Found a quarry

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Dutchmudding
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2021 7:30 pm

Found a quarry

Postby Dutchmudding » Mon Dec 13, 2021 6:06 pm

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Last edited by Dutchmudding on Wed Feb 16, 2022 9:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

SilencedSinker
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2021 6:44 am

Re: Found a quarry

Postby SilencedSinker » Tue Dec 14, 2021 7:22 am

Hey Dutch,

Just recently as of April 2021 was my first experience in a quarry claypit. In which then proceeded to revisit about oh I don't know eight more times.

So needless to say I'm not super experienced but here is my advice from my experiences. Please keep in mind that very seasoned and experienced sinkers might say otherwise.

1. I prefer no shoes. I'm a naked sinker the less clothes the better for me. I find it harder to withdraw your foot with shoes on plus the risk of losing them. But it is safer sinking if your not sure if there's rocks and sticks and other stuff in a new location for you. I recommend bringing a pair for walking from A to B

2. I would think a wet suit should be fine especially if it is cold where you are.

3. That I am not to sure of because I haven't been in many quarry pits.

4. For your first times sinking deep I would plan on taking it slow and learn to read the mud and gradually work your way in. Maybe going in certain depths and the practicing pulling yourself out to see what your comfortable with that is what I did. Be cautious and take your time experimenting with some different enjoyment and removal techniques.

Hope that helps!

Dutchmudding
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2021 7:30 pm

Re: Found a quarry

Postby Dutchmudding » Tue Dec 14, 2021 3:00 pm

Hey thanks for the reply!
I am going to take some to time to get to know the pit beter!
I think no shoes will be fine the entire pit is full of sand silt and loam.
I must go at night in order not to be seen.
I I found a good spot to sink in the quarry. I plan on making a video of it!
The only thing I am concerned about are the properties of the mud pulling me down past my neck...
Now I need to get hold of a wetsuit.
I will try it naked when it's a bit warmer outside :p

Dutchmudding
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2021 7:30 pm

Re: Found a quarry

Postby Dutchmudding » Thu Dec 16, 2021 8:34 pm

I got myself a wetsuit it's a shorty and not to expensive.
Checked out the quarry yesterday. And found some great sinking spots! The pit seems well secluded no activity around the pit at night. So I can make some good fun out there while not having the risk of being discovered.
When I'm trying my first sink I will try to get it on video.

SilencedSinker
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2021 6:44 am

Re: Found a quarry

Postby SilencedSinker » Mon Dec 20, 2021 3:15 am

Sorry for the late reply

Very nice! How is it? Is it sandy or is it real smooth and silky? Not an expert but my guess is those silt ponds start out very sandy and loamy but over time the heavey sand particulates sink to the bottom leaving nothing but the finest particles for the smoothest feel.

Oh man, now I'm reminiscing on summer ☀️

That's awsome it will be an experience to remember!

Dutchmudding
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2021 7:30 pm

Re: Found a quarry

Postby Dutchmudding » Tue Dec 21, 2021 2:18 pm

From what I could tell very creamy silky structure.
And I think you're right about the heavier stuff sinking to the bottom. In the lower part of the pit the ground seemed to feel pretty hard.
Higher up the sand heaps the fun begins :)
The only thing I'm a bit concerned about are the sand heaps where the quicksand is. My concern is about the possibility of going completely under accidentally because the sand hasn't compacted yet. I'm not sure if there any truth about these concerns? :oops:
If the weather improves I'm going to try out the suit next week :mrgreen:

Sinkman61
Posts: 193
Joined: Thu Jul 03, 2014 5:20 am
Location: Saint Augustine, Florida

Re: Found a quarry

Postby Sinkman61 » Wed Dec 22, 2021 7:26 am

[quote="Dutchmudding"]Hi all. I might have found a good place to sink.
It is a sand quarry with a large settling pool.
That appears to be pretty deep +10 meters.
It contains large heaps of sand a couple of meters high.
I went exploring there at night and found a spot where I began sinking right away.
Sinking deep is new for me so I pulled my boots out right away the suction was pretty intense. The material seemed to be a creamy mix of sand and clay. Now I have a couple of questions.

1. Do boots or shoe wear make it harder to get out?
Do I have to enter barefoot?

Here’s my thoughts on this…sinking without shoes always makes it easier to get out. However, you then risk cutting your feet on an object below the surface. As such, I recommend that you wear shoes…ALWAYS. Additionally, you want to wear shoes that the suction can’t pull off your feet, especially if you have to deal with sharp objects on your walk away from your sinking site. I recommend high top scuba diving booties with a robust sole on them. The heavier the boot is, the more suction that it’ll create. If you want plenty of suction, but not quite enough to firmly trap you, leather work boots work well. Stay away from large soled rubber boots such as waders, as they create an enormous amount of suction, thus, can actually become dangerous, especially if you’re in tidal mud.

