than the fifty something that a Missouri cave is supposed to be. The one thing I would caution you about though is that in some places the line runs through larg rooms (as apposed to tunnels). It isn't uncommon to not be able to see the walls especially in lower vis. I think finding the line could be a real problem if you go off it. There are also lots of "Y" intersections so make sure you have something to mark them as you go in.
Let me know if you have other questions.
Thanks Mike and everybody for the info. It definately sounds like theres enough diving to keep one busy for a weekend or two.....even at my level. I know GUE Cave 1 limits are on the lighter side compared to others, but I'd just like to get some experience in somewhere in order to take Cave 2 next year. Missouri may be slightly closer and good for some variety over Florida. There was 3 of us here local by Indy that took the cave class together and we're all going to be itching to go somewhere.
Thanks again and maybe we can meet sometime later this summer over there.
Thanks again and maybe we can meet sometime later this summer over there.
wb416
Contributor
Don't go... it's cold, dark, and scary.... oh... wait... that sounds like midwest quarries...
I think I calculated once that it's an 11 hour haul for me to get to Missouri (and only 16 to get to NFL).... I'm afraid that if I got too close to Fort Leonardwood again, I'd break out in a rash and be unable to dive anyway...
Hi folks,
I've got some interest in going to Missouri to dive Roubideaux. I too am a GUE Cave 1 diver, so I want to keep it simple and work on the first few hundred feet in (100ft max depth). I have three other GUE Cave 1 divers with me in Lexington; all are meticulous about safety, planning, teamwork, etc. Maybe we organize a meeting to do some quarry dives in Indiana or outside of Louisville this summer, then talk about caving in Missouri. We also have interest in doing some Great Lakes wrecks.
Best wishes to all for a great (and safe) holiday weekend.
I've got some interest in going to Missouri to dive Roubideaux. I too am a GUE Cave 1 diver, so I want to keep it simple and work on the first few hundred feet in (100ft max depth). I have three other GUE Cave 1 divers with me in Lexington; all are meticulous about safety, planning, teamwork, etc. Maybe we organize a meeting to do some quarry dives in Indiana or outside of Louisville this summer, then talk about caving in Missouri. We also have interest in doing some Great Lakes wrecks.
Best wishes to all for a great (and safe) holiday weekend.
WB416,
11 hours?!!! Man, it sucks to be you. I looked them up, like Roubidoux and Mine L, and they are just over 400 miles for me and 6 - 6 1/2 hours. Of course, I would be more than glad to wait the 5 hours for you to get here if you want to go!
11 hours?!!! Man, it sucks to be you. I looked them up, like Roubidoux and Mine L, and they are just over 400 miles for me and 6 - 6 1/2 hours. Of course, I would be more than glad to wait the 5 hours for you to get here if you want to go!
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