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Allen, wrong project - the dead doc was courtesy of the USDCT, not the WKPP. Landon told you the story. >Actually, I did volunteer last year, but the accident regarding that Dr. >who died changed things a tad. Got a little busy around there. >Furthermore, I was told by some this year who volunteered that you can't >get in the water without being full-cave certified. Trying to get my >Intro class in, and being no where near full-cave, my little >cavern-nobody-self decided to stick with getting in some fun dives till >I got further along. > >Allen > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: trey@ne*.co* [SMTP:trey@ne*.co*] >> Sent: Monday, August 14, 2000 4:13 PM >> To: Scott Landon; AWooten@ga*.cs*.st*.ga*.us* >> Cc: cavers@cavers.com >> Subject: Re: Closing of the South of Tallahassee, Florida Caves >> >> 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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