Cow Springs info

[Bob_B]

I'm hoping to have my NSS-CDS membership shortly and wanted to get some info on Cow Springs. I did 2 dves in there for App. training but only got to see a small portion of the cave. I have been told that the downstream side is only 300' or so but I just watched the cavex2 dvd and there sure looks to be a lot more than 300'.

Can anyone offer some insight on the system. I would love to get a dive or 2 in there when we come back in July.

Thanks

 

[Jason B]

Bob, floridacavediving.com said about 300ft penetration of back mount diving on the downstream side.

Hopefully someone with recent exposure to this system will chime in.

 

[karstdvr]

300ft downstream backmountable is about right,and not much further sidemount-pretty snug.

When you become full cave certified upstream is available which is very nice dive. The entrance restricition is tight and it does make it nice to do it with somebody that has been there before. There is 600' of polypro rope called the poor man's scooter to allow people to pull on that versus rock formations in the high flow. When you hit the end of that you come to "not my fault" which goes through a tight area and drops to 100+ft. At this point the cave is small/medium sized with high flow,and a challange to swim to avoid grabbing fragile goethite. We recently installed new gold line all the to EOL which has never been there before. Not many side passages,although there is one we call the Avis car rental tunnel,it will let you,but won't let you out very easily.

The check in/out has to be done at Dive Outpost,and you can do a NSS-CDS membership there at the same time.

 

[loosebits]

Man, I do wish downstream went further... when my full cave instructor described it to us...

"It will get a little tight and you'll think, 'surely, Mike won't take us any further'. Then it will get a little tighter and you'll think, 'okay, this is it', then it will start to get tight"

I was thinking this was not going to be a fun dive. The thought of a short restriction never really bothered me but the thought of a 100' long restriction gave me the heebee-jeebees. I got in there and I loved every minute of it and I kept thinking "sidemount, must learn sidemount". Now getting out of there doing an OOA/lights out drill was ummm... interesting especially with the flow trying to suck you back in. I think I used some propulsion techniques that weren't in the book.

 

[jeandiver]

Er , there is ANOTHER line on the downstream side ...
It's hard to get to , but it is there...

Jeano Beano

 

[karstdvr]

Er , there is ANOTHER line on the downstream side ...
It's hard to get to , but it is there...

Jeano Beano

Yes it is there,but gets small fairly quickly,and unforgiveable unlike the main downstream passage which has mostly sand,this in places has some baby powder silt.

 

[loosebits]

Jean, next time Rick and I are out there (early Sept hopefully), we're going to have to get you to show us around upstream and teach us the proper wiggling procedure for getting through some of those restrictions (man, if my wife read these posts, I'd be a dead man).

 

[Jason B]

Jean, next time Rick and I are out there (early Sept hopefully), we're going to have to get you to show us around upstream and teach us the proper wiggling procedure for getting through some of those restrictions (man, if my wife read these posts, I'd be a dead man).

It was my understanding that one is required to be fullcave with an Abe Davis award to dive upstream Cow.
Is that not the case as I've been hearing several folks talk of diving upstream that do not have these credentials?
Sure do hate to see it get messed up.

 

[MikeFerrara]

It was my understanding that one is required to be fullcave with an Abe Davis award to dive upstream Cow.
Is that not the case as I've been hearing several folks talk of diving upstream that do not have these credentials?
Sure do hate to see it get messed up.

no Abe Davis required. I think the rules are posted on the NSS site. As I recall, not training (other than advanced training acceptions), NSS-CDS membership, check in, Full cave and of course good technique.

I've only been a little past "Not My Fault" but it's one of my favorite dives!

 

[Jason B]

Thanks Mike, you are correct.

http://www.nsscds.org/cow.htm