Underwater geocache

[irvingdog]

I was thinking of making one. I'm inspired by one placed in Wisconsin called "Under Where", but it seems to have leaked. I loved the design but want to look around more. Anyone know of any caches doing this? I'm curious about the caontainer choices and options. I don't want to do a virtual or a slate. Just a 6-8 foot dive to an anchored container. In Minnesota. So it can only be reached abou five weeks out of the year .

 

[+KingBoringAce]

Here's one in Rainy Lake, but for some reason it is unavailable at this time.

 

eroom

[+sbell111]

I'm not sure that an ammo can would work. The area where my 'Great Caesar's Ghost cipher' cache is concealed has been flooded on a few occasions. The box never leaked, but it was never underwater for more than a few days. I don't know if it would allow seepage if under for long periods of time.

[ubiquitous]

The container I would use would be a dry-box. I was thinking of planting it in 30 feet of water at a nearby quarry (there is a fee for diving). I am concerned about liability since only scuba divers could reach it and what if there was an "accident"? At least in the quarry non-qualified searchers would not be able to attempt access it and risk their lives in the process. Team Q

 

I am not a teacher: only a fellow-traveller of whom you asked the way. I pointed ahead, ahead of myself as well as you.

[+AmericanSpirit]

In a previous thread (can't find link) it was mentioned to use PVC pipe and place ends on it cementing one closed, and letting the other screw on and off freely.

 

There are 10 types of people in the world..those that understand binary and those that don't

[The Artful Dodger]

quote:

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Originally posted by AmericanSpirit:

In a previous thread (can't find link) it was mentioned to use PVC pipe and place ends on it cementing one closed, and letting the other screw on and off freely.

 

There are 10 types of people in the world..those that understand binary and those that don't

---

 

The PVC pipe cache and instructions can be found here

 

[+georgeandmary]

quote:

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Originally posted by sbell111:

I'm not sure that an ammo can would work. The area where my 'Great Caesar's Ghost cipher' cache is concealed has been flooded on a few occasions. The box never leaked, but it was never underwater for more than a few days. I don't know if it would allow seepage if under for long periods of time.

---

 

I had an ammo can underwater for over a month and it stayed nice and dry.

 

george

 

Remember: Half the people you meet are below average.

[+briansnat]

From what I've read on these pages, it appears that ammo boxes are watertight enough to survive long term submersion. I've never tried, but some here say thay have and have positive reports.

 

"Life is a daring adventure, or it is nothing" - Helen Keller

[+clatmandu]

If the container is suspended upside down underwater, the trapped air inside would keep most water out of it. Big problem may be what to use for counter weight so it's not too difficult to submerge.

[+ionekoa]

i say hide it in an underwater cave or a beaver house... hehehe, let them do the work then you use there den to stash your cash, and get some pelts while your at it. it it's in a cave the water problem shouldnt be, and.. with permission, there are ways to build your own. (if beavers can do it the average human can) make it large enough to hide the cache in and for a person to stand up in so they dont have to take the cach out. the only problem i could forsee with this (provided you do it right) is that watersnakes may find it to be an inviting location to make their home... cache with care.

[+Lazyboy & Mitey Mite]

I heard that some underwater cache hiders use a concrete block, with a short chain and a carabiner to attach the cache. I had planned to do that myself but now I'm thinking that an underwater virtual would be best. I'm going to tack up a sign to an underwater log and let the divers go down and read it.

 

Won't my dive buddies wonder what I'm up to when I bring a plastic sign down with me on my next dive??

 

Never Squat With Yer Spurs On

[TriCityGuy]

I made a full out scuba cache at 100 feet and thought about the same thing. My decision was to just let it be wet. See "Chelan SCUBA Cache". I purposely cut a few holes in a plastic case from an old saber saw. I put things in that don't mind being wet. I laminated several pieces of paper to keep them dry and plan on returning in August to place an underwater slate.

 

No hits yet, but I'm returning in August to include an underwater writing slate and will see how things are aging.

