Trip Reports: FL Springs Trip 2-18 through 2-21-05

[Charlie J]

WHAT A GREAT TIME!!!!

So...The trip down on Friday 2/18 was uneventful (the best way). Mel, Dale, Marci and Glenn arrived first, thanks to "crack before dawn" leaving - Kristi and I arrived about 4:15 and Jason followed up about 6:30. We were munching on steaks, taters and salad by 7:30 and Bobby joined us shortly thereafter. Jason, Dale and Glenn were hit the books and classroom early Saturday for the Cave Diving training, while Bobby was kind enough to show the rest of us the layout at Ginnie, before he hit the caves himself. Mel, Marci, Kristi and I did Ginnie first (watch out for your face mask, lots of elbows in the OW area!) - then back in the afternoon with Bobby for Devil's crack, eye and ear. Kristi and I hit Ginnie again about 7 pm for a night dive - wonderful! Saw a fresh water lobster about 5 in. long (BIG crawdad for us FL folks) lots of large trout, bream, catfish and the worlds largest bluegill? Kristi spotted a fresh water flounder about 2 1/2 inches long - I didn't even know they existed! Back to the cottage for some burgers and dogs and such, and then Kristi and I left the next morning just after the guys went back for more instruction and Mel, Marci and Bobby hit Ginnie again. They'll have to report on the diving for Sunday.

Lots of great talk, absolutely far-ranging, MOST of which can't be repeated here!!! (hehehehehe)....

Thanks to Glenn, Kristi, Mel, Marci, Dale (great burgers!) Jason and Bobby for helping make this a GREAT trip. We started talking about doing it again later this summer....

Oh - and all of you who couldn't make it - Yeah, we DID talk about you.....(lol).

 

[simbrooks]

Sounds like you had a good time!!

Devil's crack

Little Devil

Kristi spotted a fresh water flounder about 2 1/2 inches long - I didn't even know they existed!

There are dozens of them hidden in the sand there in the main basin.

They'll have to report on the diving for Sunday.

Did they make it to OG?

Lots of great talk, absolutely far-ranging, MOST of which can't be repeated here!!! (hehehehehe)....

Divers Who Date the omnibus edition?

Oh - and all of you who couldn't make it - Yeah, we DID talk about you.....(lol).

Sorry i couldnt make it, i did contemplate just coming up for the day, but i couldnt dive with my sinuses shot due to this cold i am still shaking off. It threw out my diving on friday right through sunday - no fun!

When you next make a trip down i will try harder Maybe y'all could come to the megadive in May?

 

[Charlie J]

Hi Simon - sorry you couldn't make it - I stand corrected on the "little devil" :devil_smi ! Don't know where the group went Sunday - we left just after they headed out and they're still traveling.

Sorry about the cold again - mine's just kicking in right now - luckily after the trip.

 

[Charlie J]

Tell me more about the megadive in May?

 

[suthnbelle]

Did they make it to OG?

Unfortunately not.

Divers Who Date the omnibus edition?

You don't even want to know. They can even make me blush at times!

When you next make a trip down i will try harder

Maybe y'all could come to the megadive in May?

When is the megadive? I'm planning another trip to NFL for early spring.

 

[suthnbelle]

Charle, here is the megadive thread http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=83086. I'll not be able to make it but will be returning to NFL in April.

I'm exhausted right now but I'll give a little trip report tomorrow. Maybe Jason, Dale, or Glenn will give a report regarding the cavern course.

 

[simbrooks]

There is your reference to come back and do it again. I will try to get up for other trips in the future. The cold is slowly starting to break now, but it might be another day or two - hopefully in time for the weekend. Still want to hear reports about sunday and the cavern course if you have moments to write

 

[BabyDuck]

Divers Who Date the omnibus edition?

let's just say 'buddies'... and leave it at that.

 

[Jason B]

Hey Simon,
About the cavern course....the cave bug nipped at me when we enter the Devils Eye system...once we dropped to the gold line in the Devils Ear system...the cave bug bit me hard as h311. Gotta go back and get intro now!
Despite Johnny Richards easy going laid back demeanor, he put us through the ringer. Intense class as far as classroom goes (I see you have the cert so I know you know what I'm talking about...information overload). As for the diving, he tried to make us screw up as much as possible, and he usually succeeded. My finger tips were sore and my ego was smacked around a bit which is a good thing at this level. I hate to say to much as everyone really needs to experience it first hand. I will say that it was the most intense training I've every had. Looking forward to getting smacked around a little more as I procceed to Intro class.
Speaking of Intro, how did yours go?

Jason

 

[simbrooks]

Speaking of Intro, how did yours go?

My cavern course is actually pretty close to an intro course, doing all the same skills as the intro course (lost line, lost buddy, cut line, entangled diver, OOA w/o mask and/or lights, total light failure drills) without going on the gold line, then we did it again with reasonable penetration and out of the daylight zone for intro - i did peacock cavern, devils eye-ear up to the cornflakes, manatee springs spring and siphon to get through those and have since done a bit more around peacock and OG after the course. Might hit full cave later this year or early next year, but need to do adv nitrox/deco first and apprentice probably too.