Major League Vortex Meet/Dive - Oktoberfest

[philmottrek99and02]

Anyone going from the greater Hattiesburg MS area? Send me a PM. I have equipment that belongs to SuprBugMan and I need to get it back to him.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Lil38, where on central FL are you? Shouldn't be 10 hours... I can get from Mobile(AL) to Orlando in about that amount of time. Its ~7 hours for me to get from here to Ginnie Springs doing the speedlimit and Vortex is ~2 hours from me.

Assuming all you people can get to I-10 Take Exit 96 off of I-10, in FL, and head North. You'll be on SR81. ~5 miles north you'll take a left at the big Vortex Springs sign. It stands out quite a bit, you shouldn't miss it, or the several signs they have on SR81 guiding the way. Not to mention the big billboard they have on either side of the interstate.



I'd rather not dive Vortex all day, wouldn't mind one dive in the morning and one dive at night though. I'll be diving Morrison the rest of the time if I have my way

Anyone interested in a cleanup dive at Morrison, followed by a buncha fun dives? Its about 10 miles south of Vortex as the crow flies, so its in the same area. Rent whatever you need at Vortex, Morrison doesn't have any kind of equipment or filling capabilities... or warm water or electricity

There was alot of trash in the spring run this past weekend, we filled up philmotrek's goodybag and there was alot left that we had no room for... Its a beautiful spring and run, the garbage is really starting to bug me.

My plans, by no means completely concrete...

Vortex dive in the morning
Morrison dive midmorning
Morrison cleanup dive

Lunch at Sally's?

Socialize at Vortex

Vortex dive?

Sausage dinner

Vortex night dive

Beer tasting

Sunday gonna meet up with a Chicagan SB'er for a set of dives at Cypress(and maybe one at Becton). If anyone else wants to come along for that dive, they're more than welcome, but you'll need to bring a boat/canoe/kayak or rent one from Vortex.

More lunch somewhere...

Go home and sleep a bunch.

 

[paulwall]

Anyone going from the greater Hattiesburg MS area? Send me a PM. I have equipment that belongs to SuprBugMan and I need to get it back to him.

Ok, I may need to bag this trip. I am all set up and ready to go, but don't know if the roads/traffic/recovery efforts will stymie my plans.

Currently, I will be taking the Causeway to I-12 to I-59 to SR26 East. Pick up US98 and take it down to Mobile, missing all of the I-10 through Mississipi, and staying out of the Relief efforts' way. Pick up I-10 in Mobile, and leave it again on the W side of Pensacola Bay to Nine Mile Point road and Pick up I-10 again on the E side of the Bay then to Vortex.

Flaws in the plan? I estimate it will take more than 8 hours to get there. I'm off Friday, so that's not a big deal. Returning Sunday might be a chore, though. I'm flying back out Monday from New Orleans.

Reservations at the lodge are still held, though. Weather might decide it for me.

Will Stay in Touch.

 

[The Kraken]

Everyone needs to be sure to bring a folding chair to sit in !!!

the K

 

[philmottrek99and02]

Ok, I may need to bag this trip. I am all set up and ready to go, but don't know if the roads/traffic/recovery efforts will stymie my plans.

Currently, I will be taking the Causeway to I-12 to I-59 to SR26 East. Pick up US98 and take it down to Mobile, missing all of the I-10 through Mississipi, and staying out of the Relief efforts' way. Pick up I-10 in Mobile, and leave it again on the W side of Pensacola Bay to Nine Mile Point road and Pick up I-10 again on the E side of the Bay then to Vortex.

Might want to check. I-10 is open through Mississippi. I can make it to Vortex in about 4 hours from Hattiesburg, MS. From Hattiesburg to I-10 is about an hour. I'll let you do the math on how long it will take you to get to Vortex. I'd go probably 6 hours myself, more likely 5. If SuPrBuGmAn were driving, I'd say 8 - 12 hours to make the trip. Mat, you need to set out a donations bucket to upgrade your ride. Just kidding.

Flaws in the plan? I estimate it will take more than 8 hours to get there. I'm off Friday, so that's not a big deal. Returning Sunday might be a chore, though. I'm flying back out Monday from New Orleans.

Reservations at the lodge are still held, though. Weather might decide it for me.

Will Stay in Touch.

 

[paulwall]

Might want to check. I-10 is open through Mississippi. I can make it to Vortex in about 4 hours from Hattiesburg, MS.

That's good info. Thanks. I haven't been back to my house since 9/14 and don't know what to expect east of there. West, I have a pretty good idea.

 

[Li'l38]

Lil38, where on central FL are you? Shouldn't be 10 hours... I can get from Mobile(AL) to Orlando in about that amount of time. Its ~7 hours for me to get from here to Ginnie Springs doing the speedlimit and Vortex is ~2 hours from me.

Well it's nearly 3hr to Ginnie, add 5 to get to Vortex= 8hrs <sigh> What's the latest time I can get there Friday night?

