Why??
Favorite cave?
- Thread starter CAPTAIN SINBAD
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Eagle's Nest or Diepolder when the vis cooperates.
My favorite cave is in Hawaii - we (my running mate in those halcyon days) ran across it on the edge of ledge - there was a crack in the reef. Normally these things have a bigass green morays eels, lots of fire coral, and/or are riddled with black spiny sea urchins, but this crack was clear. We went in and it was a little pocket with another crack in the back of it. Nothing was biting at us, so we went a little farther and moved upward. It opened up a little - lots of fractured lava pillars with deep fissures. The place was absolutely loaded with lobsters, but we didn't eat them so we didn't care. It was also full of large conger eels that kept bumping into us. I'm not that wild about conger eels since past a certain point, they can still bite pretty good.
Now this was 1983 and there was no cave diving in Hawaii, at least not then. Since we on air and deco in the currents there was not that great an idea as I had been swept out to sea twice there already.
We went back a few weeks later. Now I know now that we should have had a reel and all that other cave stuff, but we didn't have a reel and didn't feel like screwing with a line. I, uh, kinda memorized the route in and all the bends and twists plus the reverse course for the trip out.
I surfaced in this damn cave and climbed out. The air at the surfacing point point was ok, but it was friggin' hot in there. The place we were at was a lot bigger than our lights, and I didn't want to go too far because of possible sulfur fumes knocking me out. Plus I did not want to get lost in there.
We left, rethreaded our way out, and that was that. I redeployed shortly thereafter for yet another Navy cruise and because the spot was only diveable a few days per year, I never made it back.
My dive buddy visited me in my office at COMTHIRDFLEET on Ford Island one day and was all set to blow his brains out with his .45 - he was a base cop then and heavily armed - because I slept with his wife because he used my credit card for phone sex when I left my wife because she whored on me with a loser Army guy while I was in Australia diving on the GBR. We never spent too much time together after that - none of us.
So that's yet another little minor Hawaii story. More drama than Steve Lewis' post above.
Now this was 1983 and there was no cave diving in Hawaii, at least not then. Since we on air and deco in the currents there was not that great an idea as I had been swept out to sea twice there already.
We went back a few weeks later. Now I know now that we should have had a reel and all that other cave stuff, but we didn't have a reel and didn't feel like screwing with a line. I, uh, kinda memorized the route in and all the bends and twists plus the reverse course for the trip out.
I surfaced in this damn cave and climbed out. The air at the surfacing point point was ok, but it was friggin' hot in there. The place we were at was a lot bigger than our lights, and I didn't want to go too far because of possible sulfur fumes knocking me out. Plus I did not want to get lost in there.
We left, rethreaded our way out, and that was that. I redeployed shortly thereafter for yet another Navy cruise and because the spot was only diveable a few days per year, I never made it back.
My dive buddy visited me in my office at COMTHIRDFLEET on Ford Island one day and was all set to blow his brains out with his .45 - he was a base cop then and heavily armed - because I slept with his wife because he used my credit card for phone sex when I left my wife because she whored on me with a loser Army guy while I was in Australia diving on the GBR. We never spent too much time together after that - none of us.
So that's yet another little minor Hawaii story. More drama than Steve Lewis' post above.
...but I digress.
I cannot understand how anyone would rate one of the Florida caves as their favorite. I was a caver for decades before I started cave diving, and I still don't think the Florida caves are worth the effort.
My favorite as Cenote Caracol, near Tulum.
Cool enterance, small, heavily decorated passageways, lots of precise maneuvering, shallow, and a good long penetration even on double AL80s.
edit - okay, the descent into eagle's nest is a hoot
My favorite as Cenote Caracol, near Tulum.
Cool enterance, small, heavily decorated passageways, lots of precise maneuvering, shallow, and a good long penetration even on double AL80s.
edit - okay, the descent into eagle's nest is a hoot
LiteHedded
Contributor
because some of them are breathtakingly beautiful.
ucfdiver
Contributor
I won't lie, I think on average Mexico caves blow Florida caves away, but there's one or two FL caves that hold up pretty well...
While there is beauty in both Mexico and Florida, I think anyone who is wrapped up in those two destinations should take a trip to the Bahamas at least once.
PfcAJ
Contributor
Bahamas are on my 'to-do' list.
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