Cavern Course with Johnny Richards

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Not sure how much a GPS helps, at least at first.

Yup. After my cavern course I awoke early in the morning, turned on the GPS, and told it to look for airports since I was flying out of Orlando that morning. Searching in an outwards radius, the only international airport it offered me was Orlando Sanford International Airport. Sure - take me there. Upon arrival I realized that I was at the wrong airport. As it happens, there is an Orlando Sanford International Airport and an Orlando International Airport. Once I was within less than a hundred miles it gave me the option of both.
 
The Omen:

Upon arriving once again at Ginnie Springs, the cool day welcomed me. Clouds continued to roll in. No where to be found was there another soul. I was, for the moment, alone. A hive of squirrels buzzed around picking at the remains from the previous night's revelries. A squirrel perching upon its beer can wavered and fell off. Apparently, it was young for it did not hold its drink like the others.

While thanking God for his sense of humor, I was able to view a miracle. A large mud slider, about a foot and a half long was laying its clutch. I was able to stay a few feet away, downwind, without disrupting it. Just then, two young maidens of about eight walked up and disturbed the silence with a gasp. They had never seen such a sight. Like me, they were instantly filled with wonder. We sat as I explained to them the concept of conservation and how we should let the turtle be. They wanted to cover the clutch with a picnic table to prevent anyone from crushing the delicate eggs. I then had to describe how we, as observers, could not give unfair advantage to this turtle and her eggs. The agreed thinking it wise.

As I finished this conversation, my classmates pulled up to the site and we prepared for our chance to feel the draw of the cave once more. Peering at the water's surface, waiting on our instructor, a vision of a raven appeared; first in the water then calling out its warning above us as it took flight. It was joined by two smaller ravens and followed deeper into its tree. One of us would not make it into the depths today, one would stay behind.

As we turned, watching the birds fly away, our trainer appeared. We finalized our preparations and listened to our pre-dive briefing.

Johnny was the first in the water. I made it second followed shortly by the third. Our forth member was still on the deck. DIN o-ring issues, a tardy safety reel and a disconnected drysuit inflator hose kept him at odds with the water.

Our instructor was patient, so were we...
 
Line Drills:

We descended. Into water as clear as a winter's night on the ice. The line had been laid. The foyer to the cave held our practice.

Our first time around the course, we were to stay in trim, model buoyancy, and learn the layout. We did not have issue here. Two students' weight was off slightly, but nothing dramatic.

Our second time around was noticeably slower without a mask.

My third time, I was given a blacked out mask and told that I was OOA. At this moment, task loading took over and I lost buoyancy. Trim, I was told later, was great. But what good does that do you if you are no where near the line and pulling the long hose from your mouth?

Johnny graciously helped me reassess my situation and fooled the line course. He only had to tap my legs once, reminding me to keep my legs from getting too close to the basin floor.

We made it, but slowly.

I was given my normal mask back and then followed the group around while the other divers swam the course. It was then that the raven's grasp took hold. The diver with the drysuit could not stay in trim and the dive was called. A moment of reflection humbled the other diver and he made the wise decision to try his prowess at another point in his life.

I admit that at first I felt bad, but it was then that I realized his salvation was not left to the birds, but was lodged in his wisdom and self-awareness.

The other diver and I were left with our champion to guide us and our friend to watch over us.

The first dive was over…
 
Great story, Where can someone stay in High Springs? At the travel sites all the hotels listed are in Gainesville.
 
Great story, Where can someone stay in High Springs? At the travel sites all the hotels listed are in Gainesville.

High Springs Country Inn‎, 520 Northwest Santa Fe Boulevard, High Springs, FL‎ - (386) 454-1565‎. It is a 20 minute drive to Ginnie. I called to book three nights and was quoted $140 - must be a nice place, I thought. It turns out it was $140 for three nights. The decor is much like how your grandmother's place would look if she maintained it, but it was very clean and the owner was very professional. Most vehicles in the place had dive decals. AC worked. My room had a fridge, a microwave, and the front closet (where I hung my wetsuit) was floored in linoleum so that it would not stay wet. I stayed, I liked it, and I will stay there again. It won't impress someone used to nice hotels, but it will impress someone who would rather spend their money on gear than on a hotel.
 
The Educated:

We took our position on the ledge overlooking the basin. We watched our instructor as he showed us how a professional does it. Effortlessly moving around the basin floor, Johnny reviewed how he expects us to move. If only it were that easy.

The time came for us to glide into the Ballroom with Johnny as our guide. He tied his primary wrap in OW and then his secondary wrap in the mouth of the cavern. He snaked his way like an artist with a brush placing line down in the rock. Once the final wrap was in place, we were free to swim around. My buddy's light flooded. The dive was called and we began our exit.

From this point forward, I must warn you, I can only say so much. I do not want to spoil the class, which I recommend. Those educated by Johnny knows what happens.

We exited with three big troubles:
1. Forgot to discuss gas
2. Three divers went in, only two came out.
3. There was a line entrapment missed.

And the second dive was finished...
 
Last edited:
My son and I took Cavern from Johnny last July. We had buoyancy issues with the blackout part of the ow line drills, he said it was rough at best. I’d say rough, it was downright embarrassing, but we were learning and getting better with each dive. The 1st day was long and tiring, We have since been training and changed our gear configuration to get prepared for Into to Cave. With Johnny of course.
 
Great story, Where can someone stay in High Springs? At the travel sites all the hotels listed are in Gainesville.

I am staying at the Cadillac Motel. I like it. Clean. Cheap. Big rooms. Ready to accept gear.

Everything I need: A/C, fridge, bed, shower, nice staff $48 a night for me with a King.
 
The Storm:

After the second dive of the day and the first penetration dive of the day, the gods were angry. We were encroaching on their turf. The sky was now almost black and it was pouring down rain. With the onslaught of bad weather on its way, we needed to be expedient. I, myself, had danced with Persephone while Johnny was not looking. This might have angered Hades a bit. But I think Johnny may have taken her for a swing or two so I was not too worried.

The third dive consisted of us running our own reels down into the cavern with no second, tieing off and then reversing the process. Somehow, I think maybe water nymphs aligned with Hades did it, my reel bird nested. I looked down and breathed a curse, pointed at myself and then to my reel, gave the this thing is F'ed Up signal and then gave the "thumb." By the time I returned Johnny was watching the other diver exit.

Johnny then pointed at me and gave the #1 sign, pointed the himself and gave the #2 sign and then asked me to proceed. I laid my line and as I tied off my reel at the end, I got a surprise: there was Johnny but he was "OOA." Long hose deployed, we swam out and then retrieved the reel.

The third dive was over, but the storm had just begun...
 
1. Forgot to discuss gas
2. Three divers went in, only two came out.
3. There was a line entrapment missed.

The Storm:
Johnny then pointed at me and gave the #1 sign, pointed the himself and gave the #2 sign and then asked me to proceed. I laid my line and as I tied off my reel at the end, I got a surprise: there was Johnny but he was "OOA." Long hose deployed, we swam out and then retrieved the reel.

Jeremy! You are beginning to really spill the beans! Next, you will post on which of the two paths are the correct exit for Devil's Ear!
 
http://cavediveflorida.com/Rum_House.htm

Back
Top Bottom