Need Help on Florida Dive Sites

[RBachman]

Hi,

I'm planning on taking a 4 or 5 day trip to Florida in the next week or two in an effort to introduce my 15 year old son to nice clear water. Most of my diving has been in the caves around Branford so I'm not that familiar with open water diving in the area. As such, I was thinking of taking him to Ginny Springs, Troy, Crystal River, Rainbow, and????

I was also wondering where I should stay in/around these areas. I used to crash at the Steamboat Dive Inn in Branford but haven't been there for a long time and I'm not even sure if it's still there (or if there's a nicer place near by.)

So here are my questions.

Are these good open water dive sites? Should I avoid any of these? What other's should I include?

Any idea where I should stay in these areas that are safe and diver friendly?

What local dive shops should I support/avoid in these areas and are there any good discount shops in these areas? (I wanted to do some shopping while there...tanks, a suit, etc..)

Thanks!

RB

 

[The Wanderer]

How experienced/competent is your son at diving?

 

[RBachman]

How experienced/competent is your son at diving?

He's just started with a few open water dives after cert.. That's why I was thinking of staying in the clear springs for his first "real" outing.

I also want to work on his basic skills while there....buoyancy control, dive planning, equipment maintenance and care, comfort in the water, etc, etc..

 

[The Wanderer]

Well, I would suggest you stay in Ocala. A lot of motels/hotels in all price ranges.

Diving day 1 - Alexander Springs. Perfect for your first day. Nice safe dive, great viz. Depth to 27 feet. Lots of shallow water to swim around. Take two tanks each - no air nearby - and you can dive all day. $5 each.

Day 2 Blue Grotto. They have a web site. Good water. Have training platforms at several levels. Depth up to 60 feet is safe with a good buddy Slight cavern environment. about $27 each. Air on site. Avoid Saturday.

Day 3 Manatee SP. Two dive sites Simbrooks and I were there by ourselves last week. Only divers. Lots of swimmers in main spring. Great water. One site has depth to 70 feet. No current. Main spring to 24 feet. Vent with current. Good diving. $10 Take 2 tanks. No air.

If you want to take a day off of diving, Silver Springs has a water park with slides, rides and young girls that your son would enjoy (you, too? LOL)

Other options. But this would make a fine trip at a reasonable cost and all is close to Ocala so you don't have to keep checking into different motels.

If you want more info, post it.

James

 

[scubafool]

I would reccomend adding Blue Springs into the first day. Alexander is a nice spring, & is my choice for a cheap, safe dive, but Blue has a little more depth & a REALLY nice drift back to the main swimming dock. There is also a dive shop within 10 minutes of Blue that I can recommend. The outward flow at Blue is quite noticeable, & after around 65' you end up in a overhead enviroment, but other than that it is a relatively "simple" spring dive. My most memorable dive there was when a manatee "chased" me & my buddy the last 100 yards of the drift. However, it would be unusual to see a manatee there during the summer.

Although many find Ginnie Springs boring, it remains, after many dives there, one of my favorite spring diving areas. They have 4 boils that you can dive, & at Ginnie Springs proper is a cavern that they let OW divers into. The cost is no more than that of the other private dive parks in the area, and they have a well stocked dive shop. The downside to Ginnie is that on the weekends it has a tendency to turn into party central for the nearby college students and a lot of other folks from around the area. Plan on a full weekday there, and your son should never get bored. Oh, & before I forget, bring (or rent) a dive flag & drift dive the Santa Fe River from the Devil's run to the last tube exit. Some think that this is the best dive there.

Post back if you have any other questions.

 

[RBachman]

James,

Thanks for the info. I'll get a map today and start plotting out some possible routes and sites. Any recommendations on hotels and dive stores in the area?

Thanks again!

Rich

 

[The Wanderer]

I haven't rented tanks or gotten air fills in Ocala, but its a friendly city and they deal with springs divers all the time.

Try:
Ocala Dive Center 352-732-9779
Aquatic Center of Ocala 352-369-5199

Ocala is on I-75 and has every chain of motels you have heard of plus lots of indepedents, too. $30 bucks & up.

 

[scubaspider]

I'm coming down in Aug. any recommendations for the Pensacola area such as rentals and charters?

 

[The Wanderer]

Pensacola is 350 miles away from where we are talking about in this thread. I suggest you start a new thread with Pensacola, lower Alabama in the title.