Any springs in N. Fla. where I could get PADI/SDI AOW checkout dives done?

[BORG]

Hi guys,
This summer got away from me. Tried to dive in the Panama City area early Aug. on vacation. Weather and sea state was terrible. That's the Gulf for you! Can't predict it with any accuracy, it seems.
Wanted to get my PADI or SDI AOW done. I'm PADI OW now, Now with work schedules, I will probably have to do it after the first of the year, maybe in the Jan-Mar. time frame. I do business with Divers Supply in Atlanta. They are a SDI shop now. Great group of guys!
Thinking of water temps in the upper Gulf during the winter is pretty cold from what I've heard from other divers.

Do any of the open year round springs in N. or Central Fla. allow or have the depth for all the dives, including the deep dive for PADI or SDI AOW requirements?

If not, I may opt to doing a trip to West Palm Beach with Divers Supply, since the temps are not near as brutal during that time of the year from reviews from others.

Lake Jocassee in SC about 2 hrs. away would be another option, but it wouldn't warm up much until later May or early June. Gets me cold just thinking about. Brrrrr!!!!!!!!!

Getting up in years, and want to be a better and more accomplished diver.

Thanks!

 

[tursiops]

Yes, to the question in your title.
Whether you can get someone to teach AOW in those springs is a different question.

 

[BORG]

Ok. Thanks for the info.! I have done dives in Lake Lanier just north of Atlanta. Even in summer, murky and cold. Pretty much excuse to get wet, about all.

 

[divad]

Lake Jocassee in SC about 2 hrs. away would be another option, but it wouldn't warm up much until later May or early June. Gets me cold just thinking about. Brrrrr!!!!!!!!!
Thanks!

It's still warming up thru October. I dove it a week ago in a wet drysuit with no insulation (forgot)
for an hour and a half (max depth 127') and was fine . I believe that Bill Routh @ Lake Jocasse Dive Shop @ the lake is fully capable of instructing you to any level of diving that you aspire to.

 

[ScubaDocER]

Personally I like to take my students to Key Largo to do their AOW training this time of year. If you'll go to north Florida then go a little further for better weather, warmer water, and greater things to see. Most of the places I have been to in order to go deep puts you in an overhead in the springs in north Florida. I am not a fan of cold water so the Keys are great for me. Several wrecks to see on the deep portion and genuine marine life. Just a thought.

 

[SandyRobinson]

About the deepest you can get in a North Florida spring without going into an overhead environment may be 70' or so at Troy Springs. I like the idea of the Keys!

 

[SCRedWolf]

Hi guys,
This summer got away from me. Tried to dive in the Panama City area early Aug. on vacation. Weather and sea state was terrible. That's the Gulf for you! Can't predict it with any accuracy, it seems.
Wanted to get my PADI or SDI AOW done. I'm PADI OW now, Now with work schedules, I will probably have to do it after the first of the year, maybe in the Jan-Mar. time frame. I do business with Divers Supply in Atlanta. They are a SDI shop now. Great group of guys!
Thinking of water temps in the upper Gulf during the winter is pretty cold from what I've heard from other divers.

Do any of the open year round springs in N. or Central Fla. allow or have the depth for all the dives, including the deep dive for PADI or SDI AOW requirements?

If not, I may opt to doing a trip to West Palm Beach with Divers Supply, since the temps are not near as brutal during that time of the year from reviews from others.

Lake Jocassee in SC about 2 hrs. away would be another option, but it wouldn't warm up much until later May or early June. Gets me cold just thinking about. Brrrrr!!!!!!!!!

Getting up in years, and want to be a better and more accomplished diver.

Thanks!

Lake Jocassee in early May is about 52F at 80-90ft so I'll forgive you for not wanting to go deep in January. Blue Grotto in Williston, FL (literally on the other side of the highway from Devils Den) might work. It has a 100ft bottom but it's not a direct-up ascent to the surface. It's diagonal into the earth as it gets deeper. They do have several dive platforms specifically for training.

 

[sportxlh]

Morrison Springs goes to 80-85' in the cavern area. Is that deep enough for the AOW certification? Not much to see except the swarms of freshwater eels. If you grab a rock or the tree at the bottom of the cavern, just look first to ensure you not going to honk off an eel

 

[pickens_46929]

Go see the folks at American Pro Diving in Crystal River, they'll fix you up for AOW. Have done many certifications there and had several people in our group get AOW through them. Nice part is the variety of places to dive in that area.

 

[SCRedWolf]

Go see the folks at American Pro Diving in Crystal River

I've used those folks 4 or 5 times for various dive trips. Nice group of people. I haven't taken dive training classes from them but they do have a good reputation.