Underwater Caches

[+Hunt]

One type of cache that is not yet wide spread and yet is still such a great opportunity for a good hunt is underwater caches. If anyone has any cool ideahs or knows of one, post it here! (I'm brainstorming for a future cache)

[+Wreck Diver]

What type of underwater cache are you most interested in?

 

I've seen caches that use a water-resistant container and are left sitting in a shallow waterway.

 

I've seen caches that use a water-resistant container and are lowered into deeper water using a tether anchored to shore.

 

I've seen caches that use a water-resistant container and are generally only retrievable using SCUBA equipment.

 

Adding depth to the cache's hide will add further complication to water resistance, container accessibility, and the ability to locate... but that's not to say that there isn't a way to create a noteworthy cache.

[+skigirl]

Of course keeping the cache dry is a major issue. I've seen caches where a waterproof tag was hidden underwater with coordinates for a container on dry land. Its a good way to avoid dealing with a wet cache and logbook.

 

An issue I've found, at least in my area, is finding a place where its legal to swim, yet safe from non- geocachers. Around here anyplace where swimming is allowed tends to be very crowded when its warm enough to swim.

[+Hunt]

I am interested in scuba caches btw. and although the wetness factor, not to mention preasure, can be detrimental to a cache, a well designed and constructed container will eliminate these problems. And if it is in the ocean, I doubt you would have muggler problems on a private boat ( since I'm planning on putting it in a place that will require that). I know this all might be a bit crazy but I want to make a cache that will cater to the extreem cachers. For those who cant hack it, they can go to their local grocery stores and chose from one of the five caches that are probably crammed all over the parking lot. (over crowding is a big problem where I live)

Edited November 1, 2005 by Hunt

[Team Dragon]

You can also make a container designed to be wet, which would probably be safer with a SCUBA cache instead of requiring a sawtooth profile.

[+nfa]

following the "wet-design" idea...I have a couple of those scuba writing boards, and was thinking of making the cache container out of one of those net-bags...my question is what would I use to write on the boards? They came with wax pencils, but I assume that the wood part of the pencils would swell and goo-ify with constant immersion...any ideas...crayons?

 

Thanks

Edited November 1, 2005 by NFA

[Team Dragon]

I've never kept pencil wood submerged for a long time, I don't know the effects.

 

I'd be afraid of a slate running out of room too quickly. There are a few companies that make waterproof paper for note taking underwater, here's one such product I'm considering for a cache in 80 feet.

 

http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/AQUSNP.html

[+Hunt]

I've seen the effects of water on a pencil, the wood definately swells and eventually fals apart, i was thinking of a waterproof container that you would have to surface and then get into.

[+sTeamTraen]

They came with wax pencils, but I assume that the wood part of the pencils would swell and goo-ify with constant immersion...any ideas...crayons?

Plastic propelling pencils

 

(Not sure if that's the US name for them: basically it's a very thin pencil lead in a pen-type container, with a button at one end to push the lead up and out. Used by draftsmen, for example.)

 

Here in France you can get 10 in a bag for about $2.

[+Moose Mob]

They came with wax pencils, but I assume that the wood part of the pencils would swell and goo-ify with constant immersion...any ideas...crayons?

Plastic propelling pencils

 

(Not sure if that's the US name for them: basically it's a very thin pencil lead in a pen-type container, with a button at one end to push the lead up and out. Used by draftsmen, for example.)

 

Here in France you can get 10 in a bag for about $2.

I believe you are talking about mechanical pencils?

 

 

I doubt they would last very long under water.

[+fishingdude720]

maybe a pvc container that is tied to something that won't move. have the roap longenough so evne at high tide it can reah the surface. o make it submergd drop something in that has a latch so it stays under until someone undos the latch. I saw that on a cache in CA.

[PCFrog]

maybe a pvc container that is tied to something that won't move. have the roap longenough so evne at high tide it can reah the surface. o make it submergd drop something in that has a latch so it stays under until someone undos the latch. I saw that on a cache in CA.

[bogleman]

You could try a large mouth vacuum bottle (Thermos bottle) - stainless steel. Sink a heavy cinder block, tie a section of rope around the cinder block and then attach a hasp to the other end then clip the hasp to the handle to the thermos bottle. I think the only concern would be how deep you plan on placing the cache and if there were any heavy currents that could bang the thermos around. I have found one that used a cheap thermos bottle that was placed inside a larger container that was filled with cement then a rope was attached to the large container - the whole lot was then thrown into the water from the shore. All you had to do was find the rope and pull the cache to the shore.

[+Still Searching]

I have a cache in place that is made from a 3-inch piece of PVC pipe with a cap glued on one end and a rubber test plug in the other end. I have this tethered to a cinderblock with a clip on the cache end of the rope. I also attached a float to the end of the rope so it wouldn’t fall to the bottom when the container was unhooked. This cache will actually float when full and stays dry inside. I do have everything in zip lock bags just to be sure. Here is the link.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...f2-d9973c6a679e

[+Hunt]

I like the ideah of using thick, wide PVC to make a dual-chambered container, one chamber beeing for weight and the other with a screw on cap or some kind of seal that will last long and withstand preassure. also a wide base can be added for stability, if it were heavy enough, and placed in a location that is unnafected by current, I think it would work just fine, I thought also of fashioning a housing for it like a 5-gal bucket in a pile of rocks with a camoed lid and then the cache would be inside. and somewhere inside the housing there could be a reflective buoy that could be left out while the diver serfaces and logs his find, then on a second dive he could put the cache back easily and tuck the buoy back in to reset the cache for the next brave SCUBA-Cacher (is it just me or is that name catchy, someone aught to coin that and make a club)

[+DavidMac]

As for the pencil problem, I think there is a cache somewhere in 70 feet of water that is designed to be wet (the container is not watertight and the "logbook" is a slate). The cache page states to bring your own wax pencil to sign in and to only trade items that can be submurged for long periods. Can't find the listing but I think it's in Virginia.

 

Also, there's no need to surface to open/sign the cache, and no worries about the container leaking or problems with pressure on the container.

Edited November 3, 2005 by DavidMac

[+vanman_30]

There's a really cool one here in Northern Michigan called "Taking a Swim at Higgins Lake". Its not a container though, but a large concrete? slab with a couple symbols on it that you have to identify and email to the cache owner. Here is the link Taking a Swim

[+nfa]

would a crayon write on those diving slates, and would a crayon hold up underwater?