2. What kind of clothing do you recommend. I was thinking of buying a shorty wetsuit.

A wetsuit is perfect for winter sinking. But a shorty will leave you rather cold, so I’d skip that and buy a full suit. You can purchase used wetsuits at places like Goodwill, Betty Griffin, and Play It Again Sports. Also, look in your local newspaper. There’s great deals online as well. Just don’t spend a lot on a wetsuit that you’re going to be using in the mud. During the summer, I like sinking in camouflage fatigues and bike shorts. As I have access to easy cleanup, I wear my sinking cloths to and from my sinking site a well. Bring towels for your car seats if required.

3. Is it possible for materials in the settling pond that haven't settled fully yet to collapse under me and pull me completely down?

That’s not going to be an issue. Naturally the material you’re sinking down into will become a bit thicker (but it varies depending on the type of mud). The real danger isn’t in getting pulled down deeper because most times you’re going to stop sinking when you hit your equilibrium point. Then you’ll stop sinking. The type of material changes that point. Normally it’s going to be between your waist and lower part of your rib cage. BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU CAN’T SINK FURTHER DOWN. If the mud happens to be really sticky to where it’s created a tight hold and lots of suction, moving around can make you sink down deeper. Don’t expect to float back up in such mud. Under such conditions, the amount of force required to lift you out of the mud is enough to lift a medium sized car, about 3200 pounds =/- a few hundred. Your body’s upward force from it’s buoyancy might be 30-40 pounds at most. So, no, you won’t be floating back to the surface unless you somehow break the suction that’s holding you down first. But as for sinking completely under, that’s not that easy to do. So don’t expect to sink completely out of sight as Hollywood movies portray it. There have been cases though, where that’s exactly what happened. But in order to do so, you would have to be completely panicked, squirming around trying to fight the mud with all your strength, shoving your feet down deeper and deeper as though the mud was suddenly going to give you something firm to push against. All that does is ca[use you to sink deeper and deeper[/b].

4. How do I get out reliably if I sink up to my shoulders neck?

The trick on getting out is to make slow, very deliberate moves. Try to slowly draw a leg upward, then push that foot forward into the undisturbed mud. It should be just slightly thinker than the spot where you sank. It will give you a slight amount of leverage. SLOW, EASY, DELIBERATE MOVES. Doing this repeatedly will slowly allow you to start to rise. It’ll take awhile, so don’t rush it. Additionally, remove as much of the mud as you can from around your chest to help break the suction. I’ve dug down to my knees before in an attempt to release the suction. Digging also takes time. Obviously while you’re digging, some mud will collapse back into the hole around you. That’s to be expected.

FINAL THOUGHT….Be aware of changes in the consistency of the mud as you sink down. You may inadvertently find yourself sinking down into some clay without even knowing it. If it gets markably harder to push your feet down, then STOP!!! Clay creates massive amounts of suction to where you can become completely entrapped even while barefoot. And it’s very hard to dig your feet out of clay, especially when they’re below other mud already. Chances are, if you allow yourself to sink down into thick clay, you’ll need the fire department to aid in your escape. So if the consistency changes during your sinking, stop and make sure you can still escape before you sink any deeper. I once sank down in clay just a tad bit over ankle deep. It took nearly an hour to get out. It was a lesson learned that I’ll NEVER forget.

BTW, as a fellow sinker, I started sinking back in 1973, before most in here were even alive.

Dutchmudding
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2021 7:30 pm

Re: Found a quarry

Postby Dutchmudding » Thu Dec 23, 2021 2:38 pm

Thank you for the great reply!
This will make me a lot more confident to try out to sink there!
As for the material down there it seems to be a mixture of clay loam and sand. I'm not sure about layers in the pond.
But given your advice i will venture there with caution!
I'm not sure I would like the fire department to help me out.... :oops: oh my I will be so ashamed.... :shock:
As for the wetsuit a already received a shorty... Id did cost me only a small amount.
If the weather is to cold I might try to add some extra layers of clothing.
The only thing I need to buy are some surf Hightops.
Last edited by Dutchmudding on Wed Feb 16, 2022 9:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

SilencedSinker
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2021 6:44 am

Re: Found a quarry

Postby SilencedSinker » Mon Jan 03, 2022 3:44 pm

Sorry for the late responses I don't check this forum that much

Remember what I said about experienced and seasoned sinkers thinking otherwise? Been in the game since 1973? Now that is impressive. Quite jealous over here. I will also now be even most cautious so thank you.

Can only imagine the experiences over those years...

All black wetsuit? Looks sleek!

And awsome glad to see your putting some good effort into safety info and prepping yourself right. Where I live it's cold until late March early April and I hate the cold so kuddos for getting out there!

Dutchmudding
Posts: 14
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2021 7:30 pm

Re: Found a quarry

Postby Dutchmudding » Sun Jan 23, 2022 4:00 pm

I sadly haven't been able to try and sink there the weather is not cooperating...
I will post an update when the weather improves! And hopefully a decent video of me sinking there :mrgreen:
I'm going to buy some surf hightops to keep my feet protected.


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