Recommended fresh water dive on drive down to the keys?

[SandyRobinson]

I'd suggest Troy Springs which is not too far off I-75. At the end of the spring run into the Suwannee are the remains (ribs) of an old boat, the Madison. Two dive shops, Dive Outpost and Cave Excursions, are nearby in Luraville. You can rent tanks at either.

 

[LynnB]

Is there a good place to stop for a fresh water dive somewhere midway between Atlanta and the Keys? Will be making the drive soon to dive with my daughter who was certified in October and has not had a chance to dive since. Would like to let her put on the gear and get comfortable again before she jumps off the boat in Key Largo. Don't want to go out of our way too much, but if there's somewhere convenient, it might be a good way to break up the drive. I did my certification at Blue Grotto and that may be an option, but wondered what else may be worth stopping for. We won't have our own tanks, so it'd have to be some place where we could rent them. Would appreciate any recommendations.

When are you heading to the keys?

 

[heydn62]

Thanks to all who replied.

Plan to go sometime in April. Will dive with Rainbow Reef; they certified my daughter in October and she's been wanting to go back. I've used them several times and always been happy.

 

[RetMTFE]

Have you ever heard of a diver being attacked by a gator? .

Yes, less than a year ago.

Diver bit by alligator at Silver Springs

 

[The_Aft3rmath777]

Blue Grotto (website) and Devils Den (website) are supposed to be really neat dives. I have not been to either yet but will hopefully make the trip this summer! As far as I know, both places have an on site dive shop for air fills and gear rental.

 

[bilsant]

What they said...I'd hit Ginnie Springs, the Blue Grotto, and maybe one of the spring sourced rivers for a drift dive (maybe the Rainbow or if divers are still allowed there, the Ichetucknee?), then start looking for a salt water shore dive when I hit Palm Beach County. When conditions are right Blue Heron Bridge is a great dive and good for beginners, as is Lauderdale by the Sea - both have really excellent dive shops nearby to rent gear and get updates on conditions.

Both are also good places to get your buoyancy worked out and fine tune your weighting for salt water if you haven't been diving in a while. Ideally, by the time you hit Key Largo, you'll be more than ready to boat dive.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[mselenaous]

....but one thing you should do when you get to Key Largo is MAKE SURE that the dive op knows that she's very new to the sport and make sure you do a nice easy reef dive (or something like Christ of the Abyss) to let her get her feet wet so to speak. Most op's understand newbie divers and will accommodate you.

Good luck, and have fun!

Most definitely agree, let the dive op know. Luckily there are many many shallow gentle reef dives here. Stop by and say Hi :wavey: while you are in town.

Just off I-75 in the Gainesville/Ocala are Ginnie Springs, Blue Grotto, Devil's Den & Paradise Springs to name a few

Joe

All great suggestions. Ginnie was beautiful this past weekend.

Have fun, enjoy, and dive safe!

 

[azchipka]

Devils Den is a fun spot to visit for a 1/2 dive.

 

[Dive-aholic]

Yes, less than a year ago.

Diver bit by alligator at Silver Springs

Yes, Pete is a diver. No, he was not on scuba at the time. He was taking water samples for the state and got a little too close to a gator den and the mother didn't appreciate it.

As far as I know, there has not been a diver on scuba attacked by an alligator.


To the OP, I recommend Blue Grotto, since your daughter has already been there, or Troy Springs. There isn't much OW area at Ginnie Springs, so it's not really an appropriate place for a new diver. You can also check out Alexander Spring, but you'll have to rent tanks on the way.

 

[Katch]

Thanks to all who replied.

Plan to go sometime in April. Will dive with Rainbow Reef; they certified my daughter in October and she's been wanting to go back. I've used them several times and always been happy.

I'm doing my AOW with Rainbow the week after Easter. They have a great hotel/dive package deal ($129/night at Marriott beside their boats and $70/dive)

I dove with Rainbow before. They're good people.


Steve