What is your opinion of hydrocaches?

[team tisri]

Recently, I received an email from a local geocacher who told me that other geocachers have called me mean-spirited for only putting out hydrocaches. He said that because the vast majority of geocachers don't have a boat, it would appear as though I am only putting out hydrocaches because I know that many can't get to them. He also mentioned that there are geocachers that are big on finding all geocaches within a certain proximity, so it would definitely slight them.

I can tell you that is not the case at all, I just put hydrocaches out because I love being on the water.

 

I also plan on doing a hydrocacher meetup event, that will only be 100m away from shore, and I was also told doing so would slight non-hydrocachers because it would be so close to shore and that I would definitely look like a jerk because I could simply row to shore and let people without boats attend and log. I think that defeats the purpose of the event itself.

 

But anyway, I would just like to know other views on hydrocaches, as well as the event I mentioned. Specifically, from the perspective of those who do not own a boat.

 

I don't own a boat, never have and probably never will. I really have no interest in boating.

 

If you enjoy putting out hydrocaches and people enjoy finding them, keep putting them out. The fact some people have a desire to find everything within a certain radius of their home isn't your problem. By the same argument you could say you shouldn't put caches anywhere that might be difficult to reach because then these people would be thwarted. You'd end up in a place where you'd talk yourself out of anything more involved than film pots behind signs, to make sure that anyone who wanted to find everything within 5 miles of home would be able to do so.

 

Where I live there's one guy who puts out dozens of caches that involve silly climbs (at least they are silly if, like me, you're overweight and don't climb too well). Another guy is a professor and puts out fiendish puzzles that lesser mortals (people like me) struggle to solve. Then there are the people who put nanos on guard rails that people with inadequate patience (people like me) can't be bothered to hunt. So I just accept I'm never going to find everything within 10 miles of home, simply because so many of them are fiendish puzzles or silly climbs or endlessly repetitive searches. Does it trouble me? Not really, I just hunt the ones I can be bothered to hunt and that I think I've got a sporting chance of reaching and finding.

[+Yuma4]

Thank you, I am trying my best.

 

I guess people are just going to have to buy a boat, or put it on ignore. However, I hope I won't be seen as "that guy" at local geocaching events.

 

Why don't you invite people along when you do your maintenance visits? It would be a nice gesture and probably alot of fun too.

 

That's a good idea. If you have an extra boat that you can loan someone, post a note on your hydrocaches and let people know that you're going to do a maintenance visit and offer to take someone along. It would allow someone that doesn't have a boat to find your cache and it would introduce them to paddling. There's a cache not far from me that requires rappelling down a cliff next to a water fall. The CO for the cache frequently posts notes announcing that he's going to visit the cache with an invitation to join him. A handful of cachers at a time join him where provides equipment and instruction to do the rappelling and find the cache. I haven't done it but everyone I know that everyone that has really enjoys it.

 

Not on maintenance visits but, i've taken quite a few people out to grab some of my caches. It's fun for me, and them, to go on a boat ride to see the sights and grab a few caches. There's been quite a few who have not ever experienced a boat ride up the river and into alligator territory, so it's gratifying for me when i see the smiles come across their faces.

 

This is one of those aspects of geocaching that, wait for it,,,, floats my boat!

 

Wait a sec, Hydrocache, allegator, boat ride... Humm, in the desert you risk a snake bite caching in the wild but going up river, reaching for a cache and ..bam alligator..may put a whole new meaning to a 5/5 cache..

[+sir dumil]

I love hydrocaches!

 

Since high school, I've often dreamed of owning a boat of some sort. I took up geocaching a about a year and a half ago. I was intrigued by water-accessible geocaches and I think that was the final prompt that encouraged me to take up the sport of kayaking. Now I'm experiencing the joys of two great, exciting, challenging, enriching pasttimes!

 

Just recently, I've taken notice of caching accessible off of groomed cross-country ski trails. That's another activity that I've dreamed of for decades and that I've finally started taking on.

 

I love where geocaches encourage me to go and what geocaching encourages me to do!

[+K13]

Recently, I received an email from a local geocacher who told me that other geocachers have called me mean-spirited for only putting out hydrocaches. He said that because the vast majority of geocachers don't have a boat, it would appear as though I am only putting out hydrocaches because I know that many can't get to them. He also mentioned that there are geocachers that are big on finding all geocaches within a certain proximity, so it would definitely slight them.

I can tell you that is not the case at all, I just put hydrocaches out because I love being on the water.

