I have been intriged by cave diving since 2000 when I read a Martyn Farr article in a diving magazine. The more I read about cave diving, the greater my interest and one location came up time and time again - Ginnie Springs, Florida. The various stories of dive fatalities in books like 'The last Dive' & 'Caverns measureless to man' only increased my desire to safely learn to cave dive and one day fulfil a dream of diving Ginnie Springs.
I was fortunate enough to complete cave diving courses with Martyn Farr in the UK, then I moved to Turks & Caicos, Ginnie was suddenly on my doorstep - that said, it still took me over 2 years to sort out my shit and make the pilgrimage.
What made me finally act was taking to a guy on the NACD stand (National Association of Cave Diving) at DEMA, Las Vegas. His name was Richard Dreher, he lived near Ginnie Springs and was a cave diving instructor (amongst other things). He seemed a good guy, internet research confirmed , I contacted him and a visit planned - so began a most excellent adventure !
Day 1
I woke with pre-dive nerves, this was a novelty - how would I fair back in a drysuit?, how would I feel being a student again?, would I embarass myself? - these were the questions (amongst others) that raced through my brain.
Thankfully, the morning was spent working through the NACD cave diver workbook - reviewing procedures, accident analysis etc It allowed me relax into the whole thing.
In the afternoon Richard reviewed and then 're-configured' my scuba gear - I soon realised that despite my best efforts to set my equipment up in preperation, it was infact completely inappropriate!
First thing to go was the steel backplate - it would be too heavy with twin steel tanks, it was replaced with an aluminium one. A replacement harness was then built around me with fewer and better positioned D-rings - it immediately felt far less cluttered . The wing was briefly addressed and the corrugated BCD hose was shortened. The regulator hosings were switched and re-routed; clips were added to both primary & secondaries and neck strings were attached. The spare mask, backup torches and emergency reel were relocated to the drysuit pockets. Reels, directional arrows & cookies (non directional marker) were personalised for easy identification. The primary handheld torch was replaced with a wrist mounted one and finally fin straps were secured. The mask thankfully was fine ! This took about 3 hours - Richard was thorough and I was both impressed and further put out at ease.
Finally we got the twin tanks filled with nitrox and the deco bottle filled with 100% O2. I bought a hood to protect my head from any potential impacts with the cave roof.
Day 2
The day started with basic land drills - lining out; ties off's; placements; lining in; lost line & lost diver drills.
Then we headed to Ginnie and checked-in. I tried not to gawp and rush to buy a Ginnie T shirt (I did however buy a Z knife for cutting through line). After 9 years I had finally arrived at Ginnie Springs.
We walked over to look at the entrances into the spring. The system at Ginnie is known as Devils Ear, there are 2 main entrances to the system (which join after about 60ft), these are known as 'Devils Eye' & 'Devils Ear'. It still didn't feel real and I savoured everything around me.
Looking over a map of the system we planned the first dive. Firstly there would be an open water buoyancy check (I lose count of how many times I have talked through buoyancy checks with guests and now I was doing one myself!), however, I needed to get used to the weight of the steel tanks. We would then go through our checks (known as 'START' - S Drill/team equipment check/all gases/route/tables). This completed we would enter the system via the Devils Ear entrance. Richard would install a primary line from open water to the permanant 'goldline' within the system. With Richard continuing to lead we would follow the permanant line - working through the first chamber ('the gallery'), and then passing through the first restriction, ('the lips'). This would be our agreed turnaround. I would lead out, leave the primary line in situ and exit to open water. We would have travelled about 300ft into the system.
Richard had already warned me about the strength of the flow coming out of the system, the springs were all in high flood and Ginnie was the only system not closed to divers. The warning was further reinforced by 2 emerging divers who had cut short their visit due to the strength of the flow.
Hot, excited, nervous & laden down with gear I entered the water. WOW!, I was stunned by the clarity of the water, it was crystal clear with lots of freshwater fish and plant life. The buoyancy check went well, checks followed and then finally we were headed to the Devils Ear entrance.
Dive 1 - depth:68ft, time:31 mins, Gases: Eanx32
I approached the entrance to Devils Ear and looked down, it is a vertical shaft and I watched as Richard pulled himself down into the system, then followed. The strong outflowing of water meant it was impossible to fin down, instead you have to pull yourself down head first (much like reverse rock climbing), equalising and adjusting buoyancy as you go. The flow was unreal and I wondered what the hell I had let myself into - it really has to be experienced to be believed. Richard completed the primary and secondary ties offs and I followed entering the chamber. I saw the famous/infamous warning sign (see pics) and then we tied off to the goldline (permanant gold coloured main line). At this point I had done nothing but concentrate on pulling myself along, achieving neutral buoyancy and remembering to breathe !
