Unqualified Divers in Caves--especially ones like Eagles Nest

[WetRocks]

Perimeter fence, razor-wire and electronic surveillance. A volunteer at the gatehouse to photograph everyone going in and their certification, collect a use fee, and check them out...

Ridiculous. It's a hole in the ground in the swamp in the middle of a wildlife management area. Put up a sign and let dumb people keep doing dumb things.

In my opinion this has to be addressed at the agency/instructor level. Make sure divers are aware of their limits and that some places, like EN, are way outside of those limits. That messaging is clearly not happening consistently.

 

[Yancey M]

Perhaps a $10,000 fine for violations, this would help offset the police response for intruders and infrastructure costs.

Problem is it's only a fine of $500. Not exactly a hard it in the wallet for most people trespassing with a rebreather on their backs.

 

[CptTightPants21]

Ridiculous. It's a hole in the ground in the swamp in the middle of a wildlife management area. Put up a sign and let dumb people keep doing dumb things.

In my opinion this has to be addressed at the agency/instructor level. Make sure divers are aware of their limits and that some places, like EN, are way outside of those limits. That messaging is clearly not happening consistently.

Pretty sure he was being facetious. Otherwise, I agree with you 100%.

 

[CptTightPants21]

Problem is it's only a fine of $500. Not exactly a hard it in the wallet for most people trespassing with a rebreather on their backs.

Have you met many cave divers? A $15 entrance fee was completely unconstitutional and unacceptable.

 

[Bob DBF]

Ridiculous. It's a hole in the ground in the swamp in the middle of a wildlife management area. Put up a sign and let dumb people keep doing dumb things.

I'm not the one who will be inconvenienced if it is closed. It seems that other Caverns / Caves are made safer by limiting access. It seems to me that limiting access at EN is more of a challenge, but it could be done. A sign limits no one who ignores it.

The problem, as I see it, is there are a number of people vocal about the problem, but not enough to actually organize and make a solution happen. A clone of this thread will appear after the next EN fatality.


Bob

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Have you met many cave divers? A $15 entrance fee was completely unconstitutional and unacceptable.

... while at the same time they'll think nothing of spending a thousand dollars on a dive computer, twice that on a drysuit, four times that on a scooter, and putting $150 worth of gas in their tanks for a single dive ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Yancey M]

Have you met many cave divers? A $15 entrance fee was completely unconstitutional and unacceptable.

Only a few and they were pretty nice. I generally stick to the ocean but have spoke with a few in the past.

What I was getting at was fining someone $500 with who has that much money in equipment wouldn't be that much in some people eyes. The way I know the law in this state (Florida, which I've lived in my entire life) that's $500 is max. The way to get people would be enforcing the jail time over the money. You can get 60 days for trespassing.

 

[karstdvr]

Ridiculous. It's a hole in the ground in the swamp in the middle of a wildlife management area. Put up a sign and let dumb people keep doing dumb things.

In my opinion this has to be addressed at the agency/instructor level. Make sure divers are aware of their limits and that some places, like EN, are way outside of those limits. That messaging is clearly not happening consistently.

We can't fix stupid, and people have a tendency to do Darwinian things which will cost us access- has happened in the past and history likes to repeat itself. Two solutions that would work is gating it, and having a check in process where people show credentials to access. The other one is a guide or mentor guide system. Nobody wants this,but hypothetically if the choice was closure or one of these solutions, would we be willing to accept it?

 

[Capt Jim Wyatt]

The other one is a guide or mentor guide system.

This system has been the epitome of a "Good Old Boys Club" in several circumstances.

 

[Seya]

We can't fix stupid, and people have a tendency to do Darwinian things which will cost us access- has happened in the past and history likes to repeat itself. Two solutions that would work is gating it, and having a check in process where people show credentials to access. The other one is a guide or mentor guide system. Nobody wants this,but hypothetically if the choice was closure or one of these solutions, would we be willing to accept it?

Or do nothing people are more likely to die driving to the site. People die that's life. Putting up restrictions won't help. Education people by putting up more signs. That is cheap and then people will know they aren't supposed to dive unless they met the requirements.