Need drift/river dive info...

I am currently planning a trip to the High Springs area that will involve plenty of river and drift diving, along with some springs and of course, manatees . It will be an ambitious trip but we're planning to hit up:

• Ginnie
• Troy
• Crystal River & King Spring
• Rainbow River
• The Santa Fe River
• The Ichetucknee River
• Possibly the Suwannee if we get time

While clear water is nice, we don't have issues with tannic river water either. We love fossils and stuff to find in the rivers. If it takes all day for us to float a river, no worries -- we're going on this trip to dive. Max bottom time is the goal.


That is obviously a very ambitious schedule. Likely, several of those wouldn't happen. No worries if we don't get to everything; the rivers aren't going anywhere.

I've been to the area before, as have a few of the people on the trip. I've done HOURS of research on the location of springs etc, but I'm having issues finding places to get in and out of the rivers for cheap (free is best ). We're a group of college students going diving over Spring Break so we're trying to keep this as cheap as possible. Any suggestions on where to get in and get out of any of the aforementioned rivers would be fantastic!



We have two cars, so we'll be able to drop off at point A and get out at point B.

• Our plan to float the Santa Fe involves getting in at Rum Island Spring and getting out where the state road 47 bridge crosses the Santa Fe. Apparently both locations are free. Sound alright?
  
  
• No ideas about the Ichetucknee. Suggestions?
  
  
• Since we're diving Troy, I figured we'd float out from there and into the Suwannee and head downstream, but don't know where to get out.
  
  
• No clue about Rainbow River or Crystal River/King Spring. Names of places we can rent boats from for seeing the manatees would be greatly appreciated as well.

I have a copy of Diving Guide to Underwater Florida but a friend of mine is currently borrowing it...definitely need to get that back...

No help?

There's a boat ramp on Hwy 129, but I think you picked the best two already. There's also Hwy 27 and Hollingsworth Bluff. All of them are free. There are also two campgrounds with boat ramps on the Sante Fe before it meets the Suwanee West of Hwy 129, but I don't know the names.

Last time, I put in at Branford and came down the Suwanee and went up the Sante Fe. Now that the water level is coming up. I'm hoping to take it all the way to River Rise when I'm up there in April.

Rum Island Spring....never even heard of it! Looks pretty neat though. Sorry I can't be of more help, I'm not terribly familiar with the area.

rainbow river is a very nice/ shallow river drift dive....lots to see( garfish,turtles,swimming birds, lots of other fish, a couple of small caverns) and very relaxing. You need to call for a boat charter (i think crystal river dive lodge or something like that) and they will take you up stream a mile or so from the boat ramp and then drop you off. Don't think you will see any manatees (too far inland). max depth is only about 23 or so feet, but it flucuates a good bit. there are a few places where it is shallow enough that you can stand up out of the water and talk or just take a quick break. We stayed in the water for about 2 hours and 15 minutes! Thats about all my tank lasted.... we really enjoyed this dive and would love to do it again...i have a few pics of the dive if you would like to see them.... hope this helps....

We are doing everything we can to avoid using boats and dive charters, if that helps. Basically, park the cars, get in somewhere free, get out somewhere free.

Thanks for the suggestions -- keep 'em coming.

Yeah i hear ya...if it makes any difference it only cost us 3 bucks each to get in the park and then 10 each for the boat ride.... well worth it in my opinion....

Hmm, that's actually not bad. Something to consider -- thanks!

Yeah, a boat is really the only way to do Rainbow River. I don't know if you can do manatees without a boat, I don't know of a location.

Rum Island to SR 47 is a hell of a drift dive, it's really better to rent canoes and it will still take an entire day. There are mulitple places to stop and dive along the way (including Ginnie, which is free if you don't touch land).

No idea about Ichetucknee, you can't scuba dive the part of the river that is inside the state park and access to Jug Hole is restricted.

OneBrightGator:

Yeah, a boat is really the only way to do Rainbow River. I don't know if you can do manatees without a boat, I don't know of a location.

Rum Island to SR 47 is a hell of a drift dive, it's really better to rent canoes and it will still take an entire day. There are mulitple places to stop and dive along the way (including Ginnie, which is free if you don't touch land).

No idea about Ichetucknee, you can't scuba dive the part of the river that is inside the state park and access to Jug Hole is restricted.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info -- didn't know that about Ichetucknee.

We have planned an entire day to do a drift dive down the Santa Fe.