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Dive Site Comments > Wes Skyles Peacock Springs State Park
Baker721 - 12/15/2020 11:17 AM
Rating Added: 5
great diving
oceanbound - 8/28/2019 11:32 PM
Rating Added: 3
went in 2016
Hockeyrottie - 5/03/2019 12:19 PM
Rating Added: 4
Did part of my cavern training here, liked the openness of the cavern.

I thought was a little cold, but was in a 5 mil.

Lost my Paralenz in the run trying to film a turtle. Partner found it 2 days later, with 35% battery still left!
SantaFeSandy - 11/09/2018 8:47 AM
I went scuba diving here on 11/3/2018. Average viz: 61-70ft/19-21m. Water temp: 71-75°F/22-24°C.
Photo shoot, Great dive.

flickr.com/photos/santafesandy/albums/72157701642942251
SantaFeSandy - 9/21/2017 8:38 AM
I went scuba diving here on 9/20/2017. Average viz: 81-90ft/25-27m. Water temp: 71-75°F/22-24°C.
Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017 - First dive inside Peacock1 post hurricane Irma. We arrived at 9:45 am., the water was still in shade, but had scummy algae floating on top. We were told that below was crystal clear. There were many, many trees down from the entry to the park (the parking lots spaces at Orange were filled with cut up trees making parking there very difficult) all the way down to Peacock.

The boardwalk to Peacock was also filled with debris.

The new steps are nice, but the platform makes it very difficult for sidemount divers to gear up without being in the water to do so. Not liking that new configuration, though very appreciative of all the hard work and investment of the volunteers who continually maintain them.

Once descended, as the only divers there, the waters were truly pristine. Graham and I took the goldline the backway to Challenge. Beautiful dive.
SantaFeSandy - 1/15/2017 11:04 PM
I went scuba diving here on 1/15/2017. Average viz: 51-60ft/16-18m. Water temp: 71-75°F/22-24°C.
Today 4 divers achieved their Abe Davis Award for 100 safe cave dives, and one hit his 1000th! Congratulations you guys! Thanks for letting me partake of your journey.

flickr.com/photos/santafesandy/albums/72157675454611854
SantaFeSandy - 12/15/2016 8:48 PM
It’s Wes Skiles, not Wes Skyles. ;-)
SantaFeSandy - 12/15/2016 8:45 PM
I went scuba diving here on 12/15/2016. Average viz: 41-50ft/12-15m. Water temp: 71-75°F/22-24°C.
Thurs. Dec. 15, 2016 -

Post Dive Report (per my buddy, Guy Bryant): Peacock III is looking good right now. The vis is around 50+ ft and clear, but there are a lot of particulates floating in the water. We went straight back on the main line past the jump to Hendley’s Castle and continued on until the line forked. We took the left fork into the small silty tunnel. It was really nice, pretty undisturbed silt on the bottom and almost no particulates in the water this far back. We turned the dive when it got small enough that we would have had to drag our tanks and bellies through the silt. It’s a good time to be diving Peacock III with the descent vis right now.
SantaFeSandy - 6/27/2016 1:46 PM
I went scuba diving here on 6/26/2016. Average viz: 36-40ft/11-12m. Water temp: 71-75°F/22-24°C.
Wonderful day with Paul practicing skills and drills in both Orange and Peacock1 in preparation for his cave training with Lamar.
SantaFeSandy - 6/15/2016 7:09 PM
I went scuba diving here on 6/15/2016. Average viz: 51-60ft/16-18m. Water temp: 71-75°F/22-24°C.
Dove from P1 to the Waterhole jump at around 1000 foot penetration, and then took the jump to the very end, at approximately 1000 foot more in. Comfortably reached the end with greater than 300 psi before hitting thirds.
SantaFeSandy - 6/12/2016 8:20 PM
I went scuba diving here on 6/11/2016. Average viz: 51-60ft/16-18m. Water temp: 71-75°F/22-24°C.
Day 2 of Mauricio’s Intro to Cave training.
SantaFeSandy - 6/11/2016 6:09 PM
I went scuba diving here on 6/10/2016. Average viz: 61-70ft/19-21m. Water temp: 71-75°F/22-24°C.
Day 2 of Mauricio’s Intro to Cave course. He ran lots of lines, explored multiple areas of the cave, practiced bump and go, gained better countrol of monitoring his buoyancy, and is beginning to look like a bird in flight! Great job buddy! 😃😃😃😻😻😃😃😃
SantaFeSandy - 3/23/2016 11:03 PM
I went scuba diving here on 3/23/2016. Average viz: 41-50ft/12-15m. Water temp: 71-75°F/22-24°C.
SantaFeSandy - 3/17/2016 9:40 PM
I went scuba diving here on 3/17/2016. Average viz: 41-50ft/12-15m. Water temp: 66-70°F/19-21°C.
Thurs. March 17, 2016. A beautiful 2 hour St. Patrick’s Day dive with by buddy Guy. Entering at Peacock1, we went past the Nicholson Tunnel, around Wishbone, past Cisteen, and past the jump going to the Crypt before turning the dive. Water levels were up over the 4th step from the bottom, and while viz is getting better, it was still quite hazy.
SantaFeSandy - 1/13/2016 5:36 PM
I went scuba diving here on 1/13/2016. Average viz: 81-90ft/25-27m. Water temp: 71-75°F/22-24°C.
Great dive in beautiful conditions.
SantaFeSandy - 12/02/2015 7:55 PM
I went scuba diving here on 12/2/2015. Average viz: 31-35ft/9-11m. Water temp: 71-75°F/22-24°C.
For my second official dive as a full cave diver, Guy and I completed the Grand Traverse. I led the dive going from Orange to Peacock1 via the Backway. I started out with a heavy 3600 psi, and ended the dive, after a 200 ft. jump deviation towards the Water Hole, with 2100 and 2000 psi.

