TAMPA BAY

[David Mayle]

I am also here in Tampa, FL and still new to diving. I haven't been diving as much as I wanted to being new and all and not having a buddy. So all us noobs need to start diving together. There have been at least 3 of us in the last week.
Next cert goal is the solo cert, so I need 100 dives and charters can lower my bank account more then I want.
The plan was to get a boat and go out to some of these lakes and dive in a controlled environment to work on skills and log dives. So I got an inflatable one, drive a Honda civic so trunk space is limited, and went to scout and fish at a lake. Everything was fine until around 1100 when I realized that I am in florida. I saw something crossing the lake (first potential gator sighting). I then heard a splash and saw an alligator swimming away along the banks. Not even 5 minutes later I then noticed another one following a canoe. I didn't think diving in lakes was such a good idea anymore .

 

[kelemvor]

Gator diving is not high on my list either. Weeki Wachee, Hospital Hole, and Hudson Grotto are all fairly close and (except for weeki) fairly inexpensive. I've never been to hospital, but one of my buddies bought a little john boat so we could eventually dive it.

Hosptial Hole: Hospital Hole, Weeki Wachee River - Weeki Wachee FL | DiveBuddy.com
Weeki Wachee: Weeki Wachee Springs - Spring Hill FL | DiveBuddy.com
Hudson Grotto: Hudson Grotto - Hudson FL | DiveBuddy.com

The water at hudson grotto is tanic and dark. However it's close, cheap, and deep (over 100'). I've done lots of practice dives there, and my daughter some of her OW cert dives there.

There's an old saying in FL that is probably true. If you see water, there's a gator in it somewhere. I've never seen them at any of the freshwater dives I've done in FL, but I'm guessing they are there.

 

[kelemvor]

Correction. I was thinking about taking my new wife up to Weeki Wachee. I gave them a call, and apparently they no longer allow diving there! Pity, it was fun.

 

[David Mayle]

That sucks that one looked like the most interesting. I wasn't planning on starting the cave diving yet wanted to go deep first but if there are that many around I may have to switch priorities. That seems to be the issue with diving all the fun dive sites require different certs.

 

[kelemvor]

Ah yep - different leads. I didn't notice. You'll either need to find (or make) an adapter.. you can get the clips the new one requires from any home improvement store and clamp them onto wires cut off the old battery easily with a pair of pliers and a wire cutter or maybe a knife.

Or you could look for a battery with the wires already soldered on like came in the scooter.

 

[Fossil_Diver]

I find Hospital Hole interesting because of the hydrogen sulfide layer at about 70'. From above it looks just like a cloud and you can swirl it around with your hand. It's fun to play with but it doesn't taste very good
Below the cloud layer it is dark and should be considered an overhead environment. I wouldn't recommend going below the cloud layer for a new diver.
I've never been all the way to the bottom but rumor has it that there is enough stuff there to stock a dive shop. I bet there is at least one GoPro there if not more.