Branford Dive Center - Gone?

[allcoast]

I just returned from a trip to the cave country. After talking up Branford Dive Center as the Mecca of cave diving and getting my kids all excited to visit the epicenter of this community, I crossed the Suwannee river coming from the west and pulled over the right after the bridge. I pulled into the parking lot and found an empty expanse of concrete.

What a disappointment I must say. I have fond memories of that great dive shop from the early 80s through early 90s (my last time down there). I wanted to share this with my kids who are now both open water certified. I was told by a local that it shut down some 11 years ago. I reckon it must have been flooded again by the river. Anyone know for sure what happened to that place?

Yes, we closed it in 1998, and there was no dive outpost competition then. We closed it because my father decided to go work for a company called Cochran Consulting in Richardson, TX. The rest of us moved away.

 

[dkkearns]

What do you mean, Brandon Data Center? I dont think I have heard this reference in regards to my fathers dive center before.:headscratch:

I am an idiot. At work, we were planning to create a computer data center in Brandon, FL, and my typing fingers went on muscle memory instead of listening to the brain. And my eyes failed to notice the slight difference between Brandon/Branford and data/dive.

Sorry for the confusion.

Donn

 

[allcoast]

I am an idiot. At work, we were planning to create a computer data center in Brandon, FL, and my typing fingers went on muscle memory instead of listening to the brain. And my eyes failed to notice the slight difference between Brandon/Branford and data/dive.

Sorry for the confusion.

Donn

Ahh, that makes sense.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Is Steamboat dive shop still across the street or has Dustin closed it too?

Steamboat Dive Inn is still there - sort of. The the owner is, IMHO, distinctly odd and not in a good or purely eccentric way.

There is some great history on the walls and it clearly used to be something, but as a viable dive shop it's days are long since over, it has basically no new stock, no activity worth mentioning and no real services. It is in short a 3rd rate motel with the remains of a former dive shop attached and the owner's personality will pretty much ensure it stays that way.

That's too bad.

 

[ucfdiver]

Steamboat Dive Inn is still there - sort of. The the owner is, IMHO, distinctly odd and not in a good or purely eccentric way.

Dustin is rather blunt, not the bubbly personality types you're going to find from other shops in town, but if you take the time to talk to him, he's a really nice guy. He has a lot of good stories too, since he was an active cave instructor around the time that the sport was really developing. Last time I talked with him, he was getting out of the dive business and into real estate.

I'm not sure if he still has it, but back in 2000 he was the only one I've ever seen have a chilled tank bath. Anyone who sat in the bath for 2 minutes in their boxers got a $100 reward. No one ever took him up on it and then one day a guy from overseas said he would, so they called paramedics to stand by just in case and he sat in that 40 degree water for even longer than the 2 minutes he had to.

Next time you're in there, drum up conversation, you won't regret it.

 

[BabyDuck]

larry did drum up conversation - he just regretted it after.

 

[ucfdiver]

larry did drum up conversation - he just regretted it after.

That's a shame. Dustin is a huge source of stories/knowledge, and you guys are the first that I've ever heard have issues talking with him.

 

[LiteHedded]

it will make for entertaining reading at work. i appreciate the effort

 

[karstdvr]

it will make for entertaining reading at work. i appreciate the effort

I remember that all very well. Pretty much ancient history that is a footnote in cave diving history,and probably not as entertaining as you'd think. There are better reads out there if you want entertainment....look up GI versus everyone.

 

[Superlyte27]

Now i'm intrigued. I'll try to find that one.