WKPP scuba divers break own cave diving record at Wakulla Springs May 23, 2006
Posted by Andy Carroll in : CaveDiving, Conservation , trackback
I recently posted about the WKPP’s plans for extending their exploration of Wakulla Springs this year, due to increased visibility in the cave. Well, it appears that they have done just that, as reports start to surface following a 24 hour dive conducted by the team last weekend.
Jarrod Jablonski and Casey McKinlay managed to extend the cave by 3,000 feet, following a tunnel they found at around 17,000 feet in the cave. The bottom time was around 7 hours at an average depth of 300ft (90 mtrs) and they spent a further 14 hours in decompression.
In a couple of reports from Tallahassee.com, Bruce Ritchie details what is involved in such record breaking cave dive;
More than 30 members of the Woodville Karst Plain Project, including several other divers, are needed to help two divers go deep into the Wakulla Springs Cave system.Other divers entered the cave system in April to help store more than 20 scuba tanks for Jarrod Jablonski and Casey McKinlay when they dive today.
The pair will breathe a mixture of helium and oxygen, with each carrying five tanks and rebreathers, devices that recycle the divers’ exhaled air to extend the distance they can dive on a tank.
and a further report details the scientific work being conducted by the WKPP and the vast amount of cave they have explored and the informatio they have gathered which helps state officials, planners and scientists to understand the threats to Wakulla Springs State Park.
An average of 220 million gallons of water flows daily from Wakulla Springs. Increased nitrogen may be fueling the growth of aquatic weeds choking the swimming area at Wakulla Springs State Park.
Dirty stormwater, wastewater and septic tanks are possible sources of nitrogen in groundwater. Scientists say Tallahassee’s spray field on Tram Road, where wastewater is sprayed on crops, is a likely source of nitrogen at the springs 10 miles away.
When asked why they do it, Jarrod replied “It’s a neat experience as well as being able to make a significant contribution to an environment we all care about.”
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WKPP scuba divers break own cave diving record at Wakulla Springs
the WKPP have broken their own cave diving record at Wakulla Springs, travelling around 20,0000 feet at a depth of nearly 300ft(90mtrs) and spending nearly 24 hours underwater.
[…] The WKPP have released a detailed report of their record dive which I mentioned just after it took place over the weekend of 19-21st May 2006 and have also published a gallery of pictures covering the dive, both in and out of the water. […]