Little River and Peacock Springs blown out

[CamG]

Greetings fellow divers I was in north Florida last week Jan. 23-27. The rain has made a mess of it. We were planning to dive Little River but was blown out big time. We managed to get some training done a Orange Grove and a couple of dives in Peacock before the park ranger closed it. We then traveled to Ginnie Springs to complete the training. The river was rising there and they put the barrier up between Devils Ear and Eye. When we left on Wed. diving was still good but going through the ear was getting tougher with river current and visibility decreasing but still had a great dive.
I have waited two years to pursue the caves now I know some of them intimately and it is only worse than not knowing. It was a unbelievable experience that I can only hope will not be long till I return. Any ideas how long it will take to calm down? Pending more rain of coarse. I am heading back down the last week in March.
Jackson Blue, Peacock, and Little River are on the list weather pending of coarse.
Safe diving all and keep your lights charged up you never know when you will get a chance to head south!
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!

 

[TSandM]

Oh, you've caught it, haven't you? The cave bug's a virulent thing.

Sorry you were rained out of a lot of places. It's happened to me, too; I have yet to dive Peacock on any of my trips. We got one dive in upper Orange Grove before they closed it (beautiful cave, isn't it?) and then we went down to Manatee. It's worth sticking in your memory that the flow at Manatee is often way down when the other caves are flooded. It's apparently not very swimmable under normal conditions, but we swam it comfortably.

The other option is the Mill Pond, which doesn't blow out like the southern caves do. I think that's where we'll go in December.

 

[karstdvr]

Return to seasonal flooding is a good thing. It helps to "heal" the cave,and the rain helps the depleted aquifer for better diving. Caves being blown out during late winter to spring is usually a fact of life,unfortunately the droughts have allowed us to think the caves are available 365. It may be prudent to plan visits in the late spring,summer,and fall.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

There are always caves to dive, just keep an eye on the internet to see where you have to travel to.

Jackson Blue isn't the only cave on the Mill Pond, keep that in mind for sure

 

[LiteHedded]

Return to seasonal flooding is a good thing. It helps to "heal" the cave,and the rain helps the depleted aquifer for better diving. Caves being blown out during late winter to spring is usually a fact of life,unfortunately the droughts have allowed us to think the caves are available 365. It may be prudent to plan visits in the late spring,summer,and fall.

I wish ginnie would flood.
it could use some healing...

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

There are always caves to dive, just keep an eye on the internet to see where you have to travel to.

Jackson Blue isn't the only cave on the Mill Pond, keep that in mind for sure

I'll say ... so far in my short cave diving experience, Hole in the Wall is my favorite cave.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Its definately one of my favorites as well, been in 40+ systems now.

 

[piikki]

Sorry you were rained out of a lot of places. It's happened to me, too; I have yet to dive Peacock on any of my trips. We got one dive in upper Orange Grove before they closed it (beautiful cave, isn't it?) and then we went down to Manatee.

I wonder how crowded it gets in Ginnie and Manatee when everything else is flooded out and everyone is forced into same entries? I assume even Ear is closed now for a period?

How was it for you if you managed to do it more than once already (how unlucky!)? Manatee has limit on number of teams they allow in, did you have to rush in early in the morning and did you notice anyone being left out? Was it painfully crowded there and in Ginnie also on weekdays or only on weekends? I assume we are talking about Februarish time. Anyone?

Still twisted whether to use a week off in Feb to cave dive, and another commitment might keep me out of JB area.

 

[LiteHedded]

the ear is closed and there's is a temporary permanent line in the eye
it was extremely busy on saturday despite the nasty weather

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

I wonder how crowded it gets in Ginnie and Manatee when everything else is flooded out and everyone is forced into same entries? I assume even Ear is closed now for a period?

How was it for you if you managed to do it more than once already (how unlucky!)? Manatee has limit on number of teams they allow in, did you have to rush in early in the morning and did you notice anyone being left out? Was it painfully crowded there and in Ginnie also on weekdays or only on weekends? I assume we are talking about Februarish time. Anyone?

Still twisted whether to use a week off in Feb to cave dive, and another commitment might keep me out of JB area.

So why not consider a trip to Mexico instead?

... Bob (Grateful Diver)