Vortex Question and Answer

[VortexBlue]

I am sorry that I have not answered soom of your question over the last few days. The fact is I saw a chance to take a couple of days off and took it.
For those of you who do not know me, I am the new manager of Vortex Spring. My name is Shane and I would like to dispell some of the rumors that have been passed around. I would like for everyone that has a questions to please post it under this thread and I will try to answer all of them.
Let me get the basic out of the way.
The old owner and manager are no longer employed here. I have changed several things about the spring since I started.
1 - I have stopped all the alcohol on property ( I do not say anything to divers that wish to drink in their lodges or around the lodges all I ask is that you put it in a cup and do not diplay the bottles or cans).
2 - The swimmers are no longer allowed in the dive basin ( I can not control the people swimming or diving for free on the other side of the fence and for this I am sorry).
3 - I have changed the price from $32.00 to $19.00 for divers and you will still get a free air fill with dive ( this will be permanent as long as I have the business to matain it).

That is a start for now and please feel free to ask questions about things you are unclear about. I will try to keep up.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Welcome Aboard, Shane.
It's great to have you here; we're looking forward to being able to get the "straight skinny" on what's what at Vortex.
We try to keep this a flame-free zone to the extent possible, but you should wear your asbestos panties anyway, just as a precaution, don'tchaknow...
See y'all the 29th.
(and the 19th, and... etc...)
Again, Welcome Aboard.
Rick

 

[algulfdiver]

Shane,
It was good to meet You the other day and welcome to the board.
Do you think that if You removed the felt from the bottom that it would make any difference, as far as silt just lying on top?

 

[SeaYoda]

I noticed a lot of Koi poop in the water even on clear days after they were introduced.
This was on a day with no one in the spring:

I also noticed less clearing after the cave training facility was worked on.

Any thoughts on improving water clarity?

 

[Sonofasailor]

3 - I have changed the price from $32.00 to $19.00 for divers and you will still get a free air fill with dive ( this will be permanent as long as I have the business to matain it).

Glad to see that you guys are charging a more reasonable rate, I will surely visit more often!

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Any plans on dropping camping prices? I use the place a LOT more if I didn't have to pay $20 to park my car for the night, being as I don't need electricity/running water hookups.

 

[VortexBlue]

First to Gary, Thank you for being so gracious to me and my wife. I really enjoyed meeting you and hope we can be good friends in the future. I know that Marcie and Steve speak very highly of you. As for the carpets in the bottom of the basin, they have been used in the past to keep the hydrilla from growing. We have not used them since I have been running the spring and I have not had a problem with plant growth. I have had some issue with algae bloom but I seem to have that under control as well. I think it will be pretty safe to take the carpets out and see how it goes from there. I can always reintroduce them later if needed.

Seayoda, What you call Koi poop is actually a type of string algae that has been growing in the spring this year. I can not explain it but we had a very high nitrate level about 2 months ago that caused a massive algae bloom that caused the water to turn as green as pea soup (some of you might remember this). I have an idea of the origin of the nitrate that found its way into the spring but I will not talk about that here. The string algae comes and goes mostly on sunny days. This winter I will drain the basin and allow a complete flush to occur, this should wash it out.
Suprbugman, I will look into something like a frequent camper program where the more you stay the less it will cost you. I believe in loyalty and repaying it in kind.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

The stringy mid-water stuff has been around for two years or so atleast.

I will say that the last time I dove Vortex, month and a half ago or so, the visibility was 30-40' in the basin, which was much more than I've seen in better than a year or two previous. Didn't look like 30-40' this weekend(from above water, I didn't dive, just met up with Tom and Rick for their BBQ), but I understand their has been some work in the cave that clouded visibility up a bit.

Watch out with that work though... Former owner of land around Cypress(and current landowner around Becton) got into a bit of trouble for messing with the limestone at those springs. Kinda goes against conservatory efforts you read about in all the cave stuff too...

 

[SeaYoda]

Seayoda, What you call Koi poop is actually a type of string algae that has been growing in the spring this year....The string algae comes and goes mostly on sunny days. This winter I will drain the basin and allow a complete flush to occur, this should wash it out....

Bugman is right about the stuff being there more than a year. I never saw it until after the big influx of Koi (there have always been a few kept in the spring but they rescued a bunch a couple years ago and the population grew). I have watched the Koi forage and stir up the stuff on the bottom. Maybe that is what is sticking to the string algae. A good flush couldn't hurt I guess.

 

[Parysa]

I just wanted to say that I came to Vortex for the first time this past weekend and you guys have a beautiful place out there. I can't wait to go back. I'm just sorry that y'all have been put in the position of having to place all the signs around the area. Hopefully, things will settle down and they can eventually be removed.