Diving Again!

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Finally the root canal work was finished and I hopped in the truck for a quick weekend in florida cave country! It was great to be wet again...er drysuited again? It was a bit rough the first day; bouncing off the ceiling, using way too much gas and time adjusting buoyancy, getting frustrated and feeling clumsy. But it soon smoothed out and a smile plastered my face all weekend!

We dove Peacock to Olsen and Back for our "refresher" dive on the first day and attended the NACD membership party that afternoon at Ginnie Springs.

The next day we went off to Little River to find the Well Casing, then over to Telford for an evening dive with the rowdy locals. Some people are put off by the locals, but they are fun, inquisitive, and not shy at all! I love Telford, it's a little bit of everything.

We left central florida the next day and stopped at Madison Blue for a quick dive before the long drive home and it was great! Six divers there, including us and no one else! We talked, compared gear, ideas, dive plans, and then went off in teams of two to do the dives. We stopped short of the well casing, had some bc problems so turned the dive, but it was fun coasting back on the current, fishtailing around the corners, zoom-zoom.

Cave diving is better than sex (but don't tell my wife).

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[steve2281]

Sounds like a great weekend. Is the flow in LR still way down??? I guess the well casing is still a stage dive??

You're a brave guy. I like to dive Telford 'bout daylight- less chance of running into locals. You know they had a double killin' a while back, don't you? http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070329/LOCAL/703290357/-1/rss

[SLIM]

Man i have no idea of how many times I have been to telford and there was a few locals there or when we get out there has been a few. Most ask questions and are helpfull if it is dark out. I guess it is just how you are able to talk with them and they feel just as cool about you as you do them. Aint that right Skull. Been there when there was a massive party going on as we got out. Man that wsa so much fun to watch the fire works go off as we were hanging in the water. Even had help getting our stuff to our vehicals.

SLIM

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I've never had any problem with locals at telford. But I treat them like they are the owners and I'm visiting (which is pretty much true). The worse part is that they want to talk your ear off and have never offered me a beer. I know there was a shooting, but heck, locals are shooting each other around here all the time. Walk softly, smile big, be courteous, and always agree!

Now one time this guy, really drunk, staggered up to the truck, leaned on it in his metal-studded jacket and big ole belt buckle and I could just see the scratches about to come....so I slowly turned and as he talked I backed off busy like. Sure enough he followed and I was able to get between him and my truck so he leaned back up against his own car as he continued talking.

We discussed what the cave was like, fish in there, why people cave dive, etc., until his beer was gone and he went for more.

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Little River was barely flowing. We could have made it to the well casing on backmounted 130's, no stages, but mike's bc deflate valve began leaking. We had only a few minutes of deco obligation. Flow at all sites was minimal. Peacock was a especially bad; it seemed like more of a flow to get out than in. Does it siphon? If so, I think it was.

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[Mike M]

Yea, all the dives were great, LR is down as all the springs are right now.

I probably should have turned the dive in Madison when my BC failed, but we only get to dive it once in a while & only once because it's on the way home, I was leading the dive & my rear dump kept sticking, so I just started using my lungs real hard & my dry suit a little (thought I was going to hyperventilate), it would work for a while & then stick at first, then it quit all together, that's when I turned the dive, but it was a great dive all the same(kinda' rough reeling in a reel with no BC, glad I have good lungs, felt like a frog bumping his ass).

Well, like Skip said, he's definitely making up for lost time, we were in cave country last week & now he's down in Bonair (hope you get short fills)LOL.

Mike M

[SLIM]

Skip

Think you could make it to CB this weekend? Only could make it Saturday if you can.

SLIM

[DeepDiverBob]

I figured all this rain we are getting would blow CB out. If not, I am really gonna be pissed I have other plans. But then again, I wasnt invited to CB either.

[steve2281]

But then again, I wasnt invited to CB either.

Shoot Bob, how many times have I invited you? Maybe it's just me.

[SLIM]

Well Bob, I thought you had other plans and that is why.

Any way with the rains that they did get in that area last night and today and then what they will get later tonight. The plans foro CB have been canceled and will be done another time. Guess I will just have to sufer with my lonely lake this weekend.

SLIM

[DeepDiverBob]

Well Bob, I thought you had other plans and that is why.

Any way with the rains that they did get in that area last night and today and then what they will get later tonight. The plans foro CB have been canceled and will be done another time. Guess I will just have to sufer with my lonely lake this weekend.

SLIM

I thought you was still mad at me for NOT puting my mask on my forehead when I was diving from your boat, and having to buy you a soda.

[SLIM]

I thought you was still mad at me for NOT puting my mask on my forehead when I was diving from your boat, and having to buy you a soda.

Why, just let you keep doing that so that I know that I will always get a soda that day.

SLIM

[skip]

Thanks for the invite slim, but I've been out of touch lately....got an email from a friend who had to cancel a trip to bonaire due to illness, and got half his trip money back from insurance and sold me his trip for half price! A week in Bonaire for $850.00 (all inclusive - airfare, boat and shore dives, food). Couldn't say no to that.

Also managed to spend some time in Bonaire's caves. Not diving in them, but did snorkel through one and found some diveable passage, met the one cave diver living on Bonaire and now have an invite to return for some serious cave diving! Seems the NSS did some work down there in the late 80's, but has not followed up on it since.

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[Mike M]

My pass port is being renewed as I write this.

Mike M