Dive-hopping around central Fl

[feldomatic]

My wife is getting her OW this spring, and we'll probably both be AOW by the summer, so we're thinking about our first dive destination (and really first vacation) and want to hop around some locations in Fl, with one fixed location.

Time frame is probably fall (we'd like the ocean dive to be <80F, we prefer cold)

We want to drive down to florida, do DiveQuest at Epcot and then do 2 other days of diving.
- My dive choice will be a spring (might add cavern class if we can)
- her dive choice is ideally a reef or other ocean spot to see barracuda.

I'm curious if there are any good candidates close to Orlando (or Ocala, I have some family there) I figure there are lots of choices for the spring, but no clue about the ocean (Most of my Fl trips as a kid were ivo Daytona beach).

 

[Rilelen]

If you have the time, I whole-heartedly recommend doing a cavern class - it's typically 2-days though (depending on the agency), so you may not have time. Cavern opens up several new sites in Florida (Madison Blue, Jug, etc) that require cavern/cave certs, and let you carry lights in the state parks (and Devil's run at Ginnie). Plus, it's just a good safety course if you're planning to spend anytime in cavern/overhead environments; many agencies teach recreational cavern courses that allow you to take in a regular rec/single tank setup (sometimes with some modifications, like a long hose).

There's a good map of the open water-friendly springs here. In the Orlando/Ocala area, your three closest options will probably be Paradise, Alexander, and Blue Springs. Paradise is a somewhat more advanced cavern dive; the owner waffles a bit but typically requires AOW or min 15 dives - you will definitely need lights (including a backup for each of you). Alexander is very shallow with a deeper spring vent - some people absolutely love it; it's not my favorite, but it's good for testing new gear, buoyancy checks, and just getting reacclimated to the water. Blue Springs in Volusia County is very cool; there's a deeper and rather unusual rippled cavern zone (that transitions into a cave zone; don't go past the sign) that then spills into a long extensive spring run. I like to walk down to the steps by the cavern, then drift back to the parking lot steps, so it's a combo cavern/drift dive. It's also known for its manatees; so much in fact, that it's closed to diving from mid-November to March, because so many come into the springs to stay warm.

Fall is perfect for the springs; tubers and swimmers tend to leave as the weather cools, but the water is a constant 72ish degrees. And it's not quite as stifling hot when gearing up - win/win.

I'll let other folks chime in about ocean diving options; personally I'd probably head down to Jupiter.

 

[The Chairman]

Have fun. One day in a spring isn't long enough to do cavern. However, Divequest in Epcot is not all that cool, and worth bypassing.