Assuming all you people can get to I-10 Take Exit 96 off of I-10, in FL, and head North. You'll be on SR81. ~5 miles north you'll take a left at the big Vortex Springs sign. It stands out quite a bit, you shouldn't miss it, or the several signs they have on SR81 guiding the way. Not to mention the big billboard they have on either side of the interstate.

Good, this is a big help if it's Friday night, after dark....... I'm a li'l bit of a wuss when it comes to driving at night on unfamiliar roads....I'll call, just before I get there and someone can run out to the entrance and light a flare Unless I head up Saturday morning...<ugh, actually Friday nite late, that don't sound good>...what time for the morning dive ya think? Is it gated? I don't want to be there at, say, 7am n have to sit in my truck outside of a locked gate. Or worse, get there at midnight n have to sleep all night in my truck! :11: The dive/ eat/ social out line looks fine to me. I might ask for Monday off work, to allow for more fun time on Sunday not to mention, a more leisurely drive home! I need to know if I can crash in the bunk house. I can bring my tent but dang, itty-bitty is an understatement.........

My plans, by no means completely concrete...drive, drive, dive, dive, dive, eat, drink n be merry, dive some more, drive, drive........ um , I don't see sleep on the list............Oh here it is!

Go home and sleep a bunch.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Currently, I will be taking the Causeway to I-12 to I-59 to SR26 East. Pick up US98 and take it down to Mobile, missing all of the I-10 through Mississipi, and staying out of the Relief efforts' way. Pick up I-10 in Mobile, and leave it again on the W side of Pensacola Bay to Nine Mile Point road and Pick up I-10 again on the E side of the Bay then to Vortex.

Flaws in the plan? I estimate it will take more than 8 hours to get there. I'm off Friday, so that's not a big deal. Returning Sunday might be a chore, though. I'm flying back out Monday from New Orleans.

Reservations at the lodge are still held, though. Weather might decide it for me.

Will Stay in Touch.

I-10 is opened up and running steadily. Don't bypass it through Mississippi. Depending on when you leave and when you get into Pensacola, I would think twice about bypassing it there. philmotrek and I took I-10 across Pensacola Bay last Sunday and didn't get held up much at all and we weren't early(10-11AM). I'm guessing 4.5-5 hours of driving from Slidell. Getting from NO to the North Shore is the biggest hassle I've been having while working in NO post hurricanes... Getting to the Westbank is even worse.

Well it's nearly 3hr to Ginnie, add 5 to get to Vortex= 8hrs <sigh> What's the latest time I can get there Friday night?Good, this is a big help if it's Friday night, after dark....... I'm a li'l bit of a wuss when it comes to driving at night on unfamiliar roads....I'll call, just before I get there and someone can run out to the entrance and light a flare Unless I head up Saturday morning...<ugh, actually Friday nite late, that don't sound good>...what time for the morning dive ya think? Is it gated? I don't want to be there at, say, 7am n have to sit in my truck outside of a locked gate. Or worse, get there at midnight n have to sleep all night in my truck! :11: The dive/ eat/ social out line looks fine to me. I might ask for Monday off work, to allow for more fun time on Sunday not to mention, a more leisurely drive home! I need to know if I can crash in the bunk house. I can bring my tent but dang, itty-bitty is an understatement.........

My plans, by no means completely concrete...drive, drive, dive, dive, dive, eat, drink n be merry, dive some more, drive, drive........ um , I don't see sleep on the list............Oh here it is!

Vortex's office closes at 7PM I believe, but they have an attendant at the gate all night and they can sign you in. I made reservations to camp last time as well as do a night dive, I got there at 9PM, dove, camped, and payed in the morning. The office opens at 7AM, again, they have someone at the entrance signing people in early.

The sign marking the entrance road to Vortex is lighted, but if you call, I'm sure someone can meet you at the highway or at the interstate exit.

If SuPrBuGmAn were driving, I'd say 8 - 12 hours to make the trip. Mat, you need to set out a donations bucket to upgrade your ride. Just kidding.

Good idea, I'll bring a "Pimp my ride bucket"

Hopefully by the Vortoberfest next fall('06) I'll have a little 4cyl wagon to scoot me along the interstate with decent gas mileage.

 

[darcy]

I'm up for a Cypress dive SBM. I feel the same way you do about Vortex, although I'd like to get a night dive in there at least once.

Gotta try out those floaty things Kraken got from Fredricks....

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I'm up for a Cypress dive SBM. I feel the same way you do about Vortex, although I'd like to get a night dive in there at least once.

Gotta try out those floaty things Kraken got from Fredricks....

Sounds good Darcy. CD_in_Chitown will be with us, told him we'd be doing 2 tanks(which may include a short dive at Becton - Oh Noes!). We can pack 3 in the boat with 3 people, like last time, but during the SI, I'll have to run back up to the truck to drop off empty tanks and pick up full ones - not a big deal. We'll be cramped again, but the more the merrier

Consider the Jellyfished packed on Sunday peoples. If anyone else wants to goto Cypress, by all means come out - be prepared to bring/rent your own rides though!