Jug

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kensuf

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Scuba Instructor
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I took a couple of former cavern students to Jug Hole yesterday for a nice cavern dive. Compared to many of the other springs in the area, it looks healthy and had air clear water and it was a great day of diving.

I've always felt that Jug is a jewel, but the long walk and the limited window to dive it tend to keep the crowds away. It's a great cavern dive (rock bottom, air clear, 55' depth, beautiful big cavern with the occasional eel), and I've been bringing people here since the 90s. Even during my hiatus from cave diving I managed to try and get there once or twice during each open season.

While I think the cavern is suitable for new cavern and cave divers, anyone wishing to go beyond the cavern zone into the cave should consider it an advanced cave dive due to the bedding plane at the beginning. Please only go in there with full cave + a few dives. The cave is also quite pretty, and is best dove in either sidemount or large single tank with H-valve configuration.
 
large single tank with H-valve configuration.

I changed my opinion on having a single back mounted tank with an H valve. Had a buddy that rolled off their valve,and moved sideways to get into position to open the valve,but rolled off the other valve-double valve roll off. I got a frantic OOA signal and because I was similar configuration I couldn't move directly to them due to the tight bedding plane. I had to pull out my 7ft hose and feed it along the bottom to them to give them air. I could never get close enough to them to open their valves and because of the ceiling they couldn't get their valves.. So we had to work our way through the bedding plane sharing air. Hence forth I dive nothing other than sidemount,and considering sidemount gear is so plentiful,why not-right tool for the job.

---------- Post added November 12th, 2014 at 01:04 PM ----------

Ken,I would also add that where we got this reopened for cavern diving,the cave is not an intro level cave. Where intro to cave is taught in sidemount,this exceeds training of intro with bedding planes and restrictions.
 
I agree that this is not an intro level cave. I thought I mentioned that in my post about having plenty of experience and at least full cave if you venture beyond the cavern zone? If that wasn't clear, let me restate that the cave is an advanced cave dive, but the cavern zone is well suited for newer cave divers.

Oh yeah, and don't schlepp a set of double 95's down there. :)
 
Oh yeah, and don't schlepp a set of double 95's down there. :)

Pretty funny
I have to admit it was a great dive,and I appreciate the orientation to this system by you. Now with the research we do, I see this system in a different light. Water chemistry changes around the 400ft area with higher dissolved oxygen and conductivity. Between 450' to 550' you will see the population of isopods that live there,with the highest I have ever counted was 12. This place remains very consistent with water quality and species distribution.
 
I'm interested because it's so close to our house. I've heard differing opinions on whether it's back mountable or not. Obviously, it's easier SM, but is it verboten to dive BM? As I understand it, once past the initial restriction, it's BM.
 
I'm interested because it's so close to our house. I've heard differing opinions on whether it's back mountable or not. Obviously, it's easier SM, but is it verboten to dive BM? As I understand it, once past the initial restriction, it's BM.

It really is not advisable to backmount it. Besides beating up the cave because your tanks will scrape through the bedding plane. When going through the bedding plane a back mounted diver can't follow anywhere near the line,and has to zigzag through if lucky. If you have a problem there is not really a chance that another person is going to be able to get around you to free you. Once you clear the bedding plane how much further will you go, only 100 ft more because the diamond sand restriction doesn't accommodate a backmounted diver,so you will be in the grey room only. This cave system really deserves to be sidemounted, if not for personal safety then avoid damaging the cave.
 
Pretty funny
I have to admit it was a great dive,and I appreciate the orientation to this system by you. Now with the research we do, I see this system in a different light. Water chemistry changes around the 400ft area with higher dissolved oxygen and conductivity. Between 450' to 550' you will see the population of isopods that live there,with the highest I have ever counted was 12. This place remains very consistent with water quality and species distribution.

I wasn't poking at you. Honest! :)

---------- Post added November 13th, 2014 at 11:22 AM ----------

Understood... thanks!

I guess I'll have to look into a SM class one of these days.

There's a guy named Edd, I understand he teaches sidemount quite a bit.
 
There's a guy named Edd, I understand he teaches sidemount quite a bit.

I really have zero interest in sidemount, at least until I hit the wall in backmount anyway.

Having said that, this is a nice little system and convenient for me, so time will tell...
 
I'm with you in that I have no interest in sidemount either. I spent a year and a half of my life diving sidemount out of a canoe squeezing into holes that I had to take tanks off to wiggle into, I have no real interest in doing that stuff again.
 
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

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