The flow had lessened, but it was still difficult to fin against and doing so would quickly lead to overexcertion. The best way to proceed was to 'pull and glide', with occasional finning where no handholds were available. The Chamber was a huge cavern stretching as far as the torch would reveal. We had to follow the route of minimum flow (close to both the wall and ceiling of the cave), it was so clear that looking down you could easily see the goldline even though it must have been move than 30ft below. I was soaking in the whole experience, shinning the torch around, trying to look at the formations, check out side passages, all whilst trying to see how Richard was proceeding through the chamber. We then took a 90 degree turn, and moved downwards towards 'the lips'. This is a restriction of sorts, it is quite wide, but only about 3ft high. This means you pull yourself against the flow, belly on the bedrock and tanks nearly brushing the ceiling. To some this would seem horrific, I revelled in it. The flow had increased, as the restriction meant more flow trying to pass through a lesser space, it was an amazing buzz. Once through it opened up into another cavern, this was our agreed turnaround.
We headed back with me leading. Now going with the flow I stayed mid water being pushed back to the entrance. I could relax, let the flow push me to the exit and enjoy the tranquility of my surroundings. Anyone who knows me knows that I hate night dives, it can't be the dark that I dislike as being in the cave was so invigorating. I now approached the exit and believe me exiting was far worse than entering - the flow tries to force you out like a cork from a bottle. I had to get negatively buoyant and vertical, bracing myself against the walls to try and control my ascent. We completed our safety stop and exited.
I had achieved a 9 year dream and dived Ginnie Springs, it was all I had hoped for and more - best of all it was only the first dive !
Dive 2 - depth:87ft, time:37 mins, Gases: Eanx32
This time we would enter via Devils Eye, follow it until it rejoined 'the chamber', continue to the 'lips', and then extend our previous exploration, with a planned penetration of 450 feet, turnaround being the 'Junction Room'. Richard would lead in both directions.
We completed checks then proceeded to the devils eye entrance, which is a round opening, 20 feet across and equally deep. At the bottom is the entrance to a small cavern. The entrance was far less intimidating with the passageway gently sloping downwards, however, it was narrower, had a stronger flow and far less handholds for pulling yourself through the system. Progress was slower and certainly more challenging, after about 60ft we rejoined the chamber and proceeded along the goldline following the same route as for the first dive. Once through the 'lips' we entered a large room and proceeded through a hole called the 'keyhole' (for obvious reasons). Looking through the 'keyhole' I could see that the cave now dropped to about 90ft. Once through we worked along a short winding passageway called 'cornflakes', it twisted and turned, had a low ceiling and beautiful formations. Exiting we emerged into the junction room. Here the cave branched off in a number of directions, very tempting for those that know no better ! I could really appreciate the lure of going just that little bit further - a decision that all too often proves fatal to divers who persue this avenue of diving. We however followed our plan , turned the dive and exited through Devils Ear, with Richard retrieving the primary line.
I could feel myself relaxing into the diving (whilst never forgetting the inherent risks). I could appreciate Richards plan of slow progression through the system. I had felt far more comfortable second time around, travelling through more familiar territory before limited exploration of new passages.
Dive 3 - depth:69ft, time:68 mins, Gases: Eanx32
I was going to be the reel man. Entering again through devils eye, then lining through the 'catacombs'. The 'catacombs' run parallel to the 'gallery' and are a series of interconnecting tunnels. These are the only popular passageways in the cave that are not lined. This is intentional, as these tunnels provide for extensive reel practice. When we rejoined 'gallery', I would tieoff onto the goldline, proceed through the 'lips' to the next room, where we would practise a lost line drill. I would then retrace our route, reel back out and exit devils eye.
I had not practised much underwater line work in recent times (well years), so it was rather ungainly to start with. Imagine a reel in one hand, a torch mounted on the other, pulling yourself through a series of winding narrow passages, fighting the flow and trying to reel out and secure the line as you go - its hard work I can tell you ! My earlier confidence soon evapourated, I certainly didn't feel as comfortable as on the first dives. I realised that this was because firstly I had previously been guided and secondly I had had the permanant line as a visual reference. This time I was leading and working through unlined passages - I know I had a line and so could retrace my steps, but it did not feel the same. After what seemed like an age we emerged into the 'gallery' and I secured my line to the gold line, then proceeded through the lips.
Richard then instructed to turn off my torch and close my eyes (no point cheating as who does it benefit ?). I was taken away from the line, then released to try to relocate the line - effectively my only way out - my life line. The idea was to simulate a lost line, which normally occurs due to poor visibiliy - kicking up the silt etc. The first step was not to become more disorientated, I dropped to the floor and secured myself (so the flow didn't carry me further away). I removed my emergency reel, wrapped it round a rock protrution and then slowly lined out in the direction where I believed the line to be. I was feeling outwards and upwards with my extended hand, trying to feel for the main line. It took me about 5 minutes to find the line and secure my reel to it and when I looked I had been no further than 20ft away. It had felt like an age and the longer it took me to find the line, the more disconcerted I had felt. I knew it was only a drill, I can't imagine how it would feel in a real emergency - terrifying.
