Road Trip to North Florida, New Year's 2004

[TexasMike]

This is a very quick post to see if there is any interest in putting together a Road Trip to North Florida.

Details right now are very sketchy because, honestly, we just started thinking about this.

If you're interested please reply so we can start a roster.


Details considered so far are:

• Main stop is Hal Watt's 40 Fathom Grotto in Ocala, FL (North of Orlando). My personal purpose is to complete some training that the Grotto is perfect for.
• Visiting some of the other North Florida sites
• Hanging out with our Florida counterparts, like NetDoc
• Stopping in Panama City Beach on the return trip. Possible dives in salt water or Vortex springs
• Dates: Currently thinking sometime between day after Christmas Day and first week of January. Specifics to be nailed down later
• Travel: Currently thinking of renting a "church van" and piling everyone and gear in there. Driving duties and expsenses to be shared by all.
• Costs: I hope to keep this as low as possible. No figure yet, but if we get enough to split the van and gasoline, then the common figure will be fairly low. Optionals (Motel6 vs Camping, food, etc) are up to the individual diver.

Other details to be generated and posted as interest increases and we all get it together.

The Grotto is the prefect place for training for both recreational and advanced certifications. The training that I am looking to complete is the TDI Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures (teaches you how to utilize EAN up to 100% and how to plan/execute dives that exceed recreational no decompression limits). If you are interested in gaining this certification, and live in the D/FW area, send me a PM with your email address and I'll forward your interest to the instructor. Classroom would be done in the Plano area, and we'd do the dives in the Grotto. Other SDI/TDI certifications can also be made available.

Even if you're not interested in the training and would like to chance to dive some difference places and go on a "low cost" land trip, speak up.

Right now I want to build a list of those who are 50% sure they can go. So if there is a posiblity, speak up.

And if you have any additional bright ideas, be sure chime in.

--TM

 

[texdiver38]

I call shotgun!

Seriously, I would be up for this. Would we need someone with a commercial driver's license for the van? Also, does the course you are planning to take have any prerequisites, other than OW?

 

[TexasMike]

I don't a CDL would be required. The van I'm thinking of is not large enough for that. And if we go over a certain number of people, I'll check into renting a U-haul trailer to carry the gear/toys.

Prerequisites. Did I hand you a brochure at the lake this last weekend? If yes, look in the one for "technical training" and more info is covered in there. Also a phone number for the instructor.



Roster:
TexasMike
Texdiver38
Scubatooth (is James the Thing interested?)

 

[Scubatooth]

hmm would have to ask him but i dont know. but put me into column as pretty sure because the college is closed from 12/24- 1/4 so that would be a perfect time to do so.


the other thing to ask is what type of water temps are we looking at? because that will impact the items needed to pack. who knows maybe a swamper has a trailer we could put all of the gear in

i dont know about bright ideas but what about atleast one "crawl"(you know what i mean, mike) during the trip

let me know

 

[CBulla]

Depending on how far south you'd like to go, I've been talking of a Peace River fossiling trip in that time frame, though nothing is set in stone yet because water levels have to go down... wayyy down.

FL Temps that time of year for the springs should be roughly 72° give or take, but you can bank on not much more than that, at least thats what one of my LDS buddies tells me.

I may even be able to slide up for some dive time around then to, I've got friends that way that I would love to visit and oh, look, diving happens to be close by to!

 

[TexasMike]

I just remembered a freshly certified (as in OW carded 2 weeks ago) diver firend that has a nice sized trailer. And I might talk him into joining us. He's in Cancun this week and next so I'll inquire when he returns.

Temps in the Grotto are in low 70's. It's spring fed so fairly constant. But really long dives will make a drysuit something to appreciate.

I've been in there with a 3mil shorty and was okay for 3 dives.

But for this training, I'm probably do it dry since I want to learn the skills with that form of exposure protection.

CBulla... not sure we'll get much further south than Orlando... we will be on a fairly set timetable due to travel distances.

 

[herman]

If you are interested in a group from the NC WreckDivers joining in , I may be interested in bringing a group down from this direction.

 

[TexasMike]

Herman--- Sound good! Be nice to see you again and meet some of your regular crowd. Keep tuned to this thread as we develop the trip so you can coordinate with your group.

 

[herman]

It crossed my mind it would be good to see some old friends again!

 

[Wendy]

TexasMike once bubbled...
This is a very quick post to see if there is any interest in putting together a Road Trip to North Florida.

Details right now are very sketchy because, honestly, we just started thinking about this.

If you're interested please reply so we can start a roster.


Details considered so far are:

• Main stop is Hal Watt's 40 Fathom Grotto in Ocala, FL (North of Orlando). My personal purpose is to complete some training that the Grotto is perfect for.
• Visiting some of the other North Florida sites
• Hanging out with our Florida counterparts, like NetDoc
• Stopping in Panama City Beach on the return trip. Possible dives in salt water or Vortex springs
• Dates: Currently thinking sometime between day after Christmas Day and first week of January. Specifics to be nailed down later
• Travel: Currently thinking of renting a "church van" and piling everyone and gear in there. Driving duties and expsenses to be shared by all.
• Costs: I hope to keep this as low as possible. No figure yet, but if we get enough to split the van and gasoline, then the common figure will be fairly low. Optionals (Motel6 vs Camping, food, etc) are up to the individual diver.

Other details to be generated and posted as interest increases and we all get it together.

The Grotto is the prefect place for training for both recreational and advanced certifications. The training that I am looking to complete is the TDI Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures (teaches you how to utilize EAN up to 100% and how to plan/execute dives that exceed recreational no decompression limits). If you are interested in gaining this certification, and live in the D/FW area, send me a PM with your email address and I'll forward your interest to the instructor. Classroom would be done in the Plano area, and we'd do the dives in the Grotto. Other SDI/TDI certifications can also be made available.

Even if you're not interested in the training and would like to chance to dive some difference places and go on a "low cost" land trip, speak up.

Right now I want to build a list of those who are 50% sure they can go. So if there is a posiblity, speak up.

And if you have any additional bright ideas, be sure chime in.

--TM

Let me know what your plans end up being and maybe I can plan a Florida Conch Divers trip the same time so we can all meet up.