topher10
Contributor
I live in Louisiana but have a work conference in Bonita Springs Florida in July. So my wife and 2 teenagers (daughter and son) are going to road trip it to Bonita Springs and back so they can enjoy the beach while I am at the conference. The basic trip is 2 days/1 night driving to Bonita Springs, 5 nights at the conference resort and 2 days/1 night back home. But we are hoping to add few days going or coming for some additional fun.
With that in mind, both my son and I are certified and I am trying to figure out a way to work in diving without leaving the women for too long. I initially was considering just diving out of Bonita Springs/Ft Myers, but the vibe I get is that this diving is fine but not great. We have done and will do Pensacola/Panama City a lot, and I am guessing its similar. So I was hoping for something different, and considering 2 options (and maybe both):
1. Spring dive on the way down or back. We will be passing by all of the springs (Ginnie, Devil's Den, Blue Grotto, Rainbow, etc). I think it would be fun to do a dive in one of these places. Perhaps even a river dive with my wife and daughter snorkeling or canoeing along with us. I can only hit one of these places on the way through, so which is the one to pick. We have no cave/cavern experience and no intention of pushing it. My son has never been in a spring but I have been to Vortex Springs in the panhandle a few times. I am leaning towards Ginnie, but cannot say why. Devil's den would allow them to snorkel while we dive.
2. Shoot over to the East Coast one day, or perhaps on the way home. My son and I could dive one morning/afternoon and the ladies just enjoy the beach. I am not sure if more beach is worth the effort for them, but perhaps the Atlantic beaches are different. The issue is that the number of sites/options is a bit overwhelming, as we could hit anything from West Palm Beach all the way north to Jacksonville. My initial idea was somewhere in the Jupiter/Stuart area.
Any advice would be appreciated, and I apologize in advance for asking the same questions that have been asked previously. The car will be loaded already without all the dive gear, and so we may skip the diving and do some Everglades stuff, or alternatively hit Universal or something similar on the way back through Orlando.
With that in mind, both my son and I are certified and I am trying to figure out a way to work in diving without leaving the women for too long. I initially was considering just diving out of Bonita Springs/Ft Myers, but the vibe I get is that this diving is fine but not great. We have done and will do Pensacola/Panama City a lot, and I am guessing its similar. So I was hoping for something different, and considering 2 options (and maybe both):
1. Spring dive on the way down or back. We will be passing by all of the springs (Ginnie, Devil's Den, Blue Grotto, Rainbow, etc). I think it would be fun to do a dive in one of these places. Perhaps even a river dive with my wife and daughter snorkeling or canoeing along with us. I can only hit one of these places on the way through, so which is the one to pick. We have no cave/cavern experience and no intention of pushing it. My son has never been in a spring but I have been to Vortex Springs in the panhandle a few times. I am leaning towards Ginnie, but cannot say why. Devil's den would allow them to snorkel while we dive.
2. Shoot over to the East Coast one day, or perhaps on the way home. My son and I could dive one morning/afternoon and the ladies just enjoy the beach. I am not sure if more beach is worth the effort for them, but perhaps the Atlantic beaches are different. The issue is that the number of sites/options is a bit overwhelming, as we could hit anything from West Palm Beach all the way north to Jacksonville. My initial idea was somewhere in the Jupiter/Stuart area.
Any advice would be appreciated, and I apologize in advance for asking the same questions that have been asked previously. The car will be loaded already without all the dive gear, and so we may skip the diving and do some Everglades stuff, or alternatively hit Universal or something similar on the way back through Orlando.
