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Allen, you don't know what you are talking about. The cave diving community got the caves closed due to their disregard for the landowners and their track record of death and detruction. I got them opened back up. They are opened up with the stipulation that we do things the way I promised they would be done. That is not open to debate with you or anyone else. The real world is that I have overcome what your source (who lied to you ) screwed up . >My name is Allen Wooten and I live in Thomasville, Ga. I have my Dive >Master Cert and Master Scuba Diver Cert. Not too long ago, I was cavern >certified through NSS-CDS. I am scheduled to take Intro to Cave class >this month at Ginnie Springs. > >Now that I've at least introduced myself, I'd like to share with you my >feelings/concerns regarding the closing of the South of Tallahassee >Caves to the overhead diving public. Specifically, I really wish they >would be re-opened. > >What I want to communicate is based on the following information I have >been told by more than one person. I understand that your organization >(WKPP) was instrumental in convincing the landowners of those South >Tallahassee caves that the WKPP was the only group qualified to dive >those springs/sinks, that the rest of the cave diving community were >basically strokes, and the liability was too high to keep these places >open to the public. > >I can't speak for the rest of the cave diving community, but I can speak >for myself. Everyone has to begin somewhere. I am beginning where I am >and look forward to the journey ahead. I wish I had $50,000 and 24 >hours/day to get the necessary training and equipment to dive with you >guys. But I don't and can't. I have to earn a living for my family. >It just so happens that I love to dive and seek these opportunities in >the North Florida area. I would love to be able to go just South of >Tallahassee to a sink and get some overhead dives in before I meet my >wife at TGI Fridays for early evening dinner. However, with the current >closed-cave situation, I have to go further South, spend more money, and >get back home later to get in the necessary dives to build experience. > >Let's face it, it is my belief that the cave diving community regards >the WKPP as the best in the world, but there is more to diving in caves >than being 15,000 feet back. Many cavers just want to go in and safely >enjoy the experience. To say that you can't dive the Tallahassee caves >unless you are part of WKPP is to say that there is no other form or >motivation for cave diving. This argument simply does not hold water. > >To say that the South Tallahassee sinks are more fragile or require more >skill than the other 250 caves in Florida may be quite a stretch as >well. Why would these caves be more of a liability than any of the >other caves that are open to the public. It seems that a liability >release is satisfactory for the rest of the legal world. Why would it >apply differently in Tallahassee? Or is this the only sphere of >influence that the WKPP has managed to create? > >Cave conservation is important. I think any respecting cave diver would >agree, but conservation efforts are larger than any one organization. >If that were not so, then the government could simply mandate it across >the board. The fact is that they can't and neither can any one >organization. It requires teamwork. I have my Master of Business >Administration (MBA) degree. I know enough to know that an organization >doesn't accomplish its mission through superiority complexes, >alienation, and an exclusiveness culture; but rather, it must work >together with all stakeholders (including the cave community). The end >does not always justify the means. The non-diving public doesn't have >enough knoweldge about the situation to make educated decisions. They >will believe anything you tell them and are mostly motivated by fear. > >If indeed the WKPP convinced the landowners to close these sinks, then >it is my feeling that the WKPP is biting the very hand that fed them >individually for so many years. After all, the cave diving community >taught you the skills necessary to cave dive safely. You simply >expanded upon them to do more extreme missions. And that is good, but >it isn't comprehensive of every possible motivation to cave dive. Some >people just want to cave dive for fun. > >Sheck Exley was a true industry leader. He didn't resort to exclusion. >Rather, he fought to keep the sport of cave diving legal for ALL who >wanted to participate by creating and educating others regarding safe >cave diving practices and conservation through the NSS-CDS. This was >during a time when increasing deaths almost made the sport illegal by >society (as if society had any authority to make decisions regarding the >risks that an individual takes upon himself). By getting sinks closed, >it seems to me that the WKPP is working directly against what Exley >fought so hard to achieve. > >As far as I'm concerned, the Wakulla Springs and all sinks in Leon >County are a waste of a resource in total. Sure, they provide Florida >with drinking water. But so what? Water is useful for more things than >drinking. It can be used for recreation. Since I'll never get to see >the features of the Leon sinks, how will that resource ever touch my >life personally? Life is about making the best of it and being happy. >Being restricted from dive sites and doing the things you love doesn't >create happiness. It creates sadness in an already hateful world. The >goal of any organization should be to make man's existence more >beneficial, peaceful, and happy. Taking away their freedom doesn't >accomplish this. I don't think I can support an organization that >actively attempts to take my freedoms away. America used to be the land >of the free and the brave. I do not believe this to any longer be the >case. It seems to now be the land of the regulated and the soft. > >I don't mean any of this as a personal attack in any way. Every >organization must face its critics. This is part of organizational >dynamics and behavior. I, like you, am trying to make a difference and >be the best that I can be. I don't expect this E-mail to be the >save-all of the opening of the Leon County Sinks, but I do hope you will >file this one away with any others you may have received and will >receive. At a minimum, thanks for hearing me out. > >Thanks, >Allen >
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