Just got my Intro cert

Did Jackson Blue, Ginnie, Peacock and Catfish. Catfish sucked, too much flow, too little vis and Ginnie was too busy but I loved everything else. I'll be off to the local quary this weekend to get some more reel pratice in (the lines in P1 were a supprise to my instructor). I did 6 cavern dives, all for certification, 3 cave dives for cert and I had time for 5 more cave dives for fun. I lovedd Peacock and JB was a blast (entering the cavern from the cave was breathtaking).

congratz, loosebits. i am doing my intro cave in May and can't wait.

i've done Catfish Hotel before, and it does have a bit of flow. the vis should have
been ok, so i am guessing someone got in there before you and kicked it all up.

did you do the Eye or the Ear at Ginnie, or both? i love both as cavern dives, but
the Ear is my favorite.

when did you go to Peacock? we did P1 and Orange Grove yesterday (Sunday, March 21)... maybe we bumped into each other and din't know it?

H2Andy:

congratz, loosebits. i am doing my intro cave in May and can't wait.

i've done Catfish Hotel before, and it does have a bit of flow. the vis should have
been ok, so i am guessing someone got in there before you and kicked it all up.

did you do the Eye or the Ear at Ginnie, or both? i love both as cavern dives, but
the Ear is my favorite.

when did you go to Peacock? we did P1 and Orange Grove yesterday (Sunday, March 21)... maybe we bumped into each other and din't know it?

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When I was at Ginnie, we were still doing cavern so I only did the Ballroom (I was under the impression that the Devil system didn't have much in the way of a cavern). The bad vis in Catfish sink wasn't because of stirred up sediment, it was just plain dirty water. I saw bits of plant debris flowing by me.

I was at Peacock on Tuesday and Thursday with a group of about 6 divers with a mobile dive shop (trailer with compressor doing continuous nitrox blending).

You will love intro. You finally get to tie that reel off and enjoy the dive following the main line. Running the reel in cavern almost seemed like to much work to be worth it.

well, Catfish normally has very clean water...

were there other divers there ahead of you? was the bad vis in the OW and cavern section or in the cave itself?

H2Andy:

well, Catfish normally has very clean water...

were there other divers there ahead of you? was the bad vis in the OW and cavern section or in the cave itself?

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In the cavern section, I was too busy running the reel and worried about my instructor looking over my shoulder to really notice/remeber but once I was in the cave and following the main line, I felt like I was diving in a lake with rock over my head as the viz was bad enough (20 to 30') to prevent me from getting a good view of the walls.

I'm not sure where the sediment was coming from as my group had the whole place to ourselves and everyone (except myself) was very expeirenced. The team of 3 that went in the furthest said the viz never improved. This was in stark contrast to Peacock and JB where it felt like I was floating weightless in a vacuum.

Catfish is nasty, it's silty and the walls are dark, it just sucks your light, that combined with it being a siphon I'm surprised your instructor took you there.

Oh, and congrats

Ben

bummer... too bad about the vis, Catfish is a normally a great place

thanks for the details

OneBrightGator:

Catfish is nasty, it's silty and the walls are dark, it just sucks your light, that combined with it being a siphon I'm surprised your instructor took you there.

Oh, and congrats

Ben

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As I understand it, it's an inline sink. We started the dive into the flow. The major mistake I made there is that my first attempt at my primary tie-off was *inside* the cavern (after starting the tie-off, my instructor pointed out my mistake and I found a better location). I was used to JB and Ginnie where the cavern entrance was rather small and it was obvious when you were inside the cavern. At Catfish, the angle of the sun light and the large cave entrance made me think I was in OW when doing my primary tie off. Lesson learned: actually look up!!

I was not a happy camper after my 2 dives at Catfish. The depth combined with the viz and flow made me almost want to give up on cave diving (I just got my cert after Catfish so I was done with the class). I think my instructor noticed the look on my face and decided we should all go back to Peacock for a nice relaxing dive. Also, I talked to another expeirenced diver and he said that anyone who said that they enjoyed the dive was lying. That and the nice dive at Peacock the next day sure did make me feel better.

We did JB on the way back home (I had already done it as a cavern dive) and I was sort of concerned that it was going to be another Catfish with the depth and the flow but I ended up having a blast. I guess the viz really made all the difference in the world to me.

OneBrightGator:

Catfish is nasty, it's silty and the walls are dark, it just sucks your light, that combined with it being a siphon I'm surprised your instructor took you there.

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OBG, Catfish does have a syphon which connects it to
Manatee Spring (the main spring). this is found to the
left of the cavern.

however, the main cave is a spring and it goes on and on
and on and on... to Honduras at least... this one is found to the right of the cavern.

call me sentimental, but Manatee being my first cavern dive ever, i love it

You guys are right about the inline sink part, nonetheless, as you're trying to exit the cavern it is sucking you in, making it a siphon.

To each his own, I'll take a nasty Peacock over about any day at Catfish.

Ben