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You are not listening - they ARE open, and I have the "authority", and nobdoy will dive there unelss they do it the way I promised it would be done. You just do not get that, do you? >Well, thanks for the reply. I'm sure I don't have all the information. >This is why I came directly to the source. Always two sides to the >story. I hope, whomever has the authority, will one day re-open them, >as statistics just aren't showing that those certified to cave dive are >dying in masses. Trust me, I wouldn't get into the sport if it weren't >shown time and again that it can be done with relative safety (assuming >training is followed). No hard feelings. > >Thanks, >Allen > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: trey@ne*.co* [SMTP:trey@ne*.co*] >> Sent: Monday, August 14, 2000 3:07 PM >> To: Allen Wooten >> Cc: cavers@cavers.com >> Subject: Re: Closing of the South of Tallahassee, Florida Caves >> >> 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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