Blue Springs dived

[cdavis]

Hi All,

Well, it won't compare with Freedive-a-paloosa, but a group of us will be meeting at Blue Springs State Park, just north of Orlando off I-4. Saturday, July 22, 8:00 am. Best diving before the scubies get there (before 9:00). PM me know if you are coming, need directions, etc.

Connor

 

[MKDVR]

Hi All,

Well, it won't compare with Freedive-a-paloosa, but a group of us will be meeting at Blue Springs State Park, just north of Orlando off I-4. Saturday, July 22, 8:00 am. Best diving before the scubies get there (before 9:00). PM me know if you are coming, need directions, etc.

Connor

A little off topic but have a question about the weighting there. I've found that 4lbs. works for me in freshwater with a light flow. Would you recommend or not to add and extra pound or two for the high flow at Blue Springs?

 

[cdavis]

I'd go with what you are comfortable with. Blue is a pull down to about 50 ft, and then the current is pretty stiff, so exact weighing is not so critical. 4 lb seem a little light though, how much suit are you wearing?

Connor

 

[MKDVR]

I'd go with what you are comfortable with. Blue is a pull down to about 50 ft, and then the current is pretty stiff, so exact weighing is not so critical. 4 lb seem a little light though, how much suit are you wearing?


Connor

3 mil hooded Elios. Have no body fat to speak of. I pull down to about 45' but that was a different suit. I'll just carry a couple of pounds extra with me to the basin just in case.

 

[cdavis]

I'm jealous. You will be a lot warmer than me. Six pounds sounds about right, unless you want to go shallow in the side cracks. I'd bring 8 just to make sure.

Connor

 

[MKDVR]

I'm jealous. You will be a lot warmer than me. Six pounds sounds about right, unless you want to go shallow in the side cracks. I'd bring 8 just to make sure.

Connor

Ok. I'll bring 8 just in case.

 

[MKDVR]

Not sure who all will be there tommorow other than cdavis but I will be in the black Bronco around 8:00. Pretty obvious with the dive and elios stickers on the back.:friday

 

[MKDVR]

Thanks to all those who came out today. Specifically Connor for putting it together. Had a blast and am sitting here exhausted. Was a good day. Have to do it again.:friday

Michael W.

 

[cdavis]

Thanks as well to all who could come; it was a lot of fun. Blue is a great place for a bunch of divers. We will definately do it again.

Connor

 

[The111]

Ditto, I had fun too. As I said I hadn't been diving in at least a year but I thought about it all the rest of the weekend. I need people to pressure me into coming out more often. Thanks Connor.

 

[Holdyourbreath]

A board member saw me and my friend diving at blue springs and told me that there will be another get together on Sat at sept 18th at 8 am. Does anyone have a link to a post or info? I'm a novice and would like to swap notes and info with anyone. So far my best is 55.4' I'm soo close to the sign but just can't touch it yet. I've been battling sinus congestion and am now averaging about 45 feet since I have dificulties equalizing. If anyone has any tips or tricks. Let me know. I look forward to learning and advancing goals with you guys.

Check out my videos of the dives. I'm a joker and these are kind of tongue in cheek. Once you guys meet me and know my humor you will understand.

Blue Springs



Laterz, Joel

 

[The111]

Hey Joel,

I've been diving Blue Springs for 10 years, though I'm still a novice to some degree in the general freediving realm. I think I've been to around 80 feet or so but I don't dive too actively or aggressively. I can give you some general pointers for this dive.

Coincidentally, I'm also into video editing but not of freediving, check out some of my work in the gallery at www.matthoover.com.

Anyway, from watching the subject in the videos I noticed two main things.

1. He's not wearing a wetsuit.
2. He's finning a lot to descend.

Get a wetsuit and a weightbelt. LEARN how to properly weight yourself, the rule of thumb I was told long ago is to be positively buoyant above 30', but I do not claim to be a freediving expert so do not take my words as advice.

Pull yourself down via the ledges rather than finning. You will expend less energy. Avoid the flow, which is explained in the next paragraph.

What you REALLY want to do, but this requires knowledge of the terrain down there, and a light (and another disclaimer that you do this at your own risk) is go down in the narrowest end of the crevice (there is a very narrow dark route not accessible from the surface, you may need to be shown) and completely avoid the flow - below your neutral buoyancy point you will sink. You will come out at about 50 feet on that long shelf above the sign, but way past the sign horiztonally, in the darker half of the cavern. From there you can go deeper, or simply turn back toward the sign, get back into the flow, and "ride" it to the surface as you fin.

Any deep dives beyond 60 feet require a lot of horizontal movement as well, so an 80 ft dive is not simply 60+20.

If you think it's cool swimming down to SCUBA divers and waving, wait until you see the confusion on their faces when you ascend past them at 50 ft, and they never saw you going down in the first place.

P.S. I really dig the Ratatat song, I have been hearing them on the local indie station and liking it, your video was the last straw, I am going to have to go get one of their albums.

 

[cdavis]

Hi Joel,

Several of us will be at Blue, 8 am, Saturday, Sept 16. Come join us.

Connor

 

[MKDVR]

Crossing fingers. I've been fighting a cold for the last 3 weeks. Thought for sure I would be ok by now. I'm getting better but am not sure how my performance will be.

 

[Holdyourbreath]

Thanks for the advice as the subject...uhem I mean, "I" can use it! I loved your photography/videos as it is about my next adventure skydiving! Thank you for your ideas.

Anyway, from watching the subject in the videos I noticed two main things.

1. He's not wearing a wetsuit.
2. He's finning a lot to descend.

P.S. I really dig the Ratatat song, I have been hearing them on the local indie station and liking it, your video was the last straw, I am going to have to go get one of their albums.

 

[freedive]

Is any one going to be @ Blue Spring this Saturday 15 sep 07, to do some diving. Scott if you read this reply back to me or for that fact if any body wants to get your dive on let me know, and are ther going to be any groups out there this weekend also.

Thanks
Freedive

 

[freedive]

Just to add a couple of things is ther sny one that has any good video that they could send me some I can show just how beautiful it is to my wife and family "especialy the wife". I would greatly in your debt.

Freedive

 

[cdavis]

Not this weekend, but I would love another day if the vis is finally improving. The 22nd could work. Please post a report on what you find this weekend.

Connor