I was able to go on anther trip with the local dive shop. The trip planned was Friday afternoon at Devil's Den, up early Saturday morning to swim with the manatees in Crystal River, then a drift dive down the Rainbow River in the afternoon, followed up Sunday by diving in Blue Grotto then heading home.
Dives #11 and #12: (Devil's Den)
If you haven't been to Devil's Den, it is a spring a bit southwest of Gainesville, FL. The entrance involves a very narrow set of steps with a low entrance (you'll likely have to duck) before going down a second set of steps to the platform for water entry. Think of an upside down mushroom and you'll have a basic idea of the spring shape.
When we were there, the water was up a bit less than a foot over the bottom platform so the "giant stride" method of entry was a bit less than normal. Still, it was good to splash and make sure that everything was in order prior to descending for the dives.
For those that haven't been I will point out that there are multiple swim throughs (some are tight). I don't know where you fall on the topic if swim throughs, but there is an entire discussion
"Swim-through" okay for open water divers? if you would like to delve deeper into the topic.
Disclaimer: Diving can be hazardous and decisions made while doing so could have dire consequences. Dive to your abilities which might be less than you realize.
While there are areas that are accessible with open water, in my
opinion, the majority of this site should be considered cavern type diving. The visibility is such that it is easy to reference open water while deeper within the spring.
These were my first dives with my new gear. What new gear you ask? Well, I purchased a set of regs (still want to rebuild Dad's at some point) and a bc. My choice of gear ended up being Dive Rite. Some factors that went into this decsion:
- USA Made
- Local dive shop can/will service/support
- From what I have seen of the brand so far, I like that it is purpose built (even if my purpose isn't likely to push the limits)
- Seems to "future proof" well should my diving needs change
- My dive buddy (really training buddy) was also going down this gear path
I also chose the reg set from them because it was put together as a package that included first stage, primary second stage, alternate second stage, spg, and lp inflator hose. Pricing out other options (of similar quality) typically ended up in a first stage and primary second stage for the same price then needing to purchase the alternate second stage, spg, and lp inflator hose. Seemed like there was always at least a $300.00 difference when complete packages were compared.
I chose the XT transpac harness with a voyager wing. The hydrolite was tempting, but I ultimately opted for more flexibility in wing choice. Maybe at some point a travel series wing will find its way into the gear closet?
These two dives were all about getting used to the new equipment, working on buoyancy, and exploring Devil's Den. All the gear performed well even though I didn't have all of the harness dialed in 100%. I didn't find things shifting too much and it all seemed to move with me.
Done diving for the day we headed to Crystal River for dinner and bed because the swim with the manatees had a 06:45 start.
If you haven't swam with the manatees, I would recommend it. It's a snorkel trip without fins. Practice keeping your legs straight and crossed while using your hands/arms to pull you through the water. Quiet is key, manatees spook easily. On our trip we saw enough to be interesting, but not so many that it was spectacular. I think that had a lot to do with being a bit late in the season. We did see some that migrated in from the sea (barnacles or barnacle scarring is a tell tale sign) along with some of the locals from the bay in Crystal River.
With weather approaching, the drift dive down the Rainbow River was cancelled.
The winds were picking up and there was a decent storm on the radar. Alternate plans involved bowling. The bummer was that it was a "big bad wolf" storm that huffed and puffed and blew itself out. Of course by the time it was done, a few hours had passed as had the drift dive opportunity.
On to Blue Grotto....