Site and shop recommendations near Ocala/Crystal Rive

Hello all, I'll be visiting my folks at the Villages and need to get off the compound in order to remain sane, so I was wondering if any one could recommend a dive op at an interesting location. FYI I'm a realitively new diver 20 dives, mostly in cold lakes and some in St Croix. Thanks for you help and have a great day.

Scott

About 40 minutes from Crystal River, but Devils Den was a fun dive for my son and I. Not sure about shops though. Florida's Pre-Historic Spring -- Devil's Den!

Thanks for the info. Just checked out the website, look interesting. I'll see what the have to offer.

Scott

Devil's Den is a great dive. A little confining but it's a great place to practice penetration skills, light handling and buoyancy.

If you're getting out to Crystal River, The Crystal Lodge Dive Center is a good place. They're not very hands-on when it compared to a valet-service operation but they don't pretend to be. Good prices and people.

Manatee diving at the manatee dive center Crystal Lodge Dive Center Crystal River Florida

Here are a few others:

<<<DiveBlueGrotto.com>>> is about 2 miles from Devil's Den

The official page of Ginnie Springs Outdoors, in High Springs Florida. Visit our online shop for great deals on dive gear and accessories. is a few more miles up I-75 but is a cool dive

Paradise Springs - Scuba Dive this Spring / Sinkhole this is right in Ocala, not as well known and no dive shop on site, cool close dive though

Welcome to Florida State Parks

Welcome to Florida State Parks

You out to be able to find something to you liking. Of course you can always do Crystal River, Rainbow River Drift Dive is okay.

Good luck

My advice would be to stay out of Paradise Springs. It is a silty, low-flow cavern - which means that if you aren't careful and employ good buoyancy/anti-silting technique you can silt the whole place out. It is a true cavern/cave dive and IMO, unless you are at least cavern certified you should not attempt the dive. Beyond 100' it is absolutely a cave dive and one diver has in fact died there.

The owner/operator (like many others) considers it "OW friendly" because they want to make money (understandably). However, the dive is 99% in an overhead environment. There is zero OW zone aside from the small entry pool - which is literally the size of a SMALL swimming pool.

Devil's Den and/or Blue Grotto would be much better choices. Devil's Den would be my choice.