A question about the devils eye/ear entrances

[tstormdiver]

I do not wish for anyone to kill themselves or die. I simply wish you would heed our warnings. The only reason I get so emotional because I do not want anyone to hurt themselves. It's not about being a big bad cave diver, it's about trying to save someone from doing something that in reality is very stupid. All that wishing death on someone does is make them want to do it more.

Please understand I'm not trying to be an ass. I am simply trying to let you know you're making a bad decision.

---------- Post added November 18th, 2012 at 04:34 PM ----------

Swampy, I will be in the area tonight and if you would like to come up, have a drink and discuss why I feel that way and what could go wrong.

Well played!

I do not wish for anyone to die either,... just being factual (& maybe a tad too straight forward).

 

[TSandM]

Swampy, you see the classes as expensive gates between you and what you want to do.

I will tell you, from having taken those classes, that one of the things they do is scare the daylights out of you, as they ought. One experience of lost line in zero viz, simulated or not, and you have an entirely different respect for the hazards of cave diving.

Heck, I thought I had good training and good skills, until Dive-aholic took me into a small passage he said we WOULD silt out. I looked at it and said, "Shoot, I've done stuff like this before, this isn't hard!" and swam in, thinking I would impress the hell out of Rob by not creating the conditions he said we would.

Man, was I wrong. We silted the DAYLIGHTS out of that passage. Florida clay is not Mexico sand, and we got to do our swim out in true zero viz, where you can't even see your depth gauge or compass if you hold it up to your mask. It was the training that I'd had, AND knowing where I was and where I needed to get to, that allowed me to swim the short passage calmly while okaying the line. Someone without that training has no way of knowing what that will be like, and quite probably doesn't have the skills to deal with the situation when they create it. Remember, I swam into that passage having passed FOUR cave classes!

We are not trying to promote elitism, or trying to support either Ginnie Springs or the instructors who teach there. We are really, honestly trying to talk you out of doing something that kills people. It's like going outside ski area boundaries when the snow conditions are dangerous -- people do it because they see the boundaries as keeping them out of territory they want to ski, and sometimes they die for those decisions.

 

[JamesK]

If you check this, the offer is open to join us. It is myself, another cave diver and a cave instructor. We would love to have a civil, non bashing, talk about it with you over a pitcher of Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat. Adult conversation and education. Let me know if you see this and want to join us. We are just right up the road.

 

[Dsix36]

If you check this, the offer is open to join us. It is myself, another cave diver and a cave instructor. We would love to have a civil, non bashing, talk about it with you over a pitcher of Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat. Adult conversation and education. Let me know if you see this and want to join us. We are just right up the road.

Now this is showing some class. I applaud your efforts to help another out.

 

[SWAMPY459]

If you check this, the offer is open to join us. It is myself, another cave diver and a cave instructor. We would love to have a civil, non bashing, talk about it with you over a pitcher of Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat. Adult conversation and education. Let me know if you see this and want to join us. We are just right up the road.

Sorry, but I don't meet up with random strangers off the internet based on just one post. It's dangerous.

I also don't drink alcohol, at all, ever. I don't do anything that would cloud my judgement.

If we pass each other diving sometime I might give you an "ok" sign though

Peace.

 

[Rich Courtney]

Dang and I wanted to meet you...

Safe diving,

Rich

 

[JamesK]

I can understand that and appreciate it. Safety first. Please apply that to your diving career as well. Maybe I will see you at Ginnie some day. I am there a few times a month and would love to talk to you and help you learn.

I know I can not stop you from doing something like this. But maybe I can at least give you some more knowledge to help you do it somewhat safe.

 

[lowviz]

...//...Peace.

Peace.

The first sign that you will see, even before the beautiful swim to the eye/ear, says "No Lights".

How do you plan to deal with this?

 

[JamesK]

Dang and I wanted to meet you...

Safe diving,

Rich

Swampy, this is the instructor I am with.

 

[diverlee]

Make funeral arrangements and have your affairs in order before you do it.

---------- Post added November 18th, 2012 at 08:35 PM ----------

wtcreaux, thanks for your input, but do you really think there is NOBODY intelligent enough to figure out how to safely do something on their own?

TSandM, thanks for pointing out the ease of getting into the catacombs.

PfcAJ, thanks for about the only post that answered the question and still managed to intelligently get your other opinions across.

JamesK, according to my map, the devils ear and eye are in navigable waters, owned by the state and under the equal footing doctrine the owners of ginnie springs cannot police what goes on there.

Ianr33, don't be so sure. Also, don't think that there are not people out there who can figure out how to do things safely on their own. I've seen video of Jacques cousteau cave diving. Who certified him?

Ayisha, thanks for actually reading my post.

Bamafan, don't assume I'm trolling.



Now a couple of points...

One. I hate to see people who take an activity freely available to anyone in a free country and try to plant their flag on it and charge people out the yazoo to do it.. for example... a couple of weeks ago I wanted to dive king spring. I get online and see a number of people charging 50 bucks a head to take them out on cattle boats. I got the gps coordinates, hopped in my canoe and paddled right out and dove.

Should I pay you or your friends 300 dollars for a basic cave class, oh wait, you need the 300 dollar intro to cave prerequesite ... oh, wait, no you need the 300 dollar cavern class first.. oh wait.... blah blah blah

Why are you not screaming about all the open water divers who go into the ballroom? I highly doubt even a small percentage of the people in there have had a cavern class.

Anyway, Thanks for the one person who actually gave me some input about topography, which is what I asked about.

Open water is allowed in the ballroom, also ay Devils Den, Paridise, and Blue Grotto. Guess you have to decide if this is worth dieing for and the problems it would cause others.