[+Sea_Dog]

quote:

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Originally posted by BrianSnat:

it appears that ammo boxes are watertight enough to survive long term submersion.

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Here's one that's been underwater for 10 months and just recently visited for the 4th time. Still dry inside! Check out the picture of it totally encrusted in barnacles.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=6857

[irvingdog]

perhaps it will be an ammo box after all. Besides spraying silicone on the O-ring and a paint job, anyone got any more tips for waterproofing them?

 

[husqui]

Here's a newly hidden underwater cache in my neck of the woods.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=29144

 

The cache owner (Kevin) has already warned that the container is not water tight so trade items must be able to stand up to immersion in salt water.

[+Mc5]

We (Mc5 and Jeo) had an underwater cache out there for almost 6 months. It was one of the smaller ammo cans with a small plastic peanut butter jar filled with lead shot for ballast. It was tethered to a root with green rope with only a foot of rope visible and the terrain was kind of steep. For the most part it stayed dry inside except once when there was a twig that compromised the seal. Then we started using another watertight container inside of the ammo can and that worked very well. We archived it because a momma duck built her home on that very same root and it seems that it has become a popular summer hangout.

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?id=9871

[+briansnat]

One cache I know of (placed by the Artful Dodger) that has a plaque with coordinates attached to a wreck, that point to a cache on dry land. Good way to have an underwater cache, without worrying about the contents getting wet.

 

"Life is a daring adventure, or it is nothing" - Helen Keller

[The Artful Dodger]

quote:

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Originally posted by BrianSnat:

One cache I know of (placed by the Artful Dodger) that has a plaque with coordinates attached to a wreck, that point to a cache on dry land. Good way to have an underwater cache, without worrying about the contents getting wet.

---

 

Thanks Brian

 

The Rapture of the Deep Scuba multicache is alive and well. The plaque on the shipwreck is still there (verified by a diver friend recently) as well as the main cache on the island of Bimini, Bahamas.

[irvingdog]

I currently have 2 ammo cans filled with bricks laying in the 10 foot end on the bottom of my pool. I check them every now and again. Bone dry. I've been letting the neighbor kids pull them around the bottom, and changing depths to see if pressure is an issue. none have arisen so far. Next up....paint job.

 

 

 

Ahhhh......the moist nose of a German Wirehaired Pointer!

[+ProStreet]

As of right now my "under where" cache seeps about 6 oz. of water, which is less then 1" in the bottom. To see a picture of the cache check it out HERE. The test plug I am using is all plastic and rubber, if I can find a metal one it might stop the leakage. The buoyancy is not a problem to return it to the anchor, it is very easy to take back down.

[+sparc77]

Another possible container would be a sonar bouy case. You can get them at military surplus stores. They are about 2 foot long cylinders and about 4 inches diameter with watertight latching lids. I saw one recently in Tennessee. It was a downstream stage of a multistage cache in a river, so I can't elaborate much more on what cache it is. It was not always underwater as it was planted on a small island in the middle of a whitewater river that is flood controlled, so at various times of the week, it is subject to high energy water.

[+Zahrim]

If they are Military Ammo Cans, and closed properly, they should be water-tight to well over 100 feet. 'This is a good guess, and not a deeply researched fact, but as I deal with these cans on a regular basis (USAF here), I would say, a very good guess at a minimum.'

 

quote:

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update

 

I currently have 2 ammo cans filled with bricks laying in the 10 foot end on the bottom of my pool. I check them every now and again. Bone dry. I've been letting the neighbor kids pull them around the bottom, and changing depths to see if pressure is an issue. none have arisen so far.

---

[syd_b_lives_on]

I will say it again for the umpteenth time. For a good water-proof cache container, nothing beats the ammo can.

 

If you hide it, they will come.

[Skipper of the Otters]

For a small cost you can buy either a Pelican box or and Otterbox that have been designed for underwater use. My only worry about an ammo can would be the rust factor especially in salt water.

 

Skipper of the Otters