SuPrBuGmAn
Contributor
Darcy Naylor and I headed to Central FL this past weekend(2/18-2/20/6) for some spring diving and a manatee snorkel tour. We had a great time and enjoyed some good weather, and some not so great weather.
We dove Ginnie Springs on 2/18/6 after arriving just after noon. It was friggin hot outside and the sun was blaring, I couldnt' wait to jump in the cool water. There were a ton of people in the water and visibility wasn't exactly the gin clear water it typically gets. We spent ~50min in the water while hitting 54' in the cavern. Pic at http://www.suprbugman.com/gallery/album110
After nearly an hour and a half SI, we hopped into the Devils Spring run and dove the openings of the Little Devil, Devils Eye, and Devils Ear. With all the traffic(still not as much as at Ginnie Spring), visibility still wasn't at its best. The dive did mark Darcy's 100th dive, pics of the braggery to follow. We had fun watching cavers being pulled along by scooters entering and exiting Devil's Eye and watched them a bit while they sat for their deco obligations. The Sante Fe water levels were high and they had a silt screen layed across the spring run between the Eye and the Ear to keep tannic water out of the run. Darcy and I swam underneath and dove down to the tree above the entrance of the Ear and looked up at the sunlight trying to penetrate the red tannic water. Made for some great pics. Dive lasted 38 minutes and we hit 38'. Pics at http://www.suprbugman.com/gallery/album111
Headed to Floyd's for some grub and did one last dive at Ginnie Spring before calling it a day. Our night dive at Ginnie allowed us the spring to ourselves with gin clear visibility. Once again hit 54' in the cavern and the dive lasted for 40min. No pics, didn't bring the camera with me at night. It was quite misty by the time we finished and temps were dropping.
We went through Manatee Safaris in Crystal River for our Manatee snorkel tour. The entire day(2/19/6) was extremely overcast, misty, and chilly. There were only 4 other people besides Darcy and me on the boat which gave us plenty of room for changing, drying off, goofing with equipment, ect. Our first drop was at a bridge and within a few minutes of being in the water we had ~10 manatees swim by and/or under us. They didn't stick around for long, but we enjoyed their quick swimthru. After about 15-20 minutes of no sightings, we decided to head to 3 Sister Springs and check out the manatees over there with the dozens of people already at that site. There were probably a dozen tours parked, but we found an area to anchor just after the spring run. A few of us snorkeled up the run that wasn't roped off and found a manatee sleeping by one of the springs. I managed a few pics before a large group started molesting the big beast and scared it away - idiots.
I feel really bad for the deprived sailers that saw these creatures thinking they were sexy fish-women. Cool creatures, but not attractive at all...mermaids? Not for me.
Pics at http://www.suprbugman.com/gallery/album109
After eating at Crackers and enjoying a damned fine blackened Amberjack Sandwich, we drove to Ocala and dove Alexander Springs. Alexander Springs is in a Nat'l Park and entry was only $5. Its a long walk from the parking area to the water. Visibility was pretty good except where the swimmers were walking along the bottom. The dive site itself is pretty shallow except for over the limestone area which drops down to ~25'. Its nearly and entire OW dive site, with one small overhang you can barely squeeze into. One of the vents had line going, but the opening was incredibly small and I'm convinced someone is cave training small children to explore some of these areas.
Our dive lasted 40min and we looked at all kinds of fish, some of which were quite different than what we were used to at the panhandle and central FL springs I had dived up until then(grass carp, 2#+ panfish, plecostomus(SP?)). After the dive we hiked the 1 mile trail that followed the spring run a bit before looping around the woods and back to the picnic area. Then we went to San Pablos in Gainesville for some beer and grub.
Pics at http://www.suprbugman.com/gallery/album112
Monday morning we headed back to Ocala to dive Paradise. It felt kinda weird driving up someone's driveway and asking to dive. We watched the pre-dive tape out of his garage and headed to the picnic area to gear up and jump in. Paradise Spring consists of a hole about 20' across at the bottom of a wooded area in someone's backyard. The water is clear and drops down to a small cavern on one side, and then a larger cavern on the other. The cavern is supposed to run down to 140', but we turned around at 97'. The great part of this dive is the fossils that cover the cavern walls including bones from different vertebrates, shells, sand dollars, and sea biscuits. Visibility was pretty good at 50'+ and the owner says it gets better than 200' by the end of the week before the weekend traffic. We spent most our 87 minute dive above 50' exploring the walls. We had the divesite to ourselves until the last few minutes of the dive in which we were visited by two other divers. Very interesting dive that I wouldn't mind checking out again.
Pics at http://www.suprbugman.com/gallery/album113
I don't think I've posted any reports this year yet. Its been quite busy in New Orleans lately and it seems as though my weekends are either weathered out or spent doing something other than diving. However, I have been out a few times.
Paul Wallace and I jumped on the H20 Below through Gary's Gulf Diver and did a two tank dive on 1/15/6. Weather was chilly and the water was sitting in the mid-low 60ºsF.
1st Dive was on the Russian Freighter
Max depth of 84'
Duration of 36 minutes
Used 2250psi of my 80cu/3k tank
Lots of schooling spades, small jacks, and snapper. We got to see a batfish walking along the bottom as well. Vis was around ~20'
Then we ran out to the Oops Barge after a SI of around 1 hour and plenty of hot water down the wetsuit.
Max Depth of 76'
Duration of 34 minutes
Used 2000psi of my 80cu/3k tank
More schooling fish hanging around and visibility ~30'
Pics at http://www.suprbugman.com/gallery/album73 for 1/15/6 Dives.
