Peacock Springs

[MikeFerrara]

Originally this thread was part of a larger thread ostensibly about an accident in Peacock Springs. It has gone off in several directions, and this thread is one of them. Since it is a split, the posts may not flow smoothly; feel free to ask for clarification. Some posts are deleted - if you find one of yours missing from all four threads and you *really* feel it's important, and you don't want to try to reconstruct your thoughts - PM me and I'll see what I can do.
The four threads are
Peacock Springs Fatality - Accidents & Incidents
Peacock Springs - Cave Diving
Possible lessons from Peacock - Cave diving
Accountability in accidents - Basic Scuba Discussions

Rick

3. May not have been following the line all that well, although there is a line in P3 (or at least i have seen one), however i havent dove that part yet, if anything like the lines out of P1 they are marked at least every 100ft with arrows pointing out.

The permenant line in P3 starts fairly far in (campared to what you normally see these days) and it's kind of hard to find if you don't know where it is...it's a ways further in than the stop sign.

I have no idea of course but if they didn't run a line in or if for, whatever reason, he was trying to exit without one I could see him not finding the exit.

Peacock Springs SP is set up to only allow certified divers to dive (the rangers are pretty quick on checking cards), so something is amiss here about them being in the water unless they were diving beyond their cavern cert (assuming they had one).

It's kind of an honor system though. The park staff comes through periodically checking for cards on dashes but by then an uncertified diver might allready be in the water.

Also cavern divers are allowed to dive and once in there isn't anything from keeping them from going too far except for their own common sense...which isn't so common of course.

 

[MikeFerrara]

With regard to the line placement i have seen it from the Peanut line tunnel, not from the P3 entrance or stop sign - i knew there was one, just not if it was so liberally placed as the P1 pair.

You lost me...what did you see from the Peanut tunnel?

Unless they moved it you can't even see the main line from the P3 stop sign. We usually use the stop sign as a tie off since there isn't much else. The bottom is all silt...the thick nast kind...don't touch or even wiggle it for that matter!

Peacock III is beyond their training anyway; It's a syphon.


If you've been in PIII, you know how nasty it is. It definately isn't forgiving like the P1 cavern area.

Some cavern instructors teach cavern classes in the P3 cavern.

Nasty? I love P3...but I do agree in that the vis often isn't as good and even though the flow is usually very low it's still a siphon.

 

[simbrooks]

You lost me...what did you see from the Peanut tunnel?

The P3 (edit: sorry - waterhole 3) line, there is a gap if you are so inclined, trained and willing - although the hole you would go through did seem kind of small from where i was.

After Bobby's statement regarding further investigation, i would agree these are all hypothesies (sp?), but the facts reported do seem to indicate several things went wrong - of course news reports arent always on the money. With regard the IUCRR report - waiting to hear and beyond that i am enjoying the discussion on the merits of P3 and conditions there.

 

[MikeFerrara]

The P3 line, there is a gap if you are so inclined, trained and willing - although the hole you would go through did seem kind of small from where i was.

I admitedly don't know the whole system but I'm not aware of a connection.

The peanut line goes the other way and ends just past the peanut restriction near the upstream olsen line. The peanut line runs almost streight north until it turns east toward the peanut restriction, I think there alot of cave system between the peanut line and the P3 line. I would be delighted to learn different though cuz there's lots of the peacock system that I haven't seen.

 

[simbrooks]

I admitedly don't know the whole system but I'm not aware of a connection.

The peanut line goes the other way and ends just past the peanut restriction near the upstream olsen line. The peanut line runs almost streight north until it turns east toward the peanut restriction, I think there alot of cave system between the peanut line and the P3 line. I would be delighted to learn different though cuz there's lots of the peacock system that I haven't seen.

