How can I make a Scuba cache?

[+BLACKWATER77]

Hello everyone,

I recently began geocaching and I am hooked.I am an Open Water dive instructor. I tried to find "scubacaches" in my area "Broward County, South Florida" but there are none. I'm thinking about starting a scubacache series here in SoFlo and I need some help. I was hoping that I could get some suggestions as to what to use as a cache, log book and what to use to write. Any suggestions you all have are greatly appreciated.

Stay safe and keep on caching.

Edited June 24, 2012 by BLACKWATER77

[+Team Periwinkle]

I just read about this one. I don't know much about scuba caches, but it has some interesting ideas (although I doubt you'll be able to use the concept of walking out on the ice to verify your coordinates...)

 

http://coord.info/GC2H5GD

 

Dave

 

 

[+Arctikkat]

I'm planning to set up a scuba cache next week. This is how I plan to set it.

 

A water tight lock 'n lock will be tied to a brick with a 5 foot string and sunk at the coordinates, since the box will be positively bouyant, it will float 5 feet off the bottom of the lake. Attached to the brick will be a reel of string and an inflatable floatation device. The diver will inflate the device which will float to the surface with the reel string attached. Once at the surface the diver can continue diving for as long as he or she desires. Once the dive is complete and the diver is on the surface and on the boat he can go to the floatation device and pull the geocache. brick and all to the surface. When he signs the log and such he deflates the flotation device, rolls up the reel of string, courteously replaces everything as he found it, then just sets the brick and geocache into the water to sink back to the bottom at the same coordinates.

 

That way he doesn't have to do a second dive to replace the cache.

[+Crew 153]

I think you will find that the Lock'n'Lock is not as watertight as you would want. Try tying a brick to it and submerging in a pool for a while and see how it goes.

[+Arctikkat]

Yeah, I was planning to test it before I set it. That's why I specified watertight, there are several cases specifically designed for scuba that could be used for this purpose and are watertight to 100 feet.

Edited June 25, 2012 by Arctikkat

[+niraD]

I've found submerged ammo cans that were completely dry inside. However, if anything (like a plastic bag) gets caught in the lid when it is closed, then it will wick water into the container when it is resubmerged.

 

Another approach I've seen discussed (but haven't seen in person) is to use a long container that opens at one end, and to weight/secure it so that end is the one that is pointed down. The air pressure in the container keeps water out.

 

Another approach is to submerge something with information on it, and to use that information to find the final stage of a multi-cache (which is hidden on dry land).

[+Chrysalides]

I've heard of some scuba caches being a piece of underwater writing slate.

[+BLACKWATER77]

Thank you all for the suggestions. Please keep them coming

[+BLACKWATER77]

I'm thinking of putting my cache in one of the many wrecks we have down here in south Florida. I think I want to make it that you have to sign the log book underwater and trade swags underwater.

[+niraD]

Then you need something like an underwater writing slate for the log. And I suppose it doesn't matter much what you use for the container, because any trade items are going to be submerged in water anyway.

[+briansnat]

One of the simplest ways to do it is to hide the cache on dry land so you don't have to worry about a super waterproof container. Then sink a plaque or something similar at the posted coordinates that has the coordinates of the container on land.