North Florida Cave Diving

kitsapdiver · Post by **kitsapdiver** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 12:26 am

So I made it official and bought tickets for North Florida from May 19-28. I'll be finishing my full cave class from May 22-24.

However the 25, 26, 27, and 28th are the Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday associated with Memorial Day weekend so if anyone was interested in a trip to North Florida it's not a bad time of the year. During my class I plan on staying at the High Springs Country Inn and then camping at Ginnie Springs during the weekend.

Any cave divers going to be in the area during that time?

Grateful Diver · Post by **Grateful Diver** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 6:30 am

You're gonna camp at Ginnie Springs over Memorial Day week-end?

Do you know what goes on that week-end? It's like Animal House on steroids ... makes the parking lot scene at a Grateful Dead show look like a cocktail party.

We showed up there the day after the festivities two years ago to the charred remains of tents and sleeping bags ... picnic tables in the river ... and mountains of trash and broken beer bottles everywhere. The guy at the dive shop said it was a pretty good week-end ... they only had three significant injuries and 17 arrests ... and nobody died.

If you're into a truly wild party scene with 3,000 drunken rednecks, then enjoy yourself. Otherwise, I'd be looking for some other place to camp that week-end.

Oh ... and have fun with the diving ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

spatman · Post by **spatman** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 8:02 am

Search YouTube for ginnie springs and you'll see plenty of videos depicting what Bob described above.

Joshua Smith · Post by **Joshua Smith** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 9:39 am

If you're lucky, you can finish your class before the first fire breaks out. You couldn't pay me to be anywhere near that place on Memorial day weekend.

kitsapdiver · Post by **kitsapdiver** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 11:08 am

I've heard these stories and want to see the mayhem for myself! I have non diving friends that will be camping at Ginnie that weekend

defied · Post by **defied** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 4:15 pm

Here right now, and they are already ramping up. Turns out that Memorial day weekend alone covers ALL of Ginnie Springs operating costs. Employee wages, product creation, marketing, maintenance and building, etc. The rest of the year is PURE profit.

Ginnie is a gorgeous place (I know you've been there). Much more up to date and clean in comparison to other State parks, not to mention Devils Den.

FYI: Last year, divers pulled out enough beer bottles and trash to fill eight garbage containers.

You have GOT to get and post pictures of this event, bro!

D

Joshua Smith · Post by **Joshua Smith** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 4:19 pm

kitsapdiver wrote:I've heard these stories and want to see the mayhem for myself! I have non diving friends that will be camping at Ginnie that weekend

*shudder* Well, sounds like my idea of hell on earth, but you have fun! And post some pics and vid!

camerone · Post by **camerone** » Fri Jan 20, 2012 5:57 pm

Joshua Smith wrote:*shudder* Well, sounds like my idea of hell on earth, but you have fun! And post some pics and vid!

Ah, I see you've never done your deco on "The Log", while watching the famed "bikini sharks" above you. There are perky, I mean perks to going that weekend.

(Ok, that's a little sexist, but I have to find the positive in the situation...)

-C

fishb0y · Post by **fishb0y** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 4:16 pm

I'm not sure about 'bikini sharks", but the "muffin tops" I saw there put me off pastry for a while...

kitsapdiver · Post by **kitsapdiver** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 8:19 pm

fishb0y wrote:I'm not sure about 'bikini sharks", but the "muffin tops" I saw there put me off pastry for a while...

Fair enough! I am a "mid-20's" guy from the East coast. So the idea of camping with a bunch of red-necks from the south doesn't bother me. More appropriately it feels at home. I have adapted to the classier more civilized ways of the north west most of the time. I own a north face jacket and pategonia rain gear, but every so often long for my college days, and if I don't do it now those days of my life will pass me by.

Furthermore I like to think of them not as red-necks, but rather as college students. And much to my dismay UF is one of the best public schools in the country.

Northwest Dive Club