South-east GA inland dive sites?

[Slonda828]

Hi all,

I've been living in the Savannah/Richmond Hill area for several years now. I've only started diving this year, but I can't help but wonder if there aren't any quarries or spring fed lakes or other small bodies of water around us that we can dive that aren't brackish or zero-vis. I checked lakediver.com and they didn't have anything. I'm just getting a little tired of paying for 150 dollar dive charters or driving 3 hours away to dive. Does anyone know of anything relatively local to us with any kind of visibility where we can dive? This week I am going to call around to a few sites that I scouted out by Ludowici and Jesup and see what I come up with, but I'm hoping someone else has some ideas...

S

 

[Flightlead]

you need to hook up with diveprof here on the board. he knows Clark Hill lake like the back of his hand. folks that way dive the Strom Thurmond dam most weekends and often the river also.

 

[Slonda828]

you need to hook up with diveprof here on the board. he knows Clark Hill lake like the back of his hand. folks that way dive the Strom Thurmond dam most weekends and often the river also.

Flightlead,

I've heard Clark Hill is good diving, but it's a long way away from me here in south GA. I'm hoping someone knows of something a little closer (like within 100 miles).

S

 

[diveprof]

There are black water dive sites down your way- think low vis but Megladon teeth and other dead dino stuff. Edisto, Cooper, May rivers. We are a bit of a drive away, but mostly we are gator and shark free (well maybe not fully gator free ). We have a plane (Mitsubishi MU2), ski boat, a couple of walls, assorted fish. The Savannah River here is above the industry (what's a little mercury among friends) and offers a couple of wrecks, the old hamburg cotton docks, old bridge, fish and decent vis. We have two really different dives.: the one i just described and another in the fall line of the river with big boulders, rock ledges, etc.

 

[willardj]

I live here as well and have to say there is not to much. You can find a pond or 2, but most people want let you dive them. I went over to El scotts dale park off Bush road and dove there one day. It was ok, some fish,shollow,vis 5-8. you need to watch out for the big a$$ snakes though. You may want to get up to ClarkHill. Yeah its 3hr. D2D, but spit the fuel with someone and it gives you someone to talk to up and back. You will need a 7mm suit,hood, and gloves, but there is a lot to see and a great place to advance your diving skills. And most of all there is some very good people up there. Diveprof really knows that lake like the back of his hand. We get up that way from time to time if you want to go up with us one day.

You should think about coming over to SpringFest and or VortoberFest at Vortex Spring's (April and October) We have a Super time camping and diving. You can do a search and checkout some of the fun. We just got back from VortoberFest last night. It was great!!!

Good diving.

 

[Slonda828]

Thanks guys, that sounds promising as far as Clark Hill and the other springs. I am trying to see if a guy will open his borrow pit to me and a few other guys here as well. The bottom is all sand, so the vis actually isn't bad. I may be able to get him to let me provided my friend and I help him rig chains to a vehicle he has that fell in the lake somehow. I'll let everyone know what happens.

S

 

[marusso]

That sounds very interesting. Let me know how that goes...I have been looking for a borrow pit around here, but no one wants to take the liability. Also if you need some help rigging shoot me a message.

-Michael

 

[Captain Walt]

I run to some spots, I have for teeth if you are interested. It's not a free lake but by the time you go anywhere you have blown your $150 in gas and food. Aside from a lake or two on private property...not much around here. But you have a load of offshore and inshore sites here, that are hard to pass up. I hope you find what you are looking for.