Vortex can be lovely

I tend to forget that after Labor Day, when things calm down at Vortex, great dives can happen.
We just wanted to give a couple dives in (anywhere!) so this morning we set out before dawn and got to the Springs by 8:00 or so. Sunny, breezy and one small group of rescue-course students in the water before we were... but that group were still on the surface as we descended.
I paused at 5 feet or so realizing something odd. I stared out there and had a good look -- I could see the entire basin from the top of the line that drops into the cavern. The whole darn thing. It was actually "gin clear." Today, at 55 feet menacing eels (of course not) and nosing around the cavern, I can't exaggerate that the water was just like air even looking up to the surface. It was kind of trippy, a lot giddy and so.much.fun.

This, I remembered, was why diving springs can be so incredible.

We knocked out two leisurely, fun dives before the "crowd" (ha! a dozen OW students constituted a "crowd" today) was suited up and heading to the basin.

Lovely. Really exactly what I needed this morning.

Me and a few buds dove a tank at Destin Jeddies this morning, and then we went to Morrison to check on conditions at that locations. Morrison was complete slop, so we hit up Vortex, arriving around 1:30ish. By this time, the basin was silted up by the training caves and the cavern, but overall, still had a good leisurely dive and enjoyed excellent visibility around the outer rim of the basin - t'was nice to get wet regardless!

I've been at vortex when there were no campers and no divers but me and the guy cleaning the trash off the bottom. It was like a huge swimming pool. I like it when it's like that. Gotta dive early to beat the silt!

SuPrBuGmAn:

Me and a few buds dove a tank at Destin Jeddies this morning, and then we went to Morrison to check on conditions at that locations. Morrison was complete slop, so we hit up Vortex, arriving around 1:30ish. [snip]

Click to expand...

I just saw on another thread that it sounds as if you've never been in Morrison on a good day. I'm sorry about those conditions in your pictures... I've done a couple dives in Morrison and it was really nice. I remember these hand-sized flounders with one white side, one sand-colored side who would fight back valiantly when we touched the sand near them. You're right, it's much more natural there and could be a great place to sit around a few hours picknicking (sp?) and diving every so often.

I hope these things clear up all right.

And I hope Florida stops getting pummelled!

Absolutely correct I haven't been to Morrison Springs until yesterday. I knew conditions at Morrison probably wouldn't be ideal, but I wanted to check it out anyway. I hadn't ever been and I atleast wanted to check out the site. Water conditions were complete crud and I knew that wasn't normal thanks to some of the posts here and alot of the pictures jviehe has posted on the spring. Now that I knew exactly where this spring system is, I have no reason not to go back once its had a chance to clear back up