The Bats.

The entrance to Ginnie Springs. Yes, that is a 
"no diving" sign, but what they mean is no 
jumping head-first off the stairs. Yes, those are
our bail-out tanks at the bottom: my husband
likes to launch them like rockets into the water.

For our last dive in Florida, I wanted to back off a little and do something fun. Sometimes, on the last day of a dive trip, I succumb to exhaustion and end up cancelling - it's happened to me multiple times. But this year, I was determined to follow through. No cancelling at the last minute, no waking up and deciding I couldn't go. Our last dive in Florida was my 400th SCUBA dive, and if I didn't follow through, I would end up having my 400th dive somewhere boring - like my local pond back home.

I chose for my 400th dive to be in a cave system called Ginnie Springs. Ginnie is massive - you could probably spend every dive for a year exploring it and still not get bored. At the surface, Ginnie's crystal-clear water is usually full of splashing children and adults relaxing in inner tubes. Below, past the freshwater flatfish on the sandy river bottom, beyond the grazing snails on algae-covered rocks, past the warning sign for untrained divers to stay away, there is a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers that is a cave diver's paradise. 

It starts with a head-first descent past limestone rocks. Then you pull yourself against the current by gripping boulders on the floor of a limestone tunnel. Next comes the Gallery, which is a tall, narrow, cathedral-shaped chamber with curving sides; the Lips is a squat, flat-roofed feature that you can only transit by pulling yourself along the tabular rock. By the time you make it to the Park Bench, a long, rectangular rock, where you can rest and catch your breath, you're ready for a break. The entrance to Ginnie Springs is an experience in itself!

After making our way past the features at Ginnie's entrance, we headed off on a side tunnel called Hill 400. This part of the cave is characterized by a limestone arch with a flat floor and lots of fossils. Scallop shells and sea biscuits abound - remnants from Florida's marine past. After rounding a bend, we reached The Bats, a well-known landmark in Ginnie Springs. Someone actually strung up fishing line between the rocks and hung rubber bats from it. 

A year ago, my husband, Carl, took me on a side tunnel near The Bats, and I messed it up. The tunnel got narrower and narrower as we went, and I got a little panicky. I got Carl's attention and told him I wanted to turn around - with only about 20% of the tunnel left, although I didn't know it at the time. After several minutes of trying to turn myself around, I kicked up a lot of sediment, and we could no longer see. We both had to use our training to get ourselves out of a low-visibility situation. I still had mud on my suit when we emerged from Ginnie. I was pretty mad at myself for messing up. 

For my 400th dive, Carl suggested we try the tunnel near The Bats again, and I jumped at the chance. I wanted to redeem myself and use my skills. As we headed into the tunnel, I enjoyed myself a lot. As it got narrower and narrower, I kept my trim and even appreciated the limestone formations on the ceiling. I found the exact point where I had turned around last time and passed it unfazed. By the time we got to the end of the tunnel, I was sediment-free and really proud of myself. 

SCUBA diving is a sport that requires practice, but once you have the opportunity to practice, you can ramp up really quickly. In 2017, I went from diving for 45 minutes with a single tank to hauling 3 tanks through the surf zone and past fire coral for a multi-hour dive - all within a week. Every time I have a cave diving vacation, I reach a little farther and get a little better. I really love this sport. 

It has been a great vacation in Florida, and I am so excited to have my 400th SCUBA dive!!