SuPrBuGmAn
Contributor
Dive #1 @ Cypress Springs on 11-5-5
After setting up the Miss Jellyfish, Paulwall and I headed upstream to Cypress Springs. The water levels in the creek were low and I hit a few submerged trees in route, D'Oh. There was nobody onsite for our entire first dive, not even local fisherman. This was Paul's first visit to Cypress in over 10 years. Visibility was the typical 100+' and the flow was really pumping from the main vent. We dove into the cavern and didn't even hit thirds before I turned the dive due to a light failure. I hit 63' in the cavern and we spent the rest of my 57 min dive in the basin looking at all the plant/animal life it had to offer. We saw several large pike and Paul spotted a Bowfin sleeping under alot of crud. I ended up getting a good picture of it, the best I've taken of a Bowfin yet. There were also the normal bream and bass as well as slider and snapping turtles around the basin.
Dive #2 @ Cypress Springs on 11-5-5
After an SI that lasted a bit over an hour in which we fed schools of minnows beef jerky(which they tried and tried to eat, but couldn't break anything off the large pieces we tossed in the water), we geared up and headed back in the water. I grabbed another light and we went back into the cavern. After 15-20 minutes in the overhead, we turned the dive and headed back into OW. There was a boat parked on the far east side of the basin, so we kept away from that area. Paul and I took a few more laps around the basin before ascending again. I hit 49' and the dive lasted for 46min.
Dive #3 @ Becton Springs on 11-5-5
After a short boatride down stream and a bit of a paddle down a narrow/shallow creek, we found ourselves at "The Big Ugly"(which is what Rick Murchison called it later that night). Becton had an aqua color from the surface as well as a visibile boil in the middle of the basin. We tied up the boat, geared up, and entered the water. The water, while blueish, was milky and had a max of 20' visibility towards the center. We were visited by several bass, carp, bream, and sanddivers. Paul pulled some cans out from the bottom and vis dropped more
I hit 30' and the dive lasted 21 minutes.
Postdive Party at Vortex hosted by Tom_Smedley and Rick Murchison
Paul and I headed to Vortex, where I'd be camping, and we met up with Tom_Smedley and Rick Murchison as they exitted the water with their respective classes. By the time I had my tent up and cranked a beer open with Paul, Rick and Tom had the grill going and soon enough there was a ton of meat filling the top of it. I had brought some cajun sausage and there was also steaks, chicken, burgers, hotdogs, venison, tender loin and whatever else you can image - I won't even mention the sidedishes. Everything that ended up on my plate was excellent and I think everyone there had more than their fill. Paul headed to his Hotel down the interstate around 7ish and the rest of us talked and drank to our content... or atleast until Tom's bottle of rum was empty
Dive #4 @ Morrison Springs on 11-6-5
I was up by 6AM and took a little walk around Vortex and down the run a bit before heading back to camp to pack up, say goodbye to the divers I met with Tom and Rick's classes(couldn't find Tom or Rick to say goodbye), and head to Morrison to meet up with Paulwall and Darcy at 8AM. There were already atleast 2 classes at Morrison by 8AM, which was kind of a bummer, but the water stayed pretty clear during our first dive regardless. There was atleast 80' of visibility and I'm sure it was 100+' before anyone had gotten there. We dove our first third in the cavern and managed to locate all 3 statues. The remainder of our dive took place in the central portion of the basin since we didn't bring a flag to tow and there was some boat traffic onsite. I hit 91' and the dive lasted for nearly an hour.
Dive #5 @ Morrison Springs on 11-6-5
After about an hour SI, we were back in the water. There had been a large class that showed up and we wanted to get some time in before they entered. Again we spent our first thirds in the cavern before heading back into OW. When we were back in the basin, we had the pleasure to see a pair of cave divers basically walk into the cave and roll around in the silt before disappearing into the cavern. Paul seemed to have gotten bored, and he fell asleep on the submerged cypress tree that spans across the entrance to the cavern areas. Darcy and I ran an OOA drill and then I did a lost mask drill and a midwater gear doft/dawn. I had hit 91' in the cavern again and the dive lasted ~45 min.
All in all, I believe everyone had fun during all the dives and we saw some pretty interesting stuff as well as the normal things you can expect to see at these springs. I've got a bunch of pics posted at http://www.suprbugman.com/gallery/album89 and I'll tag a few below for good measure.
