my planed trip to florida...look it over please

[firedogut]

march 12.... leave texas(drive)
March 13.....Day off hang out in gainesville
March 14.....Votex spring (camp that night)
March 15.....Ginnie Spring (Camp that night)
March 16.....Manatee spring and maybe another $5 place close by (votex and ginnie sucking lots of my funds, trying to keep trip below $500 for two of us)
-Drive to clearwater

March 17.....Clearwater to see family
-maybe 1-2 reef dives someplace down there if we can find a good boat
March 18.....day off.....sit on beach head back to gainesville at night to pick up friend
March 19.....Drive back to Texas

Sound like a good trip? picking good dive sites?
let me know what you think. think i should dive a different place let me know?

 

[daylight]

Firedogut,
I'm assuming that you are referring to Vortex Springs versus votex. You may want to consider diving Vortex before going to Gainsville. The reason being is that you will drive past Vortex in the panhandle of Florida on your way to Gainsville. Its a long haul between the two. You are putting a lot of miles, time and additional expense with your current iterinary.

 

[Wendy]

Firedogut,
I'm assuming that you are referring to Vortex Springs versus votex. You may want to consider diving Vortex before going to Gainsville. The reason being is that you will drive past Vortex in the panhandle of Florida on your way to Gainsville. Its a long haul between the two. You are putting a lot of miles, time and additional expense with your current iterinary.

You may want to hit Vortex on your way to Gainesville or better yet, on the way home as sort of a fresh water gear rinse dive since you mentioned tryingto dive in the gulf while you are here. Or you could just skip Vortex and go to Devil's Den or Blue Grotto.

 

[Big-t-2538]

I don't see any mention of beer....

 

[cdiver2]

I don't see any mention of beer....

If I can be of any help with the Clearwater end ( I live next town Largo) give me a PM. Ricyd and H2Andy are coming in for dives Feb 21st you could ask them about it.
David

 

[firedogut]

Firedogut,
I'm assuming that you are referring to Vortex Springs versus votex. You may want to consider diving Vortex before going to Gainsville. The reason being is that you will drive past Vortex in the panhandle of Florida on your way to Gainsville. Its a long haul between the two. You are putting a lot of miles, time and additional expense with your current iterinary.

shoot i thought votex as only 2 hours but is over 4.

ok new plan......(this is why i have you guy :54: )

march 12.... leave texas(drive)
March 13.....Day off hang out in gainesville
March 14.....Ginnie Spring (Camp that night)
March 15.....Devil's Den (Camp that night)
March 16.....Manatee spring and maybe another $5 place close by
-Drive to clearwater

March 17.....Clearwater to say hi to family
-maybe 2 ocean dives someplace down there if we can find a good boat
March 18.....day off.....sit on beach head back to gainesville at night to pick up friend
March 19.....Drive back to Texas

How is that? Is Manatee a good divng place or should i go to another state park? I'm going to need a dive shop around Manatee springs to rent a 2nd take, any know of one?

 

[MikeJacobs]

I don't see any mention of beer....

lol well if he can't find some in Gatorville there's a whole lot more wrong than we can deal with here...

Too bad you won't be down here in 'Cane country where the reef & wreck diving is better.

 

[firedogut]

lol well if he can't find some in Gatorville there's a whole lot more wrong than we can deal with here...

Too bad you won't be down here in 'Cane country where the reef & wreck diving is better.

Gatorville.........haven't heard that in like 12 years. grew up in there but left when i was like 12......

i still need a boat...i was looking at scubaquestusa.com but it seems like a cattle boat....14-18 people :frown2:

 

[Krisscuba]

I lived in San Antonio for 7 years. The state was misspelled. It is actually the great state of TAXES.

What part of TAXES are you in?

I don't think you can make it to Gainsville in a day? It is about 260 miles inside of Florida.

I live 6 miles from Vortex www.vortexspring.com it is at mile marker 96 inside Florida.

If you want to dive it on the way in or out, drop me a line.

If the river is not up, we can hit Morrison. Last year I soloed it under poor vis and was plowed down by a large gator, I saw him early into the dive and should have left instead I ended up cornering him later.

Panama City beach and Destin jetties may be diveable.

Troy is a good one on your way out, It now is open for $5 as a park shore dive. You have to hit it when the river is down and during the week, The weekends it is crowed.

Manattee is not worth the effort.

Ginnie is a half tank dive at best and expensive.

Alexander is a good $5 dive if open

Cypress is now free as you can only access it from the river. I have a boat and we could try it on your way out.

Have you ever dove Belmerheia?

The beer and BBQ are part of good dive planning. It is easy to talk yourself out of diving if the conditions are not just right if you have a good back up plan.

 

[Cave Diver]

I don't think you can make it to Gainsville in a day? It is about 260 miles inside of Florida.

Sure you can, but it would be a long day of driving. I'm about an hour and a half east of Houston and we average about 10 1/2 to 11 hours to hit Lake City. Gainesville is only about another 45 minutes south of that. I've even done Ft. Lauderdale over a three day weekend, but that entailed 17 hours of straight driving, then diving the next day and 17 hours straight back.

Firedog, what part of Houston are you in and what type of diving do you normally do? I'm putting together a growing circle of people from this area who are interested in Florida trips to share expenses. After 8 trips there last year I need it!