Is Ginnie Springs worth it if you aren't Cave or Cavern Certified?

00wabbit · Jun 5, 2013

I'll be traveling to Amelia Island to visit with family.

I would like to go somewhere that my brother could do a Discover Scuba. Ginnie Springs is only a couple hours away.
We would only be able to go there for one day so I wouldn't have time to take a cavern class. Is the drive worth it if I only stay in the outside or is it just 15' with not much to look at?

It seemed like from the website that it may still be worth the drive. Is there such a thing as a discover cavern dive that I could do with an instructor to get a little taste?
I wish I could spend more time there and actually take a class.

HIGHwing · Jun 5, 2013

I don't know about discover cavern, but an Open Water card is considered acceptable to dive the Ginnie Cavern by the landowners and others.

00wabbit · Jun 5, 2013

HIGHwing:
I don't know about discover cavern, but an Open Water card is considered acceptable to dive the Ginnie Cavern by the landowners and others.

Ok, I couldn't tell from the website. I read that one part you were forbidden to have a light in, but I thought I saw something about open water divers in the cavern too.

JamesK · Jun 5, 2013

Yes, it is worth it for a Discover Scuba. Is it just you, your brother, and the DSD instructor? If so, after your brother is complete with the DSD you and his instructor could dive the Ballroom.

---------- Post added June 5th, 2013 at 10:07 AM ----------

When are you going? If I am in the area that day I will dive the ballroom with you if you need a buddy.

Superlyte27 · Jun 5, 2013

If James can't make it. I might be able to.

00wabbit · Jun 5, 2013

We will be there around Labor day. I am not sure of the exact date yet.

I figure for my brothers Discover I would tag along and watch. But then I would like to do 1 or 2 more dives on my own. Maybe he will do another discover.
I'll be looking for a buddy once I figure out the exact date.

What's the depth of the Ballroom? If it's shallow I'll probably just do one other dive. My family will be there too so I don't want to keep them waiting too long. I am really just doing this because I know my brother will like scuba so I want him to get a chance to try it out.

Lorenzoid · Jun 5, 2013

I'm an OW diver who made the rounds to various FL springs, including Ginnie, a couple of years ago, just to see what the fuss is about. In my opinion, Ginnie offers the least for the OW diver of the places I visited (Devil's Den and Blue Grotto were slightly more interesting). The so-called Ballroom is nothing remarkable. I was quite disappointed and felt like it was a waste of money for me. Granted, by the time I checked out Ginnie I had already been taken on guided tours of Mexican cenotes and seen what real caves look like.

00wabbit · Jun 5, 2013

I hear ya. I will be staying at Amelia island and this looked like the closest place to get to that my brother could do a discover at. I am open to other options but they cant be any further away. I will be dragging my non-diving family around so this isnt really a dive vacation.

TSandM · Jun 5, 2013

I think the site is lovely -- the spring run, with the trees hanging over it and the Spanish moss, and the vista across the river, are just beautiful. The water is crystal clear (at least when it isn't flooding). I think it would be a fabulous place for your brother to do a DSD.

And the Ballroom is fun. It was my first exposure to flow, and it was pretty funny watching me try to cope with it. If you haven't been in a true cavern, it's a good first experience, too -- you can wander around inside and even tuck in behind some rocks and feel rather cave-ish.

The food in the little restaurant isn't bad, although I don't recommend eating anything laced with Jalapenos before going diving (been there, did that). And the gift shop has quite a selection of cave-diving related books, which are fun to thumb through.

All in all, I think you could find worse ways to spend a day.

Lorenzoid · Jun 5, 2013

Yeah, I suppose if one isn't familiar with how rivers look in the South or Spanish moss, it might be an interesting place. The fact that the water is so clear (at least in the immediate vicinity of the spring) was a novelty to me, but that lasted about five minutes.

Is Ginnie Springs worth it if you aren't Cave or Cavern Certified?

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