Vortex Springs piano room

[Tana]

Does anyone know how far it is from the opening of the tunnel to the piano room? I know the depth gets to 100ft as u follow the pipe back to the locked gate. .. But I have yet to see an entire YouTube video from the tunnel to the piano room or the estimated time..... Thx

 

[tomfcrist]

Through the tunnel? Do you mean cave? Are you cave certified?

 

[Scuba J7]

It’s about 300 feet back. I thought there was a map that showed the distance but I could not find it.

Disclaimer: It is not a basic dive going to the gate, very much a cave dive.

 

[Tana]

Through the tunnel? Do you mean cave? Are you cave certified?

Yes the tunnel. No not cave certified and don't have an interest.... However I witnessed a group of OW divers from TN going thru the tunnel... Kicking up everything so much that the basin area was murky... For the life of me, I Cldnt understand how they were allowed to do this... I found no map of footage or anyone who wld say other than... Everyone goes back there to the gate.... These were people that are local an also work on site there... Idk, but I was struck by this and knew that outside of light it's labeled a cave dive period.

 

[bamafan]

I have seen what appeared to me to be an aow class back there. The bottom is sand so even with a large group of untrained people in there it would be really hard to create a true zero viz situation. It certainly should be classified as a cave to me but the owners seem to think differently.

 

[tomfcrist]

My 2psi...

Local normalization of deviance from logical safety standards do not make it right.

It's no different than an OW instructor taking students into swim through wrecks or reef structures. Will something happen? Probably not. But those people have no business in an overhead environment.

The question I ask is this....if you do that dive without a light...will you be in zero vis? If so..it's a cave dive and you should be cave certified. If there is still natural light, you are in a cavern and should be cavern certified.

Either way it is a dive into an overhead environment and the VAST majority of divers don't belong there. Want to do cool dives? I'm all for it. Go get the training so that we don't have to hear all about how accomplished and skilled a diver you were during the A&I thread that follows your demise.

Tana, in no way is this directed at you...more or less a PSA.

 

[Tana]

My 2psi...

Local normalization of deviance from logical safety standards do not make it right.

It's no different than an OW instructor taking students into swim through wrecks or reef structures. Will something happen? Probably not. But those people have no business in an overhead environment.

The question I ask is this....if you do that dive without a light...will you be in zero vis? If so..it's a cave dive and you should be cave certified. If there is still natural light, you are in a cavern and should be cavern certified.

Either way it is a dive into an overhead environment and the VAST majority of divers don't belong there. Want to do cool dives? I'm all for it. Go get the training so that we don't have to hear all about how accomplished and skilled a diver you were during the A&I thread that follows your demise.

Tana, in no way is this directed at you...more or less a PSA.

 

[Tana]

I absolutely agree and respect those words. I just can't understand the negligence in something such as this 100 yard football field length tunnel... Easily accessed by those not trained... There's no gate there, jus a sign... Idk how u prevent this...cameras or gate.... But to me it sounds like a enticing pathway to those who have zero business on it.

 

[tomfcrist]

There are thousands of divable caves... literally less than a dozen have gates to prevent access.

Put up a warning sign, and let Darwin sort out the rest. The ideology that a landowner is responsible to protect people from their own stupidity is outrageous to me.

People will do dumb things...but they are also responsible for their own actions, and their own safety.

 

[Tana]

There are thousands of divable caves... literally less than a dozen have gates to prevent access.

Put up a warning sign, and let Darwin sort out the rest. The ideology that a landowner is responsible to protect people from their own stupidity is outrageous to me.

People will do dumb things...but they are also responsible for their own actions, and their own safety.

True..but you also hav a place where kids are swimming overhead, snorkeling and all types of divers in the same bowl all ages ...this isn't a remote cave in the Bahamas... As I understand the sign and warnings u can't gate them all ... But this is a family adventure, all are welcome site and sometimes you have to prevent others from their own foolish curiosities.... In areas this public and advertised such as this. Thx again