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allen, there are no intro cave dives in tallahassee for you. i am not sure why you are so worried about this, as you are not even full cave. the cavern and intro level class caves are in high springs and branford. you can show up and help us before you finish full cave, but we need to keep you on the surface until you finish GUE level 2. focus on the challenge ahead before you worry about the caves of the woodville karst plain. you are really getting the cart before the horse. scott landon >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 16:29:32 -0400 > >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 > >> > > >> > > > > ________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com
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