Do you drink the spring water while diving?

[newmanl]

Absolutely not. In fact, if I had voluntary control, I'd close all non-necessary (for the dive) orifices! I can't speak to Florida, but in Mexico the cenotes are polluted - evidenced by the often very poor condition of the fishes. Some show it more than others such as Mayan cichlids (Mayaheros urophthalmus) and mangrove mollies (Poecilia orri). Given the religious use of 'ear beer' and knowing the consequences of complacency with its use, I looked into the water quality.

Here's a link to a paper from 10 years ago about sewage in the Yucatan ground water: https://www.researchgate.net/public...ribbean_coast_of_the_Yucatan_Peninsula_Mexico

And here's a link to a paper from last year that talks about coliforms: https://biorisk.pensoft.net/article/58455/download/pdf/482035

I'll continue to get mine from a bottle thanks!

 

[greeniguana]

Perhaps there's a market for ludicrously expensive bottles of spring water hand-collected deep inside pristine caves by death-defying divers.

Nobody will buy it. You first have to find a way to remove all of the minerals, then add back in all the minerals.

It's got electrolytes!

 

[Lorenzoid]

Absolutely not. In fact, if I had voluntary control, I'd close all non-necessary (for the dive) orifices! I can't speak to Florida, but in Mexico the cenotes are polluted - evidenced by the often very poor condition of the fishes. Some show it more than others such as Mayan cichlids (Mayaheros urophthalmus) and mangrove mollies (Poecilia orri). Given the religious use of 'ear beer' and knowing the consequences of complacency with its use, I looked into the water quality.

Here's a link to a paper from 10 years ago about sewage in the Yucatan ground water: https://www.researchgate.net/public...ribbean_coast_of_the_Yucatan_Peninsula_Mexico

And here's a link to a paper from last year that talks about coliforms: https://biorisk.pensoft.net/article/58455/download/pdf/482035

I'll continue to get mine from a bottle thanks!

I picked up a nasty ear infection in Mexico because for some reason--probably feeling a little carefree being on vacation--I was lax in using ear beer (which I use regularly in Florida). I can only imagine what seeps into those shallow caves from human activity above.

In Florida, even though there is a lot of rock above through which water gets filtered, at my level of diving I don't get far enough back for the water to be crystal clear. I believe the OP asked about dives far back in the cave.

 

[KDAD]

I have in Mexico. It was in a fairly stagnant part of the cenote if I remember correctly so maybe that is why it didn't taste as good as I had hoped. Tasted like limestone. I would do it again but maybe more selective as to where.

 

[Caveeagle]

Some of y’all are making me laugh with the brash display of ignorance.

I have taken a sip or two at times when I know the water is very clear and particulate is low. But really no more than to clear the parch. If the water were really all that contaminated, you are probably risking as much in passive blow (or suck) by anyway.

I also have a well that pulls right from the same groundwater on the Santa Fe River. I have a filter on my fridge and sink, but nothing special on the well. I have had this water tested twice and was told it was AOK.

I've lived in FL all my life, never seen a single filter on any well pump. The FDEP actually has assumed regulation of the safe drinking water act from the EPA in FL. There are no filter requirements.... If our spring needed to be filtered, Nestlé wouldn't want to take all of it.

The water in the springs we dive in in NFL is no different than any other well.

not entirely true. Wells vary greatly from hole to hole. Even my neighbors well is just ~125’ from mine and he has issues. Sucks for him, that he’s tapped into some vein with river intrusion. Anyone who’s been in the fl caves, should know the water movement is vary dynamic under there.

Your friends just didn't like the taste, or didn't like hard water, but a filter is not required.

Nestlé is full of $hit, I don't believe anything on their website. Please send me any actual federal filter requirements you have. Public supply wells have testing requirements. Again, there is no EPA in FL. FDEP regulates drinking water.

so, beyond your hatred for Nestle.. what data do you have to support your little rant? I have worked inside many bottling plants (not nestle), and can tell you they filter the $nit out all the water going into any beverage container. And yes, many bottlers will actually add minerals to stabilize the flavor consistency (ever read labels?).
There are FDA max standards for impurities in water, such as bromides. The company I worked for has standards set that exceeded the fda. I have personally supervised the destruction of one run of water (~750 pallets), where the contents was perfectly safe from an fda perspective, but were off from company specs. So the entire run was crushed, and the PET was recycled.

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

if the passage is clear and I'm not immediately behind my buddy then quite regularly. If there is high particulate or in close proximity then no.

Ditto...we get our water from a well that is about 75-100 yards from the Santa Fe River, 3 miles upstream of Ginnie. We have no filtration and have been drinking it since 2004.

 

[BRT]

You are mistaken (about nestle). I've lived in a house that had a well, and had a couple friends with wells. All three of those wells had complicated filter systems. I realize that's a very small sample size.

This page is where Nestle describes the filtering they do. Nestle also provide links to the federal requirements for filtering. Both the FDA and the EPA require water to be filtered before it is bottled. Nestlé® Pure Life Purified Water You can't legally sell water in the US which isn't filtered.

The water in our town is not bottled, but it is not filtered or treated in any other way.

 

[karstdvr]

Ditto...we get our water from a well that is about 75-100 yards from the Santa Fe River, 3 miles upstream of Ginnie. We have no filtration and have been drinking it since 2004.

Want to be aware. There was a neighborhood in north Suwannee County that everyone developed symptoms of headaches, nausea etc. It was found to be related to ground water pollution, and the instructions were the elderly and infants couldn't drink the water.

 

[happy-diver]

Perhaps there's a market for ludicrously expensive bottles of spring water hand-collected deep inside pristine caves by death-defying divers.

That's what we'll tell them anyway, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!


Yeah I've had a slurp but nothing relevant geographically nor geologically

 

[homerdoc]

I'm selective - Ginnie springs ballroom - yep as long as not stirred up. Devils Den, Blue Grotto...no. I will confess on a really long dive at Jocassee I did take a sip when my throat got really dry, but wouldnt make it a habit there.