 

I also plan on doing a hydrocacher meetup event, that will only be 100m away from shore, and I was also told doing so would slight non-hydrocachers because it would be so close to shore and that I would definitely look like a jerk because I could simply row to shore and let people without boats attend and log. I think that defeats the purpose of the event itself.

 

But anyway, I would just like to know other views on hydrocaches, as well as the event I mentioned. Specifically, from the perspective of those who do not own a boat.

 

If you also only find 'hydrocaches', then I'm on board with you.

 

I have a canoe, so I could probably attend your event.

If I didn't I would be on shore lobbing burning flares at your boat!

 

Holding your event 100M from shore not only makes you look like a jerk, it proves it.

Have your event well away from anywhere a shore-bound cacher could get to, thus making it worthwhile for your hydrocaching compatriots.

 

We have a local who only lists puzzles, yet he finds all cache types.

It's annoying.

 

The reason it is 100 meters from shore is that there is a tiny island approximately that distance from the shore, I didn't just pick a random spot.

 

However, I did say that in the future I would like to have hydrocacher meetups, and given my location they probably will be around that distance from shore island or not. So it does seem that some will be slighted by them, but from what was said on this forum, it appears that those complaints will be from a minority. Anyway, no one is really excluded, they just need a boat to attend.

 

Also, I don't really see the logic behind the comment about me only finding hydrocaches. If you kind of use that logic in another way, you could say that a geocacher that has not put out any caches at all, should not find any geocache at all.

 

If the meeting point is only 100 meters from shore, even a guy like me can swim out that far, or use a tube or some other floatie. It really seems like you are trying to antagonize the detractors with your event that close to the shore.

[+vicekitty]

Recently, I received an email from a local geocacher who told me that other geocachers have called me mean-spirited for only putting out hydrocaches. He said that because the vast majority of geocachers don't have a boat, it would appear as though I am only putting out hydrocaches because I know that many can't get to them. He also mentioned that there are geocachers that are big on finding all geocaches within a certain proximity, so it would definitely slight them.

I can tell you that is not the case at all, I just put hydrocaches out because I love being on the water.

 

I also plan on doing a hydrocacher meetup event, that will only be 100m away from shore, and I was also told doing so would slight non-hydrocachers because it would be so close to shore and that I would definitely look like a jerk because I could simply row to shore and let people without boats attend and log. I think that defeats the purpose of the event itself.

 

But anyway, I would just like to know other views on hydrocaches, as well as the event I mentioned. Specifically, from the perspective of those who do not own a boat.

 

If you also only find 'hydrocaches', then I'm on board with you.

 

I have a canoe, so I could probably attend your event.

If I didn't I would be on shore lobbing burning flares at your boat!

 

Holding your event 100M from shore not only makes you look like a jerk, it proves it.

Have your event well away from anywhere a shore-bound cacher could get to, thus making it worthwhile for your hydrocaching compatriots.

 

We have a local who only lists puzzles, yet he finds all cache types.

It's annoying.

 

The reason it is 100 meters from shore is that there is a tiny island approximately that distance from the shore, I didn't just pick a random spot.

 

However, I did say that in the future I would like to have hydrocacher meetups, and given my location they probably will be around that distance from shore island or not. So it does seem that some will be slighted by them, but from what was said on this forum, it appears that those complaints will be from a minority. Anyway, no one is really excluded, they just need a boat to attend.

 

Also, I don't really see the logic behind the comment about me only finding hydrocaches. If you kind of use that logic in another way, you could say that a geocacher that has not put out any caches at all, should not find any geocache at all.

 

If the meeting point is only 100 meters from shore, even a guy like me can swim out that far, or use a tube or some other floatie. It really seems like you are trying to antagonize the detractors with your event that close to the shore.

 

I had already answered why it is 100 meters from shore, but anyway, if it was summertime I suppose they could get to that location by swimming.

 

So far it seems that the majority of folks on here, that don't have boats, don't have any problems with it. Only a couple of people on here have had negative views about it. I know I am not doing it to antagonize anyone, so that is all that matters to me.

[+The_Incredibles_]

Why should he move his event? He's the one volunteering his time to put it on, he should put it wherever he fancies. If they dont like what he's doing, they can hold their own event.

[+woodsters]

Sounds like the complainers need to hook up with other catchers that have a boat.

[JASTA 11]

Sounds like the complainers need to hook up with other catchers that have a boat.

 

Exactly.

 

We held an event last summer at an old abandoned fishing shack out on a marsh. It wasn't far from land, but you needed a boat of some sort to get there dry.

 

Some folks borrowed kayaks or hitched a ride in a canoe. Where there's a will, there's a way. Another way is to ask a friend.

 

Then again, some people don't have friends.

