Under water Caches

[+Turtle_Sask]

Hey everybody, I have seen a select few of videos on youtube showing underwater caches and thought it is such a good idea. I think it would provide a cool unique challenge. I should note that im referring to caches that do not require diving equipment just a pair of goggles as the cache would only be 6 - 8 feet deep. I have bought a few water proof containers (Pelican brand containers and others on the geocaching website) that I want to experiment with this summer and see how they hold up underwater. I am thinking that some of the containers will hold up fine underwater im just thinking of a few good methods of keeping the cache underwater. I have plenty of ideas Im just curious as to if you have found some and if you enjoyed it! I am thinking of making a multi where the first stage is underwater and has just the coordinates to the next stage, possibly a piece of wood with the coordinated edged in or some paper laminated and have the final on the nearest piece of land. anyway Im just planning out some caches for me to hide this summer!

Edited February 2, 2014 by Turtle_Sask

[+Turtle_Sask]

here is an example:

I even have the same container in this video.

[+fizzymagic]

I've found several and hidden one. Here's a bit of advice: Pelicans do not keep the water out. Otterboxes might; I never tried those. Pelicans have a Gore-Tex pressure equalization hole in them that will stay waterproof for a couple of hours but not long-term.

 

My advice is to expect the insides of the cache to be waterlogged and just use a waterproof logsheet.

[+WarNinjas]

We hide one that worked out great until PG&E removed it. What we used was milk crate. We weighed it down with rocks tied in it. Then used a container like you talk about and inside of that we put in a lock n lock and inside that was a water bottle preform.

[+BAMBOOZLE]

About the most waterproof one we found was a stainless steel water bottle weighted down with lead fishing sinkers. Attached to the inside of the water bottle lid was a short line suspending a bison which held the log. A tucked away and hidden line was attached to a fishing pier. The outside of the bottle was covered with barnacles but the inside was perfectly dry.

[+cerberus1]

A friend had a stage made out of a metal steel plate.

Plasma cutter or similar cut the coords to the next stage clean through.

Sat on its side and unless you saw markings at the right angle, you'd think it's river junk.

Didn't need to be weighted or waterproof. Maintenance might require a sweep for silt, but most finders picked it up to view against the skylight, clearing it out again.

We saw another once that was a large river rock with the coords to another stage etched into it.

[+redwoodkestrel]

I did one that was an otter box attached by carabiner to a rope tied around a rock and placed on the bottom of a lake. It had a little foam handle that acted as a float too, and that combined with the air inside of the otter box made the cache float up from the rock about a foot. It was still ridiculously hard to find though, with very low visibility in the lake (probably 5-6 feet total) and the algae that started covering the cache (which was already a black box) and the float. Once found, you detached the carabiner so you could bring the container to the surface.

 

Even harder though was finding the rock with the rope again after you were done signing the log - I was worried I wasn't going to be able to re-attach the cache, since you drift a bit while treading water and signing the log. Luckily I spotted it eventually!

[+Turtle_Sask]

Any good underwater caches in the victoria or vancouver area (British Columbia, Canada) that do not require scuba gear? I am planning on a road trip there this summer.

[+BBWolf+3Pigs]

I successfully used a soda bottle pre-form for an underwater cache.

 

I tethered it with a small cast block of concrete. If you suspend it lid side down, you'll increase the cache of the log staying dry.