Alexander Springs Dive

[stangd1909]

Come join us, It is east of the Ocala Forest off highway 42. About 40 miles east of Ocala. I have never dove it, but the guys here say it is good. We want to check out a bunch of gear.

If I don't have to work I will think about comming. It sounds like fun.....

 

[427Dave]

If I don't have to work I will think about comming. It sounds like fun.....

We are a few old guys and will be in a two tone tan Buick Rendezvous SUV with a dive flag on front. You know the typical id, white hair, glasses, old looking,

Dave

 

[Crazy Fingers]

It's actually $5+tax to get in, since it's not a state park. It's a forest service recreation area. Max depth is 28'. 72 degrees. They are right about the sand, that stuff is brutal. Just touching my hair after a dive makes me freak out... it feels like you have the worst dandruff or scalp cancer you can imagine.

Although it's shallow, it has amazing life in it. The way the white sand, blue water, and green eelgrass come together really makes for nice pictures on a sunny day. Plus it's shallow enough so that you can actually see color in stuff. There are tons of fish, especially right before they kick you out at 5pm. Check up under the grass along the shoreline with a light.

And it has the best tasting spring water around, in my opinion.

 

[Danman589019]

Might see a small alligator swim over you too. We did.

 

[Cheekymonkey]

Yea don't neglecdt the shallow water around the grasses too, thats where youll find the small gators and big turtles.

 

[427Dave]

Yea don't neglecdt the shallow water around the grasses too, thats where youll find the small gators and big turtles.

For the first time to Alexander Springs, it was pretty nice. We did swim around in the grasses but did not see any turtles or gators. Must have made ten laps through there. I was not going to run my hand in the grass however. There were some strange looking black fish that were all lined up on the sand. There must have been 50 of them. I got some pictures but do not know what they are.

The weather was great (74) and we were the only ones diving. Four of us. They did check c-cards at the gate and told us no knifes or anything sharp including my sissors. I suppose the lady did not want us little boys to be running with sissors She was older than me and takes some

It was a nice relaxing dive and got all my equipment checked out and weighting refigured with my new steel tank. I love my new steel tank, did away with 10 lbs and the HP80 also weights about 5 lbs less than the AL80. Love my new Zeagle Ranger LTD also. I had gotten rid of my old AT-PAK and the Zeagle is very simular.

The facilaties are excellent. Look to be fairly new restrooms and concession stand. Nice picnic tables and area. The cost to dive is $5.00 and my wife had to pay $4.00 as a non diver.

Fun day.

 

[eandiver]

There were some strange looking black fish that were all lined up on the sand. There must have been 50 of them. I got some pictures but do not know what they are.

They sound like Plecostomus. Hundreds at Blue Springs and very prehistoric looking.

Sounds like you had a good day.

 

[427Dave]

They sound like Plecostomus. Hundreds at Blue Springs and very prehistoric looking.

Sounds like you had a good day.

I can not figure out how to put the photo in the thread, but I did get it into my photo gallery.
http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/69467

Probably what they are. Very prehistoric looking and just hanging out on the bottom.

Yes we had a good day, thank you.

 

[Cheekymonkey]

Yea my understanding of the black fish is that they actually have ability to take gulps of air from the surface, i dont know if thats right. So they line up and then take turns hauling but as fast as possible up to the top and coming back down, so surface predators don't get them.

 

[eandiver]

That's true. Take a look in the Tampa bypass canal out by Vandenberg airport some time and you will see some monsters doing just that.

A couple years ago in the canal a father/son dive team were collecting the smaller plecostomus to sell to tropical fish dealers when the son was bitten by an alligator.