Vortex Springs 4/02/05

[fmw625]

My neice and her boyfriend are going to Vortex Springs today 4/02/05 for their cert dives with a group out of Jackson, MS. They will be diving in the afternoon. If anyone is there say hello and make them welcome. Wish I could have gone but had to work.

 

[GREG R.]

My neice and her boyfriend are going to Vortex Springs today 4/02/05 for their cert dives with a group out of Jackson, MS. They will be diving in the afternoon. If anyone is there say hello and make them welcome. Wish I could have gone but had to work.

just joined the forum here yesterday and then saw this lol. i was with the jackson group was getting my 13 yr old son cert. i met your neice and boyfreind great people. we were actually staying at same hotel. we had a great time first time at vortex for me. it was a hoot. :frosty:

 

[fmw625]

they said they got real cold. My wife was part of the support group.

 

[SubMariner]

they said they got real cold. My wife was part of the support group.

Yes, even the most hardy will need 5-7mm; we tend to wear our drysuits. The water is only about 68F year round.

 

[GREG R.]

it was 80 degrees in jackson several days prior to the dive w/e. then wicked front moved thru on friday night, and the temp droped to low 60's with wind 20- 30 mph(mid day) the water was bad mucked up due to the heavy rains. 8 ft vis while diving. lol and i'm used to 250 ft vis so it was totally new experience. but was buddied up with a local rescue diver and he's used to 6inch vis. just can't see the fun in that. different strokes i guess.( i believe i met your sister or in law there also).

 

[GREG R.]

Yes, even the most hardy will need 5-7mm; we tend to wear our drysuits. The water is only about 68F year round.

we had a ten yr old boy in the group and had to get three suits on him just to keep him warm and instructor only had shorty farmers suit on. then you would see teenagers in only swim suits,swimming. it runs the full gammet out there. would like to go back when the water is clearer. are there some other springs near by to dive ?

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

we had a ten yr old boy in the group and had to get three suits on him just to keep him warm and instructor only had shorty farmers suit on. then you would see teenagers in only swim suits,swimming. it runs the full gammet out there. would like to go back when the water is clearer. are there some other springs near by to dive ?

The weather didn't cause the water to be mucked up, its the abundance of fish crap, and diver traffic. Getting in the water before everyone else helps alot. I try to be there no later than 8AM when I want to dive that site.

Morrison Springs is just down the road. It can get crowded too, so get there early. Morrison is a much more natural spring which is why I preffer it. Its visibility is dependant on weather and river levels, course, traffic has alot to do with it too. The bottom of Morrison is composed mostly of a thick layer of duckweed which will stay suspended in the water for a good amount of time when kicked up. Morrison is very flooded right now, don't count on diving it in the next few weeks unless you want to swim through some tea-colored river water and head for the cavern(which is always perfectly clear).

Cypress isn't far either, but its only accessible by canoe/small boat. This keeps it from being very busy at all. I've never had to share Cypress with any other divers that weren't in the group I was in. Visibility is usually excellent/perfect, but flood conditions can put an end to that(its currently flooded, but should be OK by this weekend). It pushes 96mgd of water through its boils which keeps it clear through most heavy rains and high waters up to flood level. The basin is very picturesque and there is a small cavern to explore if you can get past the flow.

Becton/Magnolia is downstream from Cypress. I've only been to it once, and the water was high and the entire basin was tannic save for 2' above the small fissure at the bottom. I'm not sure how low the water has to be before Becton clears, but I'd like to check it out on a day when its not flooded. Again, only accessible by boat and its not crowded.

 

[Corigan]

The weather didn't cause the water to be mucked up, its the abundance of fish crap, and diver traffic. Getting in the water before everyone else helps alot. I try to be there no later than 8AM when I want to dive that site.

You got that right. Have to wonder what vortex was thinking. Let's add a bunch of Koi into the basin to eat hydrilla. They put a problem in to solve a problem. Now a bunch of hydrilla is gone, but instead you have a bunch of fish in there stirring up the bottom. Also as mentioned, a ton of excess fish poop. So now you have an overpopulated area of fish, with not enough food since the hydrilla is gone, and an excess of fish poop suspended in the water. I've watched the koi pretty extensively, and they definately churn up the bottom extremely bad. They look for food in it and bottom suck. Combine that with open water students, it's a disaster. Last time I was down there there was still a ton of particles in the water at 10 oclock at night.

Matt

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I believe the Koi are genetically altered in a fashion that keeps them from reproducing - so hopefully, the fish problem will take care of itself eventually. I like Morrison better anyway

 

[mike_s]

I believe the Koi are genetically altered in a fashion that keeps them from reproducing - so hopefully, the fish problem will take care of itself eventually.

If not, do Koi "taste good"? (If so, that could take care of the problem. We just have a big "fish fry" in the parking lot)