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Manatee Springs 2008
Underwater Cave Survey Dive Reports
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Andy P. gearing up at Manatee |
Entries from Mike Poucher's dive log.
6 December 2008 -
Location: Friedman Sink, Manatee Springs State Park
Divers: Andy Pitkin, Michael Poucher
Profile: 405 minutes total
Conditions: Good visibility
Description: Scootered to room before the restriction. Started survey on tee to the left. A couple of low, silty areas with zero vis. Passed over tee from 8/30. Surveyed 1100 feet nd ended at the start of a large room maybe or a split in the passage.
22 November 2008 -
Location: Friedman Sink, Manatee Springs State Park
Divers: Andy Pitkin, Michael Poucher
Profile: 95 minutes total
Description: (Some dives don't go as planned. - ed.) Drysuit was leaking and ADV was free-flowing. Decided to just scooter up the main line for fun.
1 November 2008 -
Location: Friedman Sink, Manatee Springs State Park
Divers: Andy Pitkin, Michael Poucher
Profile: 324 minutes total
Description: Dive started badly. Mike's scooter was pushing sideways and running slow and buoyancy was an issue. Droped scooters and resurveyed area to verify depths recorded on previous dive. Went to the tee on left and through the restriction to take a look.
4 October 2008 -
Location: Friedman Sink, Manatee Springs State Park
Divers: Andy Pitkin, Michael Poucher
Profile: 128 minutes total
Description: Sketched Friedman to Catfish. Sewer tunnel entrance and the two offshoots between Catfish and Sue Sink on the right. Exited Main Spring. Saw catfish in alcoves.
27 September 2008 -
Location: Friedman Sink, Manatee Springs State Park
Divers: Brett Hemphill, Michael Poucher
Profile: 210 minutes bottom time, 90 minutes decompression
Description: Survey the Milk Tunnel from the junction room to the end (almost) of Mark Long's line. Stopped in a room sloping up and there was a bluewater lead to the right just before the room. My light died and Brett explored into the possible junction tunnel at the start of the survey - still going and should connect to the Sewer Tunnel. Saw several crayfish in the back.
14 September 2008 -
Location: Friedman Sink, Manatee Springs State Park
Divers: Michael Poucher, Sandy Poucher
Profile: 133 minutes total
Description: Sketched from Friedman back to Catfish Hotel.
30 August 2008 -
Location: Friedman Sink, Manatee Springs State Park
Divers: Andy Pitkin, Michael Poucher
Profile: 256 minutes total
Description: Survey in Sewer Tunel from p. 4415, CH to p.5262, CH. Laid 200 feet of line and tee'd back intot he main Sewer Tunnel passage. Zero vis on return. My light died when we connected the line and I surveyed on a backup. Light was useless int he silt and not much better in the main passage while scootering.
13 July 2008 -
Location: Friedman Sink, Manatee Springs State Park
Divers: Andy Pitkin, Michael Poucher
Profile: 285 minutes total
Description: Survey dive to continue from 05-03-08. Got to a split in the passage. Went left into a small room with another tee. Line went into a small low passage and line ended at a split. Would have to dig to go left - right probably goes back to the main passage.
3 May 2008 -
Location: Manatee Springs State Park
Divers: Andy Pitkin, Michael Poucher
Profile: 315 minutes total
Description: Continue survey from last dive. Got another 900 feet and repaired two more breaks. Saw 3 crayfish, two at the end of the survey about 2700 feet into the Sewer Tunnel, one about midway back.
? April or May 2008 -
Location: Manatee Springs State Park
Divers: Andy Pitkin, Michael Poucher
Profile: 250 minutes total
Description:
Surveyed in the Sewer Tunnel - got 1200 feet of survey, so we're about 1800 feet in. One line break, good sized passage with particulate, flow, one low area to get through. Stopped just beyond a room with a stone arch across it.
30 March 2008 -
Location: Manatee Springs State Park
Divers: Andy Pitkin, Michael Poucher
Profile: 191 minutes total
Description: Went to survey what I thought was the Sewer Tunnel - got to the end of the line and had a moment of confusion until I recognized the Main Line upstream of Friedman. Went back to the beginning and found the Sewer Tunnel. Swam up maybe 1000 feet or so and turned.
22 March 2008 -
Location: Manatee Springs State Park
Divers: Dave Miner, Michael Poucher
Profile: 168 minutes total
Description: Scootered up the main line. New batteries started to die around 80 minutes in. I had the props as high as they would go. Towed the other scooter. Worked well, but had to switch teather to crotch d-ring rather than back. Used 104's - still butt-heavy with the rebreather. Good flow. Got about 5000 feet above Friedman's.
8 March 2008 -
Location: Manatee Springs State Park
Divers: Andy Pitkin, Michael Poucher
Profile: 160 minutes, 47 in deco
Conditions: Visibility was 80- 100 feet. No flow. Spring was blacked out and manatees int he basin.
Description: Swam up to the Spring Tunnel. Tried the Milk Tunnel (ed.) The Spring Tunnel was siphoning (river is up 13 feet). Saw a possible lead just before Spring Tunnel and another that may connect to the Milk Tunnel where the passage splits. Saw around a dozen crayfish and isopods near the floor.
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