Opening Wakulla Springs to Scuba Divers

[Hetland]

If you are a scuba diver, and are interested in helping the community gain access to the largest and deepest freshwater spring and cave system in Florida, please take the time to join the group posted below.

It would be very, very helpful if you would mail a hard-copy letter to both Secretary Vinyard AND the Wakulla County Commission. There is a sample letter for you to use or edit on the facebook page (under the "doc" tab). Emails are great, but spam filters and lazy subordinates can easily keep your correspondence from reaching the decision makers. Please send an actual letter if at all possible.

Please copy OpenWakullaForDiving@hotmail.com with any emails you send out, and, if possible, a scanned copy of any hard-copy letters you send too. (we want to keep track of what has been sent in case the battle continues)

Facebook Page and sample letter:
Welcome to Facebook


Parks Page:
Welcome to Florida State Parks

More info on Wakulla Springs
Florida Springs, Springs in Florida, Florida Cave Diving - Florida's Springs: Protecting Nature's Gems - Florida DEP - Wakulla Springs Feature

 

[jviehe]

If you are a scuba diver, and are interested in helping the community gain access to the largest and deepest freshwater spring and cave system in Florida, please take the time to join the group posted below.

It would be very, very helpful if you would mail a hard-copy letter to both Secretary Vinyard AND the Wakulla County Commission. There is a sample letter for you to use or edit on the facebook page (under the "doc" tab). Emails are great, but spam filters and lazy subordinates can easily keep your correspondence from reaching the decision makers. Please send an actual letter if at all possible.

Please copy OpenWakullaForDiving@hotmail.com with any emails you send out, and, if possible, a scanned copy of any hard-copy letters you send too. (we want to keep track of what has been sent in case the battle continues)

Facebook Page and sample letter:
Welcome to Facebook


Parks Page:
Welcome to Florida State Parks

More info on Wakulla Springs
Florida Springs, Springs in Florida, Florida Cave Diving - Florida's Springs: Protecting Nature's Gems - Florida DEP - Wakulla Springs Feature

Im not really interested in being on facebook, but good luck. I did recently send a letter to the governor asking him to look into it.

 

[Hetland]

Im not really interested in being on facebook.

Perfectly understandable! Here's a sample letter (below). If you hate it, send your own, but send something to the Wakulla Board of County Commissioners and Secretary Vinyard, preferably hard-copies.

We don't want to get into arguments over breathing gasses, depth issues, water quality at ______ sink, or go off on any tangents. There's time for that after we get our foot in the door.

We need the decision makers to know that we're engaged in this fight, unified in our purpose, and ready to fork over cash to the state in exchange for them restoring our equal-access rights.

-h

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date

Secretary Herschel Vinyard
Department of Environmental Protection
3900 Commonwealth Blvd MS 10
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
Herschel.Vinyard@dep.state.fl.us

Re: Scuba Diving at Wakulla State Park

Dear Sec. Vinyard,

My name is _______________________ and I reside in ______________,
_____________. I have been a scuba diver for _____ years and frequently dive the springs and
underwater caves located throughout Florida. Last year I safely executed _____ dives in Florida’s
freshwater springs and cave systems. For each and every one of these dives I spend
approximately $________. This money goes towards access fees, food, lodging, air fills and
travel costs. I also spend approximately $________ annually purchasing scuba gear from Florida
retailers.

It has recently come to my attention that scuba diving is being considered as an approved
activity at Wakulla Spring, which is located within the Edward Ball State Park. I believe that
scuba divers have been unfairly denied equal access to this public location for too long.

Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park and Blue Spring State Park successfully allow
recreational scuba activities. Scuba access at these locations does not disrupt the enjoyment of
other park visitors, nor does it damage the park. The revenue brought in by the diving community
significantly enriches both the parks and the areas surrounding them.

I am very interested in diving Wakulla Spring and will make immediate plans to do so if
the park is opened to divers. I have spoken with many of my scuba diving friends about Wakulla
Spring, and they too have expressed a serious interest in diving at the park if allowed to do so.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Respectfully,


cc: Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners
P.O. Box 1263
Crawfordville, Florida 32326
jwelch@mywakulla.com

 

[FritzCat66]

Not being familiar with Wakulla, is this something worth pursuing for those of us holding only a Cavern cert, or is it pretty much of interest only to hardcore techie Cavers?

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

It could be a pretty cool OW site as long as you kept an eye out on depths. The cavern depths are beyond cavern peramiters. Its still very much a worthy effort, regaurdless if its a dive for you or not. Its just a letter.

 

[jviehe]

Yep, cavern is pretty deep. Really cool OW dive though, I bet.

 

[Hetland]

correct me if I'm wrong Mat, but there are 400 or so springs, sinks, siphons and karst windows in that general area and many of them are on public lands. From open water to advance trimix technical cave, there's enough here to last a decade of diving for the typical weekend diver.

wakulla spring is step one.

 

[FritzCat66]

At first I was thinking, "Not so bad", but then I noticed the scale in meters. :shocked2:

Yup, looks like all the cool stuff is beyond Cavern certification limits, both in depth and distance from the entrance. I'll be leaving it for the techies to enjoy...

 

[Tessunderwater]

It could be a pretty cool OW site as long as you kept an eye out on depths. The cavern depths are beyond cavern peramiters. Its still very much a worthy effort, regaurdless if its a dive for you or not. Its just a letter.

I agree, this is definitely a great idea. It's great to have more locations for people in the diving community to enjoy, and while I'm still perfecting my ow skills, I am intrigued by at least a cavern cert at some point.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

correct me if I'm wrong Mat, but there are 400 or so springs, sinks, siphons and karst windows in that general area and many of them are on public lands. From open water to advance trimix technical cave, there's enough here to last a decade of diving for the typical weekend diver.

wakulla spring is step one.

Absolutely.

I can name, off the top of my head easily 2 dozen sinks, karst windows, and springs that would be accessible via Edward Ball Wakulla State Park lands. They consist of great OW basins, some nice cavern dives, some nice big cave in reasonable depths, SM caves, deep caves, and everything in between.