Orange Grove 1/16?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

simbrooks

Snr LayZboy Meteorologist
ScubaBoard Supporter
Messages
7,352
Reaction score
15
Location
Orlando, Fl
# of dives
100 - 199
I was speaking with David (Scubafool) on my way back from Paradise Springs yesterday and he suggested that he would like to get out diving again. We discussed a few sites and OG seemed like a good option, not too far away, maybe some car pooling options, fills nearby, cheap, that kind of stuff. I have yet to dive this hole, i understand it can get reasonably deep, here is the map - check out the right hand side for OG with a nice section. Looks like its about 60ft at the entrance, with a large cavern that goes down to 100ft or so, a deeper system off below that which i wont touch as its a bit deep when dropping to 140+ and falling away gently from there to 172 it looks like the map says! The passage going off above from 60ft looks like it might be worth a look though :wink: . David is only cavern cert'd, so that might limit things, or at least for some dives, i would like to do cavern and intro in this place. Rick (GDI) said he might be interested, not sure if anyone else might like to head on up there. I dont know how busy it might be, i will be playing with the drysuit again and doubles, this time inside a cavern or cave after some OW time at Ginnie and Lk Denton and cavern time/moderate depth at Paradise.

Not sure of a meeting time, i would love to dive all day, but i feel i should probably try to hit a congregation somewhere around Luraville on my way through, so i might not get there till noon or so, otherwise it might be a 10am start or so due to driving distance. Last time i was there the park was closing around sunset - say 5.30 at that time, it might be closer to 6 now, that would still give me a few hours to dive in. Who else might like to come on up?
 
Well looks like there were no takers outside of Scubafool and myself. GDI couldnt make it due to the birth of a grandson (i guess you can call that an excuse :wink: ), but we enjoyed ourselves a bit and i got more time in my DS.

Dive 1 - dropped into the lower orange cavern, tied off on the tree made a trip around the cavern, David running the line, me playing with the DS, tied it off inside, came out and explored the OW. 40mins, 85 max, probably 55-60ft ave.
Dive 2 - after lunch we went back in, followed our line in, checking out some stuff, looking at the entrance to lower orange cave and what appeared to be a way through to upper orange cavern in the top corner. David took up the reel and out we went. We only made the dive short in there, refigured thirds for David (planned beforehand as >2000psi) for a trip into upper orange cavern. We went back to the sign, nice phreatic tunnel - gave David a good idea of what caving in the future might look like, and of course a bit of a fix for me - how i wanted to go further with a trained buddy! Overall 50 mins, max 95ft, ave probably around 50ft. We spent a little more time floating around the OW, checked out a few ledges and other cracks, watched a couple of cavern/intro classes going in - we did notice the area was more silty when we got back in the second time from these classes, which was kind of annoying. Next time i intend going in with another cave trained person and seeing how that tunnel works in the upper orange system - it was about 4ft high, maybe 6ft wide, kind of oval shaped - really pretty, but not for the claustrophobic!

My DS operation was getting better, i wasnt dropping me knees nearly as much, although still slightly inclined, tried not to let much air in the suit, but the buoyancy was more controlled most of the time. Still a bit more time needed till i take it out in open water i feel. :wink:

Anyone who could have gone - you missed a good trip, and of course a long drive, next time i intend staying in the area so its not 3-3.5 hours of driving each way!
 
I am planning on longer weekends so i can max out time up in cave country, but for that i need people there on saturday and sunday to dive with. It looked very inviting in upper orange, but with David there i couldnt go and had no other buddy to hit it with. Next time i intend too. I have plans for various weekends both diving and non, but should be able to get up there again in a few weeks and certainly aiming for the middle of february in conjunction with the NC/KY groups trip down to Ginnie et al.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/
https://xf2.scubaboard.com/community/forums/cave-diving.45/

Back
Top Bottom