Any one tried the Athens 'Cave System'?

[scubafanatic]

.........has anyone tried the Athens Scuba Park "Cave System"? Where is it located in the quarry and is it marked by bouys of any kind? How deep is it? Is it crowded with divers? What's the visibility there lately...both outside and inside the 'cave' ?

Thanks,

Karl

 

[TwoBitTxn]

Athens has been having a great vis year this year. Far cry from last year. Of course last year it wouldn't stop raining.

Understand if someone kicks wrong in the "cave" vis is gone.

No it is not marked by bouys.

Its unlikely the system is crowded. I don't know if there has been problems with uncertified divers in the system.

Outside the system its about normal on diver load.

If you aren't certified for overhead environments you should not enter one.

TwoBit

 

[Cave Diver]

TwoBitTxn once bubbled...
If you aren't certified for overhead environments you should not enter one.

TwoBit

Agreed. Unfortunately, I think certain "attractions" at popular SCUBA parks encourage untrained divers to do otherwise.

Boat, planes, busses, etc. abound at these parks.

I've only heard bits and pieces about the "cave system" that Athens installed, but it would be interesting to learn more about. I may have to make another trip there, it's been a while since I went.

The only problem is, I can just see myself running a guideline when I went into it and some OW student getting all tangled up! I had that happen at the local lake recently when I was running a search pattern.

My biggest concern about things such as this, is that they may give a recreational diver unfounded confidence that they can handle an overhead environment and tempt them to enter a real cave system.

 

[Texas Tek-diver]

Thank-you Cave Diver and TwoBit Texan.

Finally, people are beginning to get the point about overhead environments. :wacko: We had this discussion last year and it blew into an ugly...real ugly issue.

It's O.K. to be curious...but go get the training.

Oh, Happy belated birthday TwoBit!

 

[scubafanatic]

Thanks TwoBitTxn and Cave Diver !

I haven't been to Athens at all this year, went twice last year and both times the vis was so horrendous I had no interest in returning.........maybe I'll give them another shot this season if the vis has improved this year as you say.

Not (yet) cave certified....however, have signed up to take a cave-cert class in Akumal Mexico Sept 21--28 with Southern Scuba.......already got my Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures certs with Southern Scuba this spring (did the Blue Hole/Santa Rosa N.M.)

Got a set of LP85 steel doubles........plus a single LP 85, two LP 120's, and a HP 130......can't have too much air ya know!

Just got back from 4 days in Cozumel......did 8 boat dives in 48 hours......including a night dive.......my 1st blue-water dive experience........absolutely astounding........had a BLAST !!!

We dove : Palancar Reef, Yucab Reef, Santa Rosa Wall, Paso del Cedral Reef, Las Palmas (both day & Night), Paridise Reef & St. Felipe Xicotencati Wreck....the keel of the wreck is @ 80 ft.

So this has been and is going to be a big year dive-wise for me, that's why I'm interested in expanding my horizons by visiting the Athens cave 'network'.

(scheduled for the Flower Gardens Oct 4th ...and Cozumel again Oct 24th weekend.......and maybe hit the missile silo in Abelene some weekend too)

Karl