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From: "Geoff Kelafant" <kelafant@we*.co*>
To: <lcarlson@n-*.co*>, <ScottBonis@ao*.co*>, <swhac@pc*.gu*.ne*>
Cc: <cavers@cavers.com>
Subject: Re: cave lines
Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2000 19:03:10 -0700
Hold on a second.  How many lines are we talking about anyway?

Naharon is quite a run but anybody with half a brain can find it.  As for
the rest of the system, the A line starts in daylight and the beginning of
the B line can be free dived.  Cenote of the Sun is no more than 10 feet and
Jailhouse is tied on land.  Even the Dead Zone is in daylight.

Carwash starts way back but is not really a problem.

Gran Cenotes main line is just off the cavern line, a big yellow thing that
is hard to miss.

The first trip I ever made to Mexico was without a guide or even someone who
really knew where they were going and I had no problem finding the line in
any of the above three systems

Taj Mahal, Minotauro, Actun Co, Calimba, Temple of Doom, Dos Ojos, Ox Bel
Ha, Nohoch, Hilarios Well, Chac Mool, Ponderosa (well don't dive it now),
Vaca Ha, Tortuga, Ak Tulum, and many others are all easy.  George and his
friends even left the line for Calavera tied to a root out of the water.  Of
course if you have no idea where you are going even a 25 foot run can be a
nightmare, can't it?

I think your characterization of "lines ... cut back so deep" is really over
the top.  If you only go to Carwash, Naharon and Gran Cenote, one would
think you would have broken the code by now.

It is entirely possible and pleasurable to dive without a guide in Mexico as
many on this list have done.  But you at least need to find somebody to tell
you where to go.

Oh.. there are some really good guides down in Mexico and some really good
guides from the States that take groups down frequently.  If you feel you're
being cheated, maybe your time and money would be better spent finding
someone who really knows the systems and making a few dives with them rather
than looking for the start of the permanent line as you leave the Cancun
airport.  You shouldn't really cast aspersions on all of them just because
there are more than a few moronic jerks claiming to be guides.

Geoff Kelafant


----- Original Message -----
From: "Lance Carlson" <lcarlson@n-*.co*>
To: <ScottBonis@ao*.co*>; <swhac@pc*.gu*.ne*>
Cc: <cavers@cavers.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2000 3:15 PM
Subject: RE: cave lines


> However,
>
> I've often wondered why it is that the lines in mexico are cut back so
deep
> (some in excess of a full primary reel).  Can you explain the value of
this
> other than keeping guides employed down there?  Make it known that I have
> no qualms about running reel up to say 250' in or so but beyond that I
> question motive?  Observation: Florida, lines too near entrance (read, put
> LR back where it belongs).  Mexico, lines too far.  How many people dive
on
> their own in mexico (sans guide) vs in Florida?  I bet you the single most
> compelling reason is locating the main line.  By the way, I am aware of
the
> cavern dives there and maybe the answer lies in the fact that some
'cavern'
> dives in Mexico are actually 'Cave' dives and the buck wins again.
>
> Lance
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ScottBonis@ao*.co* [SMTP:ScottBonis@ao*.co*]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 18, 2000 3:33 PM
> To: swhac@pc*.gu*.ne*
> Cc: cavers@cavers.com; John E. Ivanic
> Subject: Re: cave lines
>
> In a message dated 10/18/2000 10:26:48 AM US Mountain Standard Time,
> swhac@pc*.gu*.ne* writes:
>
> << ... That line was only moved because the instructors in the community
do
> not want to take the time, and need to pass students that can't, to teach
> people how to run a reel... >>
>
>
> Hi Scott,
>
> I teach in Yucatan and have not done much diving in Florida, but I find it
> almost inconceivable that any cave instructor for any agency would
actually
> pass a cave student who wasn't fully capable of running a reel.
>
> Is that what you're saying?  Do you have any examples of this?  To me this
> would be equivalent to giving a loaded gun with a hair trigger and the
> safety
> off, to a five year old and saying "Here, play with this!"
>
> Take care and dive safe,        Scott
>
>
> In a message dated 10/18/2000 10:26:48 AM US Mountain Standard Time,
> swhac@pc*.gu*.ne* writes:
>
> Subj:    Re: cave lines
> Date:   10/18/2000 10:26:48 AM US Mountain Standard Time
> From:   swhac@pc*.gu*.ne* (Scott Hunsucker)
> To: ivanic@di*.ne* (John E. Ivanic), cavers@cavers.com
> (cavers@cavers.com)
>
>     Why should someone be hung out to dry because they removed a geriatric
> sized unneeded arrow?  What purpose did that oversize piece of plastic
> serve?  If normal arrows work in every other cave in the world, what makes
> Little River so damn special has to merit a different arrow?  Little River
> is just a cave like every other cave in this state, it is not sacred nor
> special.  That large arrow was nothing more than cave trash.  What is
next,
> giant arrows at every split in every cave for every diver that can't
either
> read a map or posses the cognitive ability to navigate?
>     Depending on where the line in question was I might agree with you.
If
> they cut back the main line away from the entrance, back to where it used
> to be, then that is great.  That line was only moved because the
> instructors in the community do not want to take the time, and need to
pass
> students that can't, to teach people how to run a reel.  The same thing
> happened in Peacock, laziness and complacency on the half of the
instructor
> should not equal less work for the student, it does but it should not.  If
> the line was removed from somewhere in the cave that might be a different
> story.
> Scott Hunsucker
>
> At 09:57 AM 10/18/00 -0400, John E. Ivanic wrote:
> >I heard that someone removed some line out of little river, and also
> >stole the large arrow at the serpentine, is this true? The person
> >resposible should be hung out to dry.
> >
> >John
>
>


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