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Scott , they don't want to believe this - they want to wallow in the community lies. >allen, > >rather than complain to george, why didn't you consider actually >volunteering to help with the project. as close as you live, you could have >done so quite easily. it is does not take $50,000 to join the team. we >have people at all levels. if i can do it from 650 miles, you can do it >from 50. i strongly recommend that you take your remaining cave classes >from someone at GUE, quit listening to the morons that are trying to >brainwash you, and then come help out. these caves are on private property >(except wakulla). the land owners do not have to let anyone dive. they let >us because of our track record and negotiations made by george. you, along >with others, seem to think that it is your birthright to be able to dive any >cave in florida. the land owners can do anything they want including >bulldozing the cave. contrary to what you have been told, the majority of >these caves are indeed much more difficult than the caves you dive. they >are much deeper, and much darker walled than the springs you are diving in >high springs and branford. many of them are syphons. most of the cave >diving community is not qualified or trained to do deep cave diving. they >think they are and repeatedly make deep air dives to prove it, but >tallahassee caves deserve just a little more respect than that. these dives >require trimix and scooters designed for deep diving. when you have >completed a GUE cave 2 class, please contact us. > >scott landon >wkpp training coordinator > > >>From: trey@ne*.co* (Trey) >>To: "Allen Wooten" <AWooten@ga*.cs*.st*.ga*.us*> >>CC: <cavers@cavers.com> >>Subject: Re: Closing of the South of Tallahassee, Florida Caves >>Date: Mon, 14 Aug 2000 15:07:00 -0400 >> >>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 >> > >> > >_____________________________________________________ ___________________ >Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com > >
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