Anyone dive Crystal River Cavern in Florida?

[Seastardiver625]

Hi guys,

I am a new diver with only about 9 dives under my belt mainly beach diving. I am excited to be going on my first cavern dive at Kings Bay Springs in Crystal River in 2 weeks. I am a little nervous because I have read that the viz isn't very good there and the cavern area is about 50 feet down and pretty tight. Of course my big conern is seeing a gator in the water and of course panicking in the cavern. I am going with a group of people from my local dive shop who super adventurous but I am still really nervous. Has anyone been there that might be able to calm my nerves or anyone can lend any advice?

Thanks!

 

[simcoediver]

New diver ? STAY OUT of any caverns !!!!

 

[Seastardiver625]

I am going with my scuba instructor who will be leading us through the cavern, otherwise I wouldn't be going.

 

[Dan]

I don't think you'll see gators there, more like manatees.

What would your instructor do when one of the newbies silt out the cavern to zero visibility?

 

[Bubblesong]

Memories! My first post was on a thread where an experienced diver nearly died what should have been a safe, peek into a cavern, but things go wrong unexpectedly...

Don't go. Why? Just use the search on caverns in SCUBABOARD and read up.
Also, call a completely different dive shop and get a second opinion.
Cavern diving is a specialty course you can take, so unless you're in a class, read the book, passed the exam, don't do this as a "Trust Me" dive.

Wishing you safe diving!

 

[oldschoolto]

Listen to your gut.... YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS GOING ON THIS DIVE!!!!! If you are not 100% sure you can handle a dive, You should not be doing it.. That's what training / mentoring is all about.. Learning the skills to do something.. You have 9 dives.... The things you have to learn is a long list... Take your time... That dive will be there when you are ready for it...

Jim.....

 

[Marie13]

Dude, bad idea. Listen to the others - don't do it.

 

[Dan]

May be you can PM Steve_C & ask him about the King Cavern at the end of Crystal River. He said the water is clear, due to spring water coming out from the ground into the bay, but the entrance is greenish & often covered by manatees to gather around there to keep warm during winter time.

I've been there just to snorkel with manatees. I saw some divers went into the cavern when I was there. I think the greenish water was due to manatee's poops There are fence line to keep the snorkelers out, but I'm not sure that applies to the divers. I assume that you need to be trained before you can dive into overhead environment (wreck, cavern, cave, etc.).

It was cold water for me (~70F). I wore 5mm wetsuit with hood. The outside air was not helping me either (~40F). It was in February.

Crystal River

 

[Jack Hammer]

Cavern diving without proper training is a really bad idea, even worse as a newly minted diver and especially so following some adventurous people from your local dive shop who think it's ok for you. Read up on "trust me" dives and the problems they've caused.

 

[fish149]

I did a dive there (#10) for me. Some DM with a red zodiac type boat took me there for $25. He was the only one with a light and we pretty much just stuck our heads in while he lit it up. It really wasn't much of a dive. Like everyone else has already said just take a cavern class if that interests you. Otherwise your money is probably better spent on some more beach diving which you'd probably enjoy better anyways.