Tampa

[JamesK]

Ok I have to ask what kind of car or bike you drove and also your favorite local dive sites to keep it semi on topic?

Back in the day it was a 1994 Accord with JDM H22 built top end and a NOS wet kit with a 100 pill. Now I have a Cobra.

As for local dive sites I really don't know any. I dove once with Narcosis Scuba in Tarpon Springs. Other then that I have not done anything in the area. So that is where you guys come in to play.

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Have to admit i have the cave bug. Just trying to figure out when i can fit some quality instruction in my schedule. Seems like a waste to be this close to some of the best diving in the world and not go under. Plus 72 degrees year round, what's not to love.

IF you decide to get that cave thing done, let me know. I will do intro dives with you. I am full cave, but have just as much fun on intro dives.

 

[bradsagator]

Hey look, a Tampa Bay thread! We did Venice two weekends ago, vis was crappy but we saw a variety of sea life including snook which I haven't seen underwater before. I'd recommend it with a combo beach trip as the beach down there is excellent. Great facilities at the beach and grabbed tanks about 5 miles away.

 

[John from the burg]

Back in the day it was a 1994 Accord with JDM H22 built top end and a NOS wet kit with a 100 pill. Now I have a Cobra.

As for local dive sites I really don't know any. I dove once with Narcosis Scuba in Tarpon Springs. Other then that I have not done anything in the area. So that is where you guys come in to play.

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IF you decide to get that cave thing done, let me know. I will do intro dives with you. I am full cave, but have just as much fun on intro dives.

No ifs about it sir I've been a caver my whole life. Have also been swimming in these springs since 3 years old and can't get enough of the fresh cold spring fed world. How long have you been full? Who was your instructor? How often do you go swimming in the dark?

 

[JamesK]

I have been cave diving since 2002, full since 2004. I stayed apprentice for a long while. My instructor was Larry Green. I used to go cave diving every other weekend for a long time. Now being deployed so much it is hard to do. Looks like I will have a nice stretch at home coming soon, and I plan on crawling in the dark holes a lot!

 

[John from the burg]

Larry green !!! Name dropper... Lol. I plan to also take it slow and spend lots of time diving with people much better then me.

Thanks for your service w all my respect.

Hit rainbow river today with the wife, her sis, and sis's bf. Left the gear at home because i was asked nicely to "not be under water the entire time" so just had fins and mask. Turned out to be perfect really because we had a wakeboard tow rope that just pulled me up the river at a perfect pace. Quick dive and the boat pulled me right down to the bottom to skim along as long as i could stand. I had a freakin blast and found 87¢ change, three sets of goggles, and a pair of ladies coach sunglasses! Great times had by all except the people toward the end a lil bitter at us skimming by in the yammy powered Boston lol.

Buford sink tomorrow. Il let you guys know how it goes.

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Me and 2 buddies loaded our crap and headed to chassahowitzka sun morning hoping the sink wasn't flooded over. Made record time and and told the fellas to wait at the truck while i would go scout it out before we carried all our gear into the swamp. Unfortunately i could tell no diving would be done there as soon as i hit the end of the dry road so a quick walk back to the truck and we were northbound to blue grotto.

We pull into the grotto at 4 and go inside the shop to pay our fee, soon as they lady saw us her face went right into skelator mode and i could tell she would not be pleasant to deal with. I thought with "last call" at 5 showing up at 4 wouldn't be a big deal but obviously she was wanting to leave early and we just messed her whole world up. I walk in with my normal hello and how are you today (more flys w honey) only to get a low grumble and and what sounded to me like a curse word or two but I'm not sure so cant confirm. At this point I'm ready to turn around and walk the hell out because I don't like when people who work in customer service get all pissy when they have to perform CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!!! Swallowing my pride i push on because we drove three damn hours to get here, "can we still get a dive in today" i ask nicely like always. More grumbles "you have to pay right now and be in the water by 5" she snaps back, i check my watch and its now 4:02. My friend then asks if there is any kind of price reduction because we showed up with 2 hrs to dive and not 10, (i didn't think there would be because its a business and i understand that) NO!! she practicaly screamed at us, "the price is the price". At this point i turn around and walk out because i tend to get in arguments w people like that and I'm still trying to be civil for my dive buddies. They come out right behind me saying what a bitch that lady was and i felt a little better that it wasnt just me. After a quick discussion we decide that they didnt earn our 120$ today and we would go on home and dive tomorrow after work.

Ive spent a whole lot more time in gun shops than dive shops and anyone who has spent time in both knows gun stores are full of old guys who don't want to deal with your problem. They want you to buy what THEY think is best and get the hell out, so i don't expect my ass to be kissed but a tiny bit of professionalism in how you talk to your customers is not outragous. That lady who may be the owner for all i know cost blue grotto our money just because she couldnt help but be rude.

All in all yesterday was a huge fail, never even cracked a tank but did drive 5 hrs to a prime cavern only to stand on the dock... After work today were hitting clearwater beach w our metal detectors looking for lost wedding rings and rolex watches to pay for gas from yesterday lol.

 

[Descending]

John - Sorry to hear about your non-dive trip. Any luck earning that gas money back? I have only been to Blue Grotte once, and was welcomed by the Gentleman owner with grumbles as well. I was told that is just the way he is. Before I went up I did searches on the site, and came across some "for sale" site. I would assume they are just over the whole idea of running the place maybe.

Spanish Rocks - My buddy and I went out early on Sunday. It was bit of a kick out there, but with the calm conditions, we took our time and it was nice and relaxing. Anna Maria Island is such a gorgeous beach town, with blue water and powder sand, so its another location that would be nice to make a beach day out of we well. We found the reef pretty easy. It was very colorful, and a good amount of critters. We were suprised with the variety of starfish and found 4 different flounders. I never find them that easily, so I thought that was awesome. Anyways, it's worth checking out if you are interested in doing a cheap shore dive for a day. I would only recommend going out when it is extreamly calm conditions. Towards the afternoon the visability was decreasing fast. Still do-able, but even 2 footers in that area stir up that shallow reef.

 

[JamesK]

I have always hated Blue Grotto because of the people there, plus it's to damn expensive IMO. As for the gun stores, c'mon man, I worked at a range and store for 11 years and was always a nice guy! And I sure was not old yet.

 

[John from the burg]

Descending ,

We did find a couple rings actually, nothing that will pay off my mortgage but gas for the next couple trips is paid for. Glad you had a good dive at the rocks, it is one of our normal spots within an hour drive. The Regina aka sugar barge is right up the beach and always has tons of fish.

James,

11 years at a gun shop huh, i thought you were cool before lol. As for nice guys in gun shops there has to be an exception to prove the rule lol.Guns were my first love for sure and currently Im loading my 300 win mag with SMK 190s, norma brass, and playing with every powder i can find. Its a remmy 700 but i have quite a collection all the way "down" to my carry m&p45.

 

[John from the burg]

Anyone diving this weekend? We are contemplating a trip to west palm but nothing solid yet.

 

[TracyN]

If none of you have been to the Blue Heron Bridge you must go. This is one dive that I will gladly give up a cave dive for. There is no extensive reef system but the biodiversity of life there is amazing. I've seen creatures that I've never seen on reefs before.