[+wmpastor]

I don't own a boat.

 

I don't snorkel or SCUBA. I also don't climb mountains or rappel down cliffs. And it's been years since I've climbed a tree.

 

I'm perfectly OK with caches that are not accessible to me. Those local geocachers sound like they want everything a terrain 1.5 or lower. Tough cookies for those who cannot find all the local caches. This isn't a game that caters to the lowest common denominator.

 

[Minor edit to change grammar]

Boo-hoo-hoo! The locals can't get every cache in the area because a boat is required.

 

Maybe you could make these finicky types happy by arranging a boating excursion or something.

 

And I don't see any problem with the 100-yd.-island issue. It does not make him look like a jerk - provided that those w/o boats get a chance to join in somehow. Then it looks like he's reaching out to the community.

 

That's sort of like an event I heard of arranged by the CO of a 5/5 tree cache. He arranged an event, brought his ropes & equipment and taught/assisted those who wanted to try it. Cool!

Edited January 15, 2014 by wmpastor

[DannyCaffeine]

I think they are awesome. Haven't gotten any myself but I plan to try. Even if I have to gather a few friends and rent a canoe I will do it.

 

Where there is a will there is a way. If someone cannot get to it that really and truly wants to get to it they will figure it out. I don't own a car but I managed to get 305 caches so far using my feet, public transit and planning ahead with friends to go out and cache. Its not easy but I do what I have to.

[Pup Patrol]

I'm baffled...

 

why don't people RENT motor boats, canoes or kayaks? Why don't they meet up with other locals who own watercraft and go group searching? (That's what Mr Pup Patrol did for a local cacher to go search out some island caches.)

 

Why would you need to OWN some sort of watercraft to search for water caches?

 

If your Reviewer gives you the green light, I don't think there is a problem. Some folks post stuff on the forums, but peanut gallery opinions don't mean much compared to the Reviewer's yay or nay.

 

 

B.

[+KayakGZ]

I like both finding them and hiding them. One of the main things I like about Geocaching is going to a new locale on the "excuse" of finding a cache. Water caches give me an "excuse" to use the kayak at a previously unknown waterway.

I think it is important for the CO to give an accurate description and terrain rating. A hydrocache will nearly always be terrain 5. One of my water caches involves a major river with variable conditions, and I make this clear in the description. Another is a multi, with Stage I on land, and Stage II on an island that can be reached at low tide only-this I made clear in the description. I reasonably expect to see only a few finds per year.

Every cache doesn't have to be accessible to every cacher. One of my favorite find was a Virtual cache that involved taking a picture of a lighthouse which is too far out to give a good photo from the mainland. I took the photo with a telephoto lens from an island miles away. I wouldn't have dared to try it by kayak!

[+fizzymagic]

I guess people are just going to have to buy a boat, or put it on ignore. However, I hope I won't be seen as "that guy" at local geocaching events.

 

Why not? I am most definitely seen as "that guy" at my local geocaching events. But we laugh about it and I get along great with almost everyone. Just be who you are and be proud of that!

[+GopherGreg]

Place what you want. I've got negative comments because some of my puzzles are "Too hard". Sometimes you have to point out the "Ignore listing button" to some people.

 

The thing with lots of cachers (Not all!, but some) is that they'll complain about your cache for whatever reason. I get a lot of that. I find that if the complaint is a real complaint that I can build off of, then I consider it, and take it into account for next time. But if the cacher just tells me my cache is trash, then I completely ignore him. Cachers always want each other to improve and place the best possible caches it seems, but I find it hard to do that when the only comments half of them leave is "bad cache do better i dont like it".

 

To each their own. If they don't like your caches then maybe they shouldn't keep looking at them. Personally, I've never done a T5 because I haven't had the chance, but if someone asked me to cache with them anywhere, on a boat, in a parking lot, I'd do it. It's just a game. Ignore what displeases you.

 

Place whatever you want. Even if a majority of the caching community doesn't want hydrocaches, I'm sure the people that enjoy them will be disappointed if you stopped placing them.

[+SirDonB]

Recently, I received an email from a local geocacher who told me that other geocachers have called me mean-spirited for only putting out hydrocaches. He said that because the vast majority of geocachers don't have a boat, it would appear as though I am only putting out hydrocaches because I know that many can't get to them. He also mentioned that there are geocachers that are big on finding all geocaches within a certain proximity, so it would definitely slight them.

I can tell you that is not the case at all, I just put hydrocaches out because I love being on the water.

 

I also plan on doing a hydrocacher meetup event, that will only be 100m away from shore, and I was also told doing so would slight non-hydrocachers because it would be so close to shore and that I would definitely look like a jerk because I could simply row to shore and let people without boats attend and log. I think that defeats the purpose of the event itself.