After setting up the Miss Jellyfish, Paulwall and I headed upstream to Cypress Springs. The water levels in the creek were low and I hit a few submerged trees in route, D'Oh. There was nobody onsite for our entire first dive, not even local fisherman. This was Paul's first visit to Cypress in over 10 years. Visibility was the typical 100+' and the flow was really pumping from the main vent. We dove into the cavern and didn't even hit thirds before I turned the dive due to a light failure. I hit 63' in the cavern and we spent the rest of my 57 min dive in the basin looking at all the plant/animal life it had to offer. We saw several large pike and Paul spotted a Bowfin sleeping under alot of crud. I ended up getting a good picture of it, the best I've taken of a Bowfin yet. There were also the normal bream and bass as well as slider and snapping turtles around the basin.
Dive #2 @ Cypress Springs on 11-5-5
After an SI that lasted a bit over an hour in which we fed schools of minnows beef jerky(which they tried and tried to eat, but couldn't break anything off the large pieces we tossed in the water), we geared up and headed back in the water. I grabbed another light and we went back into the cavern. After 15-20 minutes in the overhead, we turned the dive and headed back into OW. There was a boat parked on the far east side of the basin, so we kept away from that area. Paul and I took a few more laps around the basin before ascending again. I hit 49' and the dive lasted for 46min.
Dive #3 @ Becton Springs on 11-5-5
After a short boatride down stream and a bit of a paddle down a narrow/shallow creek, we found ourselves at "The Big Ugly"(which is what Rick Murchison called it later that night). Becton had an aqua color from the surface as well as a visibile boil in the middle of the basin. We tied up the boat, geared up, and entered the water. The water, while blueish, was milky and had a max of 20' visibility towards the center. We were visited by several bass, carp, bream, and sanddivers. Paul pulled some cans out from the bottom and vis dropped more
I hit 30' and the dive lasted 21 minutes. Postdive Party at Vortex hosted by Tom_Smedley and Rick Murchison
Paul and I headed to Vortex, where I'd be camping, and we met up with Tom_Smedley and Rick Murchison as they exitted the water with their respective classes. By the time I had my tent up and cranked a beer open with Paul, Rick and Tom had the grill going and soon enough there was a ton of meat filling the top of it. I had brought some cajun sausage and there was also steaks, chicken, burgers, hotdogs, venison, tender loin and whatever else you can image - I won't even mention the sidedishes. Everything that ended up on my plate was excellent and I think everyone there had more than their fill. Paul headed to his Hotel down the interstate around 7ish and the rest of us talked and drank to our content... or atleast until Tom's bottle of rum was empty
Dive #4 @ Morrison Springs on 11-6-5
I was up by 6AM and took a little walk around Vortex and down the run a bit before heading back to camp to pack up, say goodbye to the divers I met with Tom and Rick's classes(couldn't find Tom or Rick to say goodbye), and head to Morrison to meet up with Paulwall and Darcy at 8AM. There were already atleast 2 classes at Morrison by 8AM, which was kind of a bummer, but the water stayed pretty clear during our first dive regardless. There was atleast 80' of visibility and I'm sure it was 100+' before anyone had gotten there. We dove our first third in the cavern and managed to locate all 3 statues. The remainder of our dive took place in the central portion of the basin since we didn't bring a flag to tow and there was some boat traffic onsite. I hit 91' and the dive lasted for nearly an hour.
Dive #5 @ Morrison Springs on 11-6-5
After about an hour SI, we were back in the water. There had been a large class that showed up and we wanted to get some time in before they entered. Again we spent our first thirds in the cavern before heading back into OW. When we were back in the basin, we had the pleasure to see a pair of cave divers basically walk into the cave and roll around in the silt before disappearing into the cavern. Paul seemed to have gotten bored, and he fell asleep on the submerged cypress tree that spans across the entrance to the cavern areas. Darcy and I ran an OOA drill and then I did a lost mask drill and a midwater gear doft/dawn. I had hit 91' in the cavern again and the dive lasted ~45 min.
All in all, I believe everyone had fun during all the dives and we saw some pretty interesting stuff as well as the normal things you can expect to see at these springs. I've got a bunch of pics posted at http://www.suprbugman.com/gallery/album89 and I'll tag a few below for good measure.