We dove Ginnie Springs on 2/18/6 after arriving just after noon. It was friggin hot outside and the sun was blaring, I couldnt' wait to jump in the cool water. There were a ton of people in the water and visibility wasn't exactly the gin clear water it typically gets. We spent ~50min in the water while hitting 54' in the cavern. Pic at http://www.suprbugman.com/gallery/album110
After nearly an hour and a half SI, we hopped into the Devils Spring run and dove the openings of the Little Devil, Devils Eye, and Devils Ear. With all the traffic(still not as much as at Ginnie Spring), visibility still wasn't at its best. The dive did mark Darcy's 100th dive, pics of the braggery to follow. We had fun watching cavers being pulled along by scooters entering and exiting Devil's Eye and watched them a bit while they sat for their deco obligations. The Sante Fe water levels were high and they had a silt screen layed across the spring run between the Eye and the Ear to keep tannic water out of the run. Darcy and I swam underneath and dove down to the tree above the entrance of the Ear and looked up at the sunlight trying to penetrate the red tannic water. Made for some great pics. Dive lasted 38 minutes and we hit 38'. Pics at http://www.suprbugman.com/gallery/album111
Headed to Floyd's for some grub and did one last dive at Ginnie Spring before calling it a day. Our night dive at Ginnie allowed us the spring to ourselves with gin clear visibility. Once again hit 54' in the cavern and the dive lasted for 40min. No pics, didn't bring the camera with me at night. It was quite misty by the time we finished and temps were dropping.
We went through Manatee Safaris in Crystal River for our Manatee snorkel tour. The entire day(2/19/6) was extremely overcast, misty, and chilly. There were only 4 other people besides Darcy and me on the boat which gave us plenty of room for changing, drying off, goofing with equipment, ect. Our first drop was at a bridge and within a few minutes of being in the water we had ~10 manatees swim by and/or under us. They didn't stick around for long, but we enjoyed their quick swimthru. After about 15-20 minutes of no sightings, we decided to head to 3 Sister Springs and check out the manatees over there with the dozens of people already at that site. There were probably a dozen tours parked, but we found an area to anchor just after the spring run. A few of us snorkeled up the run that wasn't roped off and found a manatee sleeping by one of the springs. I managed a few pics before a large group started molesting the big beast and scared it away - idiots.
I feel really bad for the deprived sailers that saw these creatures thinking they were sexy fish-women. Cool creatures, but not attractive at all...mermaids? Not for me.
Pics at http://www.suprbugman.com/gallery/album109
After eating at Crackers and enjoying a damned fine blackened Amberjack Sandwich, we drove to Ocala and dove Alexander Springs. Alexander Springs is in a Nat'l Park and entry was only $5. Its a long walk from the parking area to the water. Visibility was pretty good except where the swimmers were walking along the bottom. The dive site itself is pretty shallow except for over the limestone area which drops down to ~25'. Its nearly and entire OW dive site, with one small overhang you can barely squeeze into. One of the vents had line going, but the opening was incredibly small and I'm convinced someone is cave training small children to explore some of these areas.
Our dive lasted 40min and we looked at all kinds of fish, some of which were quite different than what we were used to at the panhandle and central FL springs I had dived up until then(grass carp, 2#+ panfish, plecostomus(SP?)). After the dive we hiked the 1 mile trail that followed the spring run a bit before looping around the woods and back to the picnic area. Then we went to San Pablos in Gainesville for some beer and grub.Pics at http://www.suprbugman.com/gallery/album112
Monday morning we headed back to Ocala to dive Paradise. It felt kinda weird driving up someone's driveway and asking to dive. We watched the pre-dive tape out of his garage and headed to the picnic area to gear up and jump in. Paradise Spring consists of a hole about 20' across at the bottom of a wooded area in someone's backyard. The water is clear and drops down to a small cavern on one side, and then a larger cavern on the other. The cavern is supposed to run down to 140', but we turned around at 97'. The great part of this dive is the fossils that cover the cavern walls including bones from different vertebrates, shells, sand dollars, and sea biscuits. Visibility was pretty good at 50'+ and the owner says it gets better than 200' by the end of the week before the weekend traffic. We spent most our 87 minute dive above 50' exploring the walls. We had the divesite to ourselves until the last few minutes of the dive in which we were visited by two other divers. Very interesting dive that I wouldn't mind checking out again.
Pics at http://www.suprbugman.com/gallery/album113
I don't think I've posted any reports this year yet. Its been quite busy in New Orleans lately and it seems as though my weekends are either weathered out or spent doing something other than diving. However, I have been out a few times.
Paul Wallace and I jumped on the H20 Below through Gary's Gulf Diver and did a two tank dive on 1/15/6. Weather was chilly and the water was sitting in the mid-low 60ºsF.
1st Dive was on the Russian Freighter
Max depth of 84'
Duration of 36 minutes
Used 2250psi of my 80cu/3k tank
Lots of schooling spades, small jacks, and snapper. We got to see a batfish walking along the bottom as well. Vis was around ~20'
Then we ran out to the Oops Barge after a SI of around 1 hour and plenty of hot water down the wetsuit.
Max Depth of 76'
Duration of 34 minutes
Used 2000psi of my 80cu/3k tank
More schooling fish hanging around and visibility ~30'
Pics at http://www.suprbugman.com/gallery/album73 for 1/15/6 Dives.
