First Magnitude Florida

Troy Springs is a box checker for spring enthusiasts. This middle-of-no-where gem features a natural arena for apnea diving, an oasis of cool water alongside the mystic Suwannee River, and… a shipwreck.

The Shipwreck

In the midst of the Civil War, a group of Southerners worked to stymie the gains of their Northern brothers. A steamboat, crowned the “Madison”, was not to fall into the hands of the advancing Union army.

The ill-fated Madison, once a steamboat traveling up and down the Suwannee river delivering goods and mail in peacetime, then rations and clothing to soldiers in wartime, was intentionally scuttled by her masters.

She rested, partially submerged, on the shallow bottom of limestone lying between the depths of Troy springs and the depths of the Suwannee. Over the years, various thieves and passerby’s stripped her of all usable machinery and equipment.

What remains is not much, but her carcass can be viewed by snorkelers at Troy Springs State Park. An intriguing underwater monument, and piece of Florida history.

Freediving

Freediving is the cute nickname of apnea diving. Freediving sounds adventurous and sporty, while apnea diving sounds sketchy and nerdy. Freediving/apnea diving are just two terms for the same past time: holding your breath and going as deep as you can.

It’s similar to how we used to play in the pool as kids – see who can stay under the longest, or swim all the way to the other side of the pool in one breath. The difference is that humans are a little crazy, and adults take the play out of the equation and sprinkle in a some “extreme”. In freediving, holding your breath “as long as you can” is taken a little more literally.

Well, a lot more literally…

As you push yourself to the “limit”, your brain will shut down to protect itself from the lack of oxygen. It is common for those attempting world records to blackout as they rise back up to the surface. When performed “safely,” other divers and medical staff will be there waiting to bring the person back to consciousness. Most of the time, it works.

The interesting part is that feature which makes humans so indomitable: willpower. You are freediving (nothing is forcing you down) and descending further and further under your own volition. Your brain is powerful enough, if driven by enough internal willpower, to push past natural, basic survival instincts.

As you read, take a big breath and hold your nose. Hold… hold for as long as you can, and as your lungs scream for breath, keep holding. After maybe 45 to 60 seconds, your body will perform a convulsion as a response to the carbon dioxide build-up. Keep holding for just a few seconds after that convulsion. To show that you can indeed survive for a bit longer.

Weird huh? Now breathe – don’t want anyone passing out! Those convulsions are your body’s response to abnormal carbon dioxide build up, and can be ignored by trained apnea divers. Breathing exercises allow freedivers to get used to the carbon dioxide overload, while mental meditation slows down the heart rate and relaxes divers prior to decent.

It is a sport requiring a ton of willpower and mental control.

All this talk about freediving… The point is, Troy Springs reaches down about 70 feet into Florida’s limestone substrate and is a great resource for freedivers. On any given weekend, these adventurers will be in the cold bowl of water testing their abilities and pushing the limits.

Personally, I did not venture down 70 feet into the spring. I took a short dip, as the day was overcast and chilly. As always, the water shocked me and refreshed me. On this quest to explore all first magnitude springs in Florida, this is the sixteenth spring which I have jumped into. The shock of the cold, the beauty of the scenery, and the window into the underwater life is unique and special each time.

If you can look up from your desk, snap out of your well-organized routine, and travel out to a Florida spring, you’ll get a little jolt of life. A little electric current mixing with the blood in your veins. It brings you back to thoughts of what’s important to you in life. It gets you thinking big picture, and not just about what you’ll be cooking for dinner. The clean water washes away your day-to-day worries, and replaces them with big-time thoughts of appreciation, wonder, and ambition.

So go visit a first magnitude Florida spring.