Why do caves close to diving?

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!

Tickler

Contributor
Messages
85
Reaction score
20
Location
Florida
# of dives
500 - 999
I understand that the rivers rise and the caves along the Suwanee get blacked out from time to time but why close them off? One of the best dives I did was in Orange Grove sink where there was 5-10' vis for the first hundred feet of the cave. It made it a completely different dive from the dozens of others that I have done in that same spot. Why not just have a "Dive at your own risk" policy and let those that don't mind low visibility dive anyway? We all go through low visibility training so what's the big deal about a tannic cave?

I was just wondering what others thoughts were on this and if there was a legitimate reason that the parks around FL closed off the caves because of low vis.
 
Seriously?

Would you start a dive with a light failure or an OOG buddy? Starting with zero viz is the same thing. It doesn't matter if it's a few hundred feet, that's enough to get disoriented and lost. Just because you plan for emergencies doesn't mean you should accept blackouts as a normal starting condition.

This screams unsafe...
 
Seriously?

Would you start a dive with a light failure or an OOG buddy? Starting with zero viz is the same thing. It doesn't matter if it's a few hundred feet, that's enough to get disoriented and lost. Just because you plan for emergencies doesn't mean you should accept blackouts as a normal starting condition.

This screams unsafe...

15' of vis does not exactly equate to a blackout. I just think that if you prepare for a lower vis dive that you should be able to continue to dive. I don't know how much cave diving you do but there is a line in place to prevent disorientation... Sump divers and cave divers from outside of cave country for example will go through passages with no vis and nobody chastises them. What is the difference here?

Honest questions. I am not trying to start a troll post or anything I was just wanting a good solid reason on why the caves in NE FL close.
 
Honest questions. I am not trying to start a troll post or anything I was just wanting a good solid reason on why the caves in NE FL close.
Best to contact the owner and ask them why they close them.
I would believe liability or "wanting to provide a quality experience for their guests".
 
Specifically I am referring to the state parks that take recommendations from prominent cave divers. My buddies and I all joke that those people recommend cave closures to have the sites to themselves. I know this is not the case but it still baffles me me a bit that some of the most rigorously trained divers are not allowed to do a dive because of a slightly low vis. The rule for state parks is that the vis has to be 20' or greater in the cave and this just seems excessive and I would like to know why this boundary is set.
 
I've got lots of hobbies. I'm not averse to low viz diving, but I also have better things to do when the viz in Orange Grove drops to 10 feet, so it doesn't bother me that they close the place.

The parks set some limit in order to limit liability. Rather than always let people choose for themselves, because they know that some people are dumb enough to do things in bad environmental conditions and then sue, parks of all sorts of nature set limits and close--water parks might close if lightning strikes within 20 miles, which is an awfully big radius. But, they choose something, and stick to it. I think their limits are set similar to the Intro starting dive limits, but they don't apply it without thought. The surface conditions at Peacock can be 0' but the cavern is 30' or more, and it stays open.

It's not a bad question to ask, but there are many other rules that I'd rather see changed first, and overall I'm pretty happy with the way the State Parks treat us. I wish they'd go back to charging $15 per day so they could make more money on us, though.
 
Just get a boat and there are plenty of caves that don't close anytime.
I have a canoe but my double 104's are tough to get in and out of it. I can't really afford a boat though. ****, I can hardly afford Ginnie when the rest are closed...

B reak
O ut
A nother
T housand

---------- Post added March 11th, 2015 at 10:54 PM ----------

I've got lots of hobbies. I'm not averse to low viz diving, but I also have better things to do when the viz in Orange Grove drops to 10 feet, so it doesn't bother me that they close the place.

The parks set some limit in order to limit liability. Rather than always let people choose for themselves, because they know that some people are dumb enough to do things in bad environmental conditions and then sue, parks of all sorts of nature set limits and close--water parks might close if lightning strikes within 20 miles, which is an awfully big radius. But, they choose something, and stick to it. I think their limits are set similar to the Intro starting dive limits, but they don't apply it without thought. The surface conditions at Peacock can be 0' but the cavern is 30' or more, and it stays open.

It's not a bad question to ask, but there are many other rules that I'd rather see changed first, and overall I'm pretty happy with the way the State Parks treat us. I wish they'd go back to charging $15 per day so they could make more money on us, though.

Out of curiosity, what rules are you referring to that you would rather see changed?
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

Back
Top Bottom