Wow...what an adventure. I knew it was going to be a long day, so I got an early start. Left Port Charlotte at 0510 and got up to the Chassahowitzka WMA around 0745. Paid my 3 bucks and headed in looking for the sink. I was following the GPS coords. from Mike Emmanuel's cave diving page, but with the dense tree canopy, coverage was spotty at best. Came upon the first cable gate and my GPS said it was just down the fire lane. Got out and started walking. Good thing I took a compass too. I figured it was a quarter mile down the tramway, then another 100 yards or less through the swamp. Try as I might, when I could get enough satellites, the closest I could get was almost a half mile away. Finally figured, what the heck...and started out through the swamp. Big mistake. I walked and walked and sank almost up to my knees a few times. I zigged and I zagged, following the orange blazes that were supposed to lead the way. It turns out there are orange blazes and orange ribbons all over the place as well as trails and stream beds that criss cross everywhere. After almost a mile of walking through the swamp, I crossed a path that was fortified with boards, gravel and bags of cement. Another 50 yards and Viola! I had found it! I followed the path back from the sink and came to the tramway that I should have started out on in the beginning. Had to walk almost 3 miles back to my truck, but at this point, I was pumped...I found it and I was going to dive it!
Moved the truck to the correct gate. I noticed that there was a well worn "road" around the gate and a lot of tire tracks leading all the way to the end of the tramway. But everything I read about it and according to the signage, vehicles were not allowed past this point. (more on that later) After two round trips with a handtruck on the tramway and three trips through the muck, I finally had all my tanks and assorted gear at the sink. Got suited up and finally hit the water at 1130...yeah, I spent a long time walking. This place is all everyone says about it and much more. The cavern is HUGE! Pictures cannot do it justice. This is something you have to see for yourself.
First dive was 40 minutes including deco with max depth of 99 ft. and ave. depth of 39 ft. water temp was 73 deg. vis was a little disappointing at about 40 or 50 ft.
Second dive was 39 minutes including deco with a max depth of 134 ft. and ave. depth of 43 ft. water temp was 74 deg. and vis was about the same. There was a lot of particulate matter in the water.
When I came up from my first dive, there were a couple guys waiting to go down. Being a Monday, with an air temp. of just over 50 deg., I really thought I'd have the place all to my self. One of the guys says he dives there a lot and he said the vis was probably the worst he had ever seen. Apparently, it sees a lot of activity on weekends and according to him, a lot of free divers are using it and holding on to the walls and generally silting the heck out of the place. With the small amount of flow, it takes a long time to clear up. Now about the gate...he said the rangers don't mind if you drive down to the end of the tramway just to drop off gear and then park outside the gate. That's why they haven't made any attempt to repair the drive around. Now everything I've read about it, everyone is very adamant about not driving down the tramway, and it being my first time, I wasn't about to chance getting thrown out over that. Heck, after all the walking I did to find it, a couple quartermile trips with the handtruck was nothing. One of the rangers left his card on my handtruck that I locked to a tree at the end of the tramway, so I plan on calling him to see if it really is OK to drive and drop off gear. I'll post back on what I learn.
This is the gate you don't want to park and walk from.
Continue on past two of these little bridges.
This is the gate you are looking for. Notice the drive around.
Ahhh...finally found it.
I need a better camera...but my new 21w HID kicks some butt!
Looking up from about 80 ft.
Breakdown pile.
More breakdown.
Looking up from deco depth.
All in all, a fantastic day. Soon it's going to be too wet to get to easily. There are places now where you will sink up to your knees. After the rains start, expect really hard travel through the swamp part. I can't wait to dive it again. If anybody wants to make a trip there soon, lets plan something.
Moved the truck to the correct gate. I noticed that there was a well worn "road" around the gate and a lot of tire tracks leading all the way to the end of the tramway. But everything I read about it and according to the signage, vehicles were not allowed past this point. (more on that later) After two round trips with a handtruck on the tramway and three trips through the muck, I finally had all my tanks and assorted gear at the sink. Got suited up and finally hit the water at 1130...yeah, I spent a long time walking. This place is all everyone says about it and much more. The cavern is HUGE! Pictures cannot do it justice. This is something you have to see for yourself.
First dive was 40 minutes including deco with max depth of 99 ft. and ave. depth of 39 ft. water temp was 73 deg. vis was a little disappointing at about 40 or 50 ft.
Second dive was 39 minutes including deco with a max depth of 134 ft. and ave. depth of 43 ft. water temp was 74 deg. and vis was about the same. There was a lot of particulate matter in the water.
When I came up from my first dive, there were a couple guys waiting to go down. Being a Monday, with an air temp. of just over 50 deg., I really thought I'd have the place all to my self. One of the guys says he dives there a lot and he said the vis was probably the worst he had ever seen. Apparently, it sees a lot of activity on weekends and according to him, a lot of free divers are using it and holding on to the walls and generally silting the heck out of the place. With the small amount of flow, it takes a long time to clear up. Now about the gate...he said the rangers don't mind if you drive down to the end of the tramway just to drop off gear and then park outside the gate. That's why they haven't made any attempt to repair the drive around. Now everything I've read about it, everyone is very adamant about not driving down the tramway, and it being my first time, I wasn't about to chance getting thrown out over that. Heck, after all the walking I did to find it, a couple quartermile trips with the handtruck was nothing. One of the rangers left his card on my handtruck that I locked to a tree at the end of the tramway, so I plan on calling him to see if it really is OK to drive and drop off gear. I'll post back on what I learn.
This is the gate you don't want to park and walk from.
Continue on past two of these little bridges.
This is the gate you are looking for. Notice the drive around.
Ahhh...finally found it.
I need a better camera...but my new 21w HID kicks some butt!
Looking up from about 80 ft.
Breakdown pile.
More breakdown.
Looking up from deco depth.
All in all, a fantastic day. Soon it's going to be too wet to get to easily. There are places now where you will sink up to your knees. After the rains start, expect really hard travel through the swamp part. I can't wait to dive it again. If anybody wants to make a trip there soon, lets plan something.
