First dive in Florida

[RV]

Sadly Florida is a VERY LARGE STATE (sorta like Texas) so you will spend a good amount of time driving... no matter HOW you do it. Couple of things...

1. Do you HAVE to dive salt??

2. Do you HAVE to dive the keys??

The first thing you have to do is decide if either of the two things on the list are a MUST DO... Then you can lay out a pretty good plan... I would say not to worry about heading down into the KEYS... first off in December it wont be cheap to park a TT anywhere in FL.. so I would do something like first 2 days dive the springs of N Florida(blue grotto/devils den/Manatee Springs/Fanning Springs) ... 2 days diving at Lauderdale by the Sea and Blue Heron Bridge and a last day diving at Ginnie Springs (easy way to clean all that salt off your gear).

Blue Grotto and Manatee Springs both have RV parking (might want to get it scheduled sooner rather than later) Blue Grotto is a commercial affair, Manatee Springs is a state park. I don't know what you would do for RV parking down south, but would do a bit of research and find an RV park between the two (lauderdale by the sea and BHB) rather than camping within minutes of either (less than an hour apart, so if in middle.. 30 minutes either way)

You could literally spend the entire week in N Florida and never hit the salt water... on that note if you are also trying to be real tourists... you HAVE to stop in at Ellie Schiller Wildlife park in Hommosassa Springs and see a mermaid show at Weeki Wachee... you could do both in a day if you were camped near them... LOTS of RV parks in Homossasa and Weeki Wachee is only 30 miles south (maybe less). Crystal River is only 10 miles north of Homossassa and several dive shops would be very happy to take you to Rainbow River for a fairly long drift dive (shallow and long).

If you want to have a more detailed discussion about this... send me a PM...

speaking of Weeki Wachee, have they opened it back up to diving?

 

[Steve_C]

Assuming you are not into caves, IMO Springs are just like diving in a SMALL quarry but the water is clearer. I would gladly trade a week of spring diving for a day at West palm or Key largo or BHB.

I have dove Canon beach at Pennkamp a couple times. Stick to the edges of the "hole" and off the silty bottom of the hole. Lots of fish on the flats near the canons. If you need to get wet and it is rough out you can dive Jules in Key Largo. If you look around at Jules you will see some interesting marine life although viz can be very so so. For Jules think quarry with tropical fish.

Picture is from the trench at Canon Beach.

 

[Imbodie]

speaking of Weeki Wachee, have they opened it back up to diving?

I THINK so... you have to call shops in Tampa and see if anyone is guiding trips... Maybe call the shop at Hudson Grotto...

 

[Imbodie]

Assuming you are not into caves, IMO Springs are just like diving in a SMALL quarry but the water is clearer. I would gladly trade a week of spring diving for a day at West palm or Key largo or BHB.

I have dove Canon beach at Pennkamp a couple times. Stick to the edges of the "hole" and off the silty bottom of the hole. Lots of fish on the flats near the canons. If you need to get wet and it is rough out you can dive Jules in Key Largo. If you look around at Jules you will see some interesting marine life although viz can be very so so. For Jules think quarry with tropical fish.

Picture is from the trench at Canon Beach.

View attachment 413719

It's cheap, and salt water... I LOVED it but I stayed up against the wall and looked at all the SMALL stuff... and LOTS of lobster... The viz was 20' ish... which was plenty... I mean the cost to dive was entry to the park... and I had a park pass which meant 50 cents to pay the local surcharge for whatever... Didn't get to see a lot at Jules... and its like $35 or so to dive there.... was a part of my IDC we were not playing tourist

and I would trade a week of west palm for 4 days of springs diving.... to each his own