Caves north of florida?

[Imbodie]

Here's an example of the line mess in my local "tourist" cave.

View attachment 695731

ok, now I want to dive your local tourist cave

 

[kensuf]

I'm not sure where the focus on Tim comes from?

The OP is in Ohio and we don't know anything about their training/experience (at least I don't). If people want to dive outside of the North FL state park (and Ginnie etc) tourist cave universe then contacting their local grotto is the way to discover what's available. And yes they are likely to be cold (which radically alters your perspective on lost line drills), lower vis, silty, with poorly laid, loose, damaged lines, and otherwise challenging dives. Here's an example of the line mess in my local "tourist" cave.

In any case, diving outside of the tourist zone will take much more self reflection and self assessment if a particular dive is suitable for their training level and experience.View attachment 695731

I wasn't picking on Tim, just responding to his comments about sump diving and other sites.

 

[Imbodie]

I wasn't picking on Tim, just responding to his comments about sump diving and other sites.

in that case I apologize for my potentially harsh response. I'm just so used to being beat up on CDF that it is now second nature to respond that way.

 

[kensuf]

and have I ever beaten you up on CDF or here?

 

[Imbodie]

and have I ever beaten you up on CDF or here?

no.. but there is always a first time... and honestly thought you were tiffed over my comments on the lifetime membership... Congrats by the way.

 

[Bowers]

I'm not sure where the focus on Tim comes from?

The OP is in Ohio and we don't know anything about their training/experience (at least I don't). If people want to dive outside of the North FL state park (and Ginnie etc) tourist cave universe then contacting their local grotto is the way to discover what's available. And yes they are likely to be cold (which radically alters your perspective on lost line drills), lower vis, silty, with poorly laid, loose, damaged lines, and otherwise challenging dives. Here's an example of the line mess in my local "tourist" cave.

In any case, diving outside of the tourist zone will take much more self reflection and self assessment if a particular dive is suitable for their training level and experience.View attachment 695731

This is very true. Im aware that most caves closer to ohio are sump dives and the added intricacies of that need to be addressed for others reading this. I have contacted a few local grottos per the link provided above but so far have only found them to be dry cavers (which i also enjoy but thats not what im on the hunt for).
For anyone looking to steer me in the right direction, im a full cave certified, mostly sidemount diver with ice cert among other things. i also do some dry caving and am a trad climber/rope rescue tec. Sump caves will be new to me but right up my alley so if anyone has a particular grotto to recommend or a potential buddy to explore with i’d be very appreciative!

 

[Imbodie]

This is very true. Im aware that most caves closer to ohio are sump dives and the added intricacies of that need to be addressed for others reading this. I have contacted a few local grottos per the link provided above but so far have only found them to be dry cavers (which i also enjoy but thats not what im on the hunt for).
For anyone looking to steer me in the right direction, im a full cave certified, mostly sidemount diver with ice cert among other things. i also do some dry caving and am a trad climber/rope rescue tec. Sump caves will be new to me but right up my alley so if anyone has a particular grotto to recommend or a potential buddy to explore with i’d be very appreciative!

pm me

 

[rjack321]

ok, now I want to dive your local tourist cave

Apart from the intermittently crappy line (it gets damaged every winter and sometimes even in big summer storms) it's pretty dang friendly. There is very little silt and most of the percolation has long since been dislodged by bubbles. I attached another pic from that cave, this is a downstream siphon section.

It's called "Wet Dream" so while I was the first explorer I let my buddy Peter name it. He's been looking for fully flooded cave dives on North Vancouver Island for decades, this was the dream cave. It's not near Ohio though, water temp about 50F/8C which is one of the warmest around because it receives so much surface inflow. While you can just about drive right up to it (50m walk) there's no picnic table to gear up on

In any case, the way to start diving non-tourist sites in my neck of the woods is (again) to contact the local caving club. In this case its Vancouver Island Cave Exploration Group Home

A significant number of caves do actually have water/sumps in them, access is almost always an epic effort.

 

[kensuf]

This is very true. Im aware that most caves closer to ohio are sump dives and the added intricacies of that need to be addressed for others reading this. I have contacted a few local grottos per the link provided above but so far have only found them to be dry cavers (which i also enjoy but thats not what im on the hunt for).
For anyone looking to steer me in the right direction, im a full cave certified, mostly sidemount diver with ice cert among other things. i also do some dry caving and am a trad climber/rope rescue tec. Sump caves will be new to me but right up my alley so if anyone has a particular grotto to recommend or a potential buddy to explore with i’d be very appreciative!

There should definitely be some sump stuff in Kentucky and West Virginia, both border Ohio. If sump diving is in your future, I'd talk with Jon Lillestolen, who is the sump diving coordinator for the NSS-CDS and may be able to help get you started. You can find his contact here NSS-CDS Board of Directors and Staff - NSS CDS.

 

[rddvet]

in that case I apologize for my potentially harsh response. I'm just so used to being beat up on CDF that it is now second nature to respond that way.

no.. but there is always a first time... and honestly thought you were tiffed over my comments on the lifetime membership... Congrats by the way.

I'm starting to suspect your screen name on cdf is different and I think I know what it is.

I've been very vocally anti-CDS for a while now. I personally would be happy with the CDS being abolished or becoming a conservation only group. Either way Ken doesn't dislike me over it.