 

But anyway, I would just like to know other views on hydrocaches, as well as the event I mentioned. Specifically, from the perspective of those who do not own a boat.

 

Like some said, hide what you like, it is a game with a lot of gray area to be explored. I have a bunch of "hydrocaches" in my area and I do want to find them, however, that wont happen till I can buy a kayak so I dont worry about them too much. I still have plenty of other withing 5 miles of home to still find before I start stressing over the hydrocaches.

[+SirDonB]

This past summer there was an event held where you needed a boat of some sort to attend... granted I had to work that evening, but I did not think ill of the event holder because even if I did not have to work, i still could not attend. That just made me more determined to have a kayak or canoe. I thought it was a good idea, everyone that did go looked like they had a lot of fun in the pics I saw. I forget where I saw them posted, but I remember seeing pics from the event. Some people just need to get over themselves and have fun, if not they need to find a new hobby.

[+_Sway_]

These hydrocaches sound like a lot of fun. Instead of being resentful of the cache being placed on the water, I now have something fun to look forward to.

Some people complain too much.

If you told people they didn't have to come to work and you would mail them their checks, they would complain about the walk to the mailbox.

[+woodsters]

We have a few kayaks. If you are in the Lake Norman, NC area and want to do some island caches in Lake Norman (just looked and there are 4 that I see), then let me know. Even if I get to them before you, I would be willing to take you out if I have nothing going on and weather permitting.

[+hzoi]

I attended an event a couple years back that was on an island in the middle of a lake. The organizers suggested meeting up at a specific time and place to rent boats, but if you had your own you could bring it and just meet up there. Most of the event participants rented boats, but we did have one caching family show up in their own boat. The event was around lunch; during the rest of the day we visited all of the island or shore caches we could.

 

My boat had a great time. The other boat had some hurt feelings because the event organizer decided to be funny and move up the event time from the boat and archive it early. The other boat was not amused.

 

As an event organizer, just keep in mind that you want to encourage attendance. So, even if you have your own boat, perhaps letting folks know where they can obtain one for a day would help other cachers who want to show up.

 

Put it another way: if a guy posts an event in the middle of a lake and tells me how I, too, can participate in this waterborne affair, I might be much more inclined to attend than a guy who posts an event in the middle of the lake and just expects me to show up.

 

As far as timing you event, keep in mind that people may be more inclined to be out on the water in the spring, when the weather is nice, rather than the middle of January. Then again, if you want only hard-core boaters to show up, now's the time.

[+hzoi]

p.s. Whether you intended to or not, it may be comments like this that create an unfavorable impression with other cachers.

 

Remember there is no geocaching guideline that says one must include a geochecker. Indeed, this is a cache for true geocachers.

 

Hiding caches on the water doesn't make one a jerk. Hiding caches on the water and then breaking one's own arm to pat one's self on the back...draw your own conclusions.

[+Hold3]

I like this topic.

 

As I have said in another thread I only started caching 3 weeks ago and absolutely love it. I was thinking about using my SCUBA diving skills and planting my own series under water. Has this been done alot already?

[Mr.Yuck]

I like this topic.

 

As I have said in another thread I only started caching 3 weeks ago and absolutely love it. I was thinking about using my SCUBA diving skills and planting my own series under water. Has this been done alot already?

 

It's been done a lot, but it won't get found much. The only SCUBA cache in my area, on a Lake Erie shipwreck, was placed in 2007. It has 5 finds, and two of them were divers who just stumbled on it, and both have found only it, and no other caches.

 

EDIT: Doesn't sound like the easiest of finds, and there are 2 DNF's, and another diver mentions having a couple of unlogged DNF's before finding it.

Edited January 20, 2014 by Mr.Yuck

[+Hold3]

I like this topic.

 

As I have said in another thread I only started caching 3 weeks ago and absolutely love it. I was thinking about using my SCUBA diving skills and planting my own series under water. Has this been done alot already?

 

It's been done a lot, but it won't get found much. The only SCUBA cache in my area, on a Lake Erie shipwreck, was placed in 2007. It has 5 finds, and two of them were divers who just stumbled on it, and both have found only it, and no other caches.

 

EDIT: Doesn't sound like the easiest of finds, and there are 2 DNF's, and another diver mentions having a couple of unlogged DNF's before finding it.

 

I was considering doing something slightly easier but still requiring you to get your dive gear on. Like a Quarry lake for open water dives. The place already has wrecks etc.. (Man made of course) that I could put them in...

 

I will have a think.