Drill completed I headed back. Upon reaching my line, I proceed to reel back in working through the catacombs. I had an opportunity to appreciate the 'catacombs' on the way out, even seeing catfish darting away as they tried to escape the torchlight. We exited through devils eye.
Day 3
The day started with further land drills - undertaking jumps. (a jump connects the line from the guideline of one passage to a seperate guideline of another passage using a jump reel). The plan was to retrace to the 'junction room', then complete 2 jumps with the goal of reaching a room called the 'white room'.
Dive 4 - depth:86ft, time:71 mins, Gases: Eanx32 & deco mix 100% O2
We entered once again via devils ear, with me leading the dive. I installed the primary reel, bracing myself against the flow with my feet on either side of the wall as I tied off. That achieved I continued into the 'gallery' and securing the reel to the goldline. We also left our deco bottles here. I then continued, following the route taken on the second dive until we reached the 'junction room'. I was amazed at how this part of the system had already become familiar.
At the 'junction room' we left the main line for the first time, I installed a jump line to the right hand passage, attached it to the permanant line and coninued towards the 'bone room'. This was a long, roundish passage which I followed until it opened out into a large chamber. At this point, Richard took over, installed another jump line, reeling all the way to the 'White Room'. The 'White Room' is both beautiful and unique. Aptly named for its white limestone walls and ceiling, it is some 30' off the main line and has a restrictive entrance which gently slopes upwards with a low ceiling, before finally opening out into a dome like chamber. I savoured the uniqueness of the 'white room', also realising that we were probably 800ft into the system and had not seen another diver.
We then retraced our steps, retrieving the jump line installed by Richard. We left my jump line in place. Once in the 'chamber' I practised a lost buddy drill (first looking for a light and then reeling off from the main line to try and find my buddy). This completed we recovered our deco bottles and headed to the exit, also leaving the primary line in place. We completed our deco stops and exited.
This had felt like a proper cave dive. We had achieved our objective; progressed beyond the permanant line; had the privilege of viewing the 'white room' and been gently carried back out by the flow.
Dive 5 - depth:94ft, time:62 mins, Gases: Eanx32 & deco mix 100% O2
We were going to setup a series of 3 jumps (in addition to the one left from the first dive of the day) in preperation for the completion of the 'Expressway Circuit' the following day. This is one of the more popular circuits within the system ( a circuit dive is when the entrance and exit is the same, with a portion of the dive requiring one way travel).
As on the previous dive we left our deco bottles and Richard then led to the first jump that had previously been installed at the 'Junction Room'. We followed the passageway that we had travelled in the morning until we reached a side passage which branched off to the left. Richard installed a jump here. I installed a second jump which took us to the 'expressway tunnel' and Richard installed the final jump which reunited us with the goldline further along the system. We then retraced our steps to the 'Keyhole', leaving all reels in place for the following day.
We then practised a touch contact drill. We both turned our torches off, I closed my eyes, established physical contact with the goldline and followed it out to the primary line. We worked as a team, using physical 'touch' signals to indicate whether to move forward, backup or stop. It was slow going as not only did I have one hand holding the line, the other was extended ahead feeling for low ceiling etc so not to bash the remaining brain cells too much. Mission completed, we retrieved our deco bottles, carried out deco stops and exited.
Day 4
Dive 6 - depth:94ft, time:48 mins, Gases: Eanx31 & deco mix 100% O2
The first dive of the day was to be the completion of the Expressway Circuit. We followed the goldline to the 'Junction Room' where we had installed our first jump, ignoring it we continued along the goldline until we reached the final jump that we had installed the previous day. It felt great to see the jump line which was easily recognised as it was personalised (to prevent mistakenly following other divers lines). We then completed the circuit by following the route of the previous day, retrieving the 4 reels as we proceeded. At the 'Lips' we carried out an out of air drill (Richard was out of air). Going through the lips was a bit of a challenge - thank god for the 7ft hose. We continued with the drill until we reached the primary reel. At this point we retrieved deco bottles, carried out deco stops and exited.
We had successfully completed the Expressway circuit and I had a great sense of accomplishment.
Dive 7 - depth:96ft, time:66 mins, Gases: Eanx32 & deco mix 100% O2
We planned to start a new, more challenging circuit. I was to lead the dive. We were to proceed along the goldline passed the 'expressway circuit' jump to a wide room called the 'mudflats'. I would install the first jump to the 'rollercoaster', Richard would then take the lead and jump to the 'shortcut' and finally jump to the 'bats'.