Its almost dead on the 1000 ft mark, see the map, it shows that the waterhole 3 (confused that for P3 earlier on) on the map ends running into the peanut tunnel, although its not as simple as that - they dont T, its a gap off to the left through a small opening, prior to that there is a sidemount tunnel off to the pothole line on your right and another over to the W3 line on your left, cant recall distance, only that they are less than 1000ft, maybe like 5-600 and around 7-800, respectively at a guess. I believe i am getting my tunnels correctly here, but i have only gone on those lines (pothole and peanut once each) once so far - looks like you could traverse the P1 (peanut)-W3 if you have the training, skills and desire - Mike i know you have at least 2 of those.

 

[OneBrightGator]

If you're referring to the line we saw on our first dive, that's the Waterhole 3 line, not Peacock 3, which is down the slough towards the river from Peacock 1, behind where we parked when we were there.

 

[simbrooks]

If you're referring to the line we saw on our first dive, that's the Waterhole 3 line, not Peacock 3, which is down the slough towards the river from Peacock 1, before where we parked when we were there.

Just had it pointed out to me via PM - my mistake, must have been 3 the magic number that got me confused between P3 and waterhole 3 (made changes to previous posts in case other misread) - i thought the map of P3 looked very little like the stick map i put up in that link earlier, but that map didnt include the sidemount tunnels either, so thought it might just be old. The P3 map looks all over the place with twists turns, possibly a couple of lines - or at least options on tunnels if there is only a single main line, i can see someone getting lost there!

 

[MikeFerrara]

Its almost dead on the 1000 ft mark, see the map, it shows that the P3 line - waterhole 3 on the map ends running into the peanut tunnel, although its not as simple as that - they dont T, its a gap off to the left through a small opening, prior to that there is a sidemount tunnel off to the pothole line on your right and another over to the P3 line on your left, cant recall distance, only that they are less than 1000ft, maybe like 5-600 and around 7-800, respectively at a guess. I believe i am getting my tunnels correctly here, but i have only gone on those lines (pothole and peanut once each) once so far - looks like you could traverse the P1 (peanut)-P3 if you have the training, skills and desire - Mike i know you have at least 2 of those.

That's where we're getting out wires crossed. Like Ben says you're talking about the Waterhole line...great tunnel BTW!

The Waterhole entrance is the one you get to if you follow the path that runs around the north side of the Peacock one entrance and goes off to the west.

Peacock 3 is down the path at the south end of the parking lot down past Peacock 2

Peacock 3 is on a seperate map from the rest of the Peacock system and I can't find my Peacock 3 map.

 

[simbrooks]

That's where we're getting out wires crossed. Like Ben says you're talking about the Waterhole line...great tunnel BTW!

The Waterhole entrance is the one you get to if you follow the path that runs around the north side of the Peacock one entrance and goes off to the west.

Peacock 3 is down the path at the south end of the parking lot down past Peacock 2

Peacock 3 is on a seperate map from the rest of the Peacock system and I can't find my Peacock 3 map.

Sorry for the confusion - here is the map of P3. I will have to try waterhole 3, P3 and OG in the future, still only have limited penetration in the main area of peacock so far, really enjoyed it though and would like to take more trips to get a feel for it and enjoy some of the scenery that i might have missed first time

That's one of the things i like about this place, if you put down bad info, those in the know will help you out and correct you/call you out on it - in a nice way of course

 

[MikeFerrara]

The P3 map looks all over the place with twists turns, possibly a couple of lines - or at least options on tunnels if there is only a single main line, i can see someone getting lost there!

Gas management is a concern because it is a siphon but navigation is done the same way. Follow the rules and use the skills that you should have before going and you "shouldn't" get lost...right? Some people don't like it because the vis isn't usually as good as the rest. It's still great vis compared to what I'm used to and I like it. There's usually more particulate in the water and it changes your depth perception of makes it a little...I don't know...erie, spooky or something? I'm getting all excited just thinking about it. oops sorry, I guess it should be a somber thread. Maybe we should start another one to talk about cool places in the Peacock system.