Visibility was down in many places to around 35 ft., as there were tons of divers in both sites. One instructor, the first diver we passed, approached us with wetnotes saying, "Sorry, Student Diver". ;-)

LOL, poor student, I sure would hate to have my instructor stopping all divers going by us to tell them that all vis messes were my fault!!!

Needless to say, that set the stage for what was to come.

But you know, being a cave diver is not all about visibility and light, it’s about enjoying the environment regardless, and relishing the reprieve we have from the dry world above water. It’s just marvelous to be able to escape all the hectic, crazy sound filled world, to a place where water, motion, darkness and silence embrace each other with warm regards.
SantaFeSandy - 12/02/2015 7:36 PM
I went scuba diving here on 12/9/2015. Average viz: 91-100ft/28-30m. Water temp: 71-75°F/22-24°C.
In preparation for the Grand Traverse, I made it to Challange, via the Backway, with 500 in reserve before hitting 1/3rds, thereby assuring that I’d have adequate gas supply for the Grand Traverse. This route is approximately 2400 ft. from Peacock1 to Challange.

From Orange to Challange is approximately 1800 ft. Total of Grand Traverse, without any additional jumps, is 4200 ft.

With LP 85’s filled to 3600 psi, I set the pace, and used 1800 psi in 43 mins. to get to Challange via Peacock1 (the backway), and following my buddy out, I used 1500 psi in 56 mins. with a slight push.

I set my markers on the end of the line at the Peanut restriction, in setup for the Grand Traverse.
SantaFeSandy - 9/16/2015 6:22 PM
I went scuba diving here on 9/16/2015. Average viz: 91-100ft/28-30m.
Great day diving with new cave buddy, Guy Bryant. Guy brought a slave strobe and sensor, and it was the first time I got to experiment shooting with backlighting in the caves.
SantaFeSandy - 4/16/2015 8:50 AM
I went scuba diving here on 4/15/2015. Average viz: 91-100ft/28-30m. Water temp: 71-75°F/22-24°C.
Took my camera into the cave system for the first time since my certification in order to get some shots for John. Got a few good shots and had a ton of fun with my new buddies. We did our first dive inside Peacock1 and our second dive inside Little River Springs cave system. Great day!
SantaFeSandy - 12/03/2014 5:24 PM
I went scuba diving here on 12/2/2014. Average viz: 91-100ft/28-30m.
Entered at Peacock 1 and did 3 training dives. The 1st and 3rd were ~1,000 ft. up to the Olsen line, and the 2nd was 800 ft. up the Peanut tunnel. Lamar Hires is a great cave and sidemount instructor, not to mention a spot on creator of the Nomad LTZ. :-)