It all sounded quite straightforward and I was becoming more confident in the environment. The success and ease of the previous circuit it turned out had made me overconfident and too goal focussed.
I worked my way though the system but found myself finning more than 'pull and gliding'. I was breathing harder and over exerting myself (upon exit Richard said I was proceeding at a pace he was struggling to keep up with). I proceeded passed the expressway and into new territory. The mudflats were impressive with what looked like a hill of mud sloping towards the surface. I worked my way upwards and then installed the jump as planned.
Richard passed me as we worked our way along the 'rollercoaster'. It gets its name because the passage rolls up and down like a rollercoaster ride !. Although Richard had slowed the pace the damage had been done, I was feeling increasingly uneasy, my gas was being used faster than normal (although i had not reached my third turnaround) and mentally I was now feeling pretty unhappy. I called the dive shortly before Richard installed the second jump and led the way out. I did everything as we had planned should the goal not be achieved - removed my jump reel, gave and responded to light signals and followed the line. Even though I was now going with the flow and on the way out the feeling of unease actually began to increase rather then diminish and I found I had to talk myself down whilst close to a 1000ft inside an overhead environment. Although I began to relax I still did not feel comfortable even when doing our mandatory deco stops with daylight streaming down on us - it was a further realisation of still not being able to make a direct ascent to the surface. I was never in mortal danger but felt that I had survived and ordeal. I learnt a great deal about myself on that dive and I learnt a valuable lesson about overexertion and being too goal focussed.
Day 5
Dive 8 - depth:96ft, time:79 mins, Gases: Eanx31 & deco mix 100% O2
I had reflected on the previous dive over a corona (or three) and realised how and why it had gone ary. However, rationalising it and then moving forward are two different things and the nerves and apprehension had returned.
We planned to undertake the dive again but with Richard leading to set a more comfortable pace. I was to watch how Richard moved through the system, see when he did and did not fin, watch how he moved to areas of least flow - look and learn. I felt apprehensive for the first few minutes (not helped by a contact lenses problem), but slowly relaxed back into the dive. We proceeded at a better rate, my air consumption was much improved and this time we successfully installed all 3 jumps and returned to the exit. I felt that I learnt more on this dive than any other - the importance of pace; how to read the cave better and improved/refined my finning technique.
Dive 9 - depth:93ft, time:47 mins, Gases: Eanx31 & deco mix 100% O2
An easy second dive was planned (not sure if there is such a thing as an easy cave dive!), with the intention of installing one final jump line to 'Hill 100', setting us up for the circuit tomorrow. Richard took a camera with him on the dive to video me for later review. I followed the goldline and installed the jump and then exited. I felt happy with the dive and leading the dive at a better pace. A surreal moment was as we were working through the main passageway (past 'juction'), two bright lights came into view, moving towards us at quite a pace. I waited for the music as it felt very 'Close Encounters' - then two divers with huge scooters glided past us and dissapeared into the distance (and they call me mad).
Day 6
Dive 10 - depth:95ft, time:80 mins, Gases: Eanx31 & deco mix 100% O2
This was sadly to be the final dive of the 6 days - as with all enjoyable things, it has to come to an end and its always too soon.
This was to be a challenging final dive, mainly because the size of circuit would mean that we would be pushing our rule of thirds with regard to our diving gas. The Bats circuit is considered to be one that many cave divers strive for and is about the limit within the system unless you use scooters.
Richard led the dive and we progressed steadily through the system. We would be travelling 1400ft against the flow until we reached the 'bats' where we would then start out exit, travelling with the flow and retrieving all our jump reels. It was a great experience undertaking such a dive, it took us close to 50 minutes to reach the 'bats' and I was within 5 bar or reaching my thirds turnaround. Another surreal incident was that of passing a scooter and 4 tanks left tied off on the mainline. This was at around 1300ft - the diver had obviously used the scooter to get to this destination quickly, then proceeded along passages where scooters were forbidden. At the 'bats' we were greeted by both our jump line and a string of plastic bats hanging from the roof the the cave !!
We started our exit and 15 minutes and 20 bar later were back decompressing - gives you an idea of the strength of the flow.
As I said earlier, it had been a most excellent adventure. I had fulfilled a dream, challenged myself, learnt more then I had imagined and had the privelege of being taken into Ginnie springs by an outstanding instructor. I can not praise him enough for his professionalism and dedication to a sport that he obviously has a great passion for.
It turns out that in his spare time he wrote(and it is now published) the Cave diving manual for TDI - not a bad thing to be able to put on the resume.
If anyone is considering starting out or continuing the path of technical diving or wants guided cave diving and is considering Florida as a destination then I cannot recomend him enough. Check out his website at www.superiordivetraining.com
I know it was a long read, but i hope you enjoyed it.
