Crystal / Rainbow River ?

[Waterwulf]

I used to dive the Rainbow River aka The Blue Run almost weekly back in the seventies. I had a friend who lived on thew Withlacootchie River and had a pontoon boat. He'd take me upriver and up the Rainbow River as far as we could go. Then I'd drop my "rig", a mud anchor with a rope attached and several clips near the end. I'd clip it so the anchor hung about fifteen feet below the boat and then I'd sit on it and fly downriver at a fast walking pace.

If I saw something that I wanted to look at, I'd unclip the anchor, follow it down and carry it while I looked at whatever. Sometimes, after a full drift downriver and into the Withlacootchie, I'd talk him into going back up again so i could do it again. I never saw any Alligators in the Rainbow River (to cold) but I did see quite a few once I drifted down into the Withlacootchie.

We're planning a trip back there this winter and I plan on diving several of those Springs.

 

[rob.mwpropane]

If us Florida divers are Wearing Socks,,,,,,,,It's COLD !!!

Your family is having an Epic Vacation Trip. It was great to meet up with you Rob !!
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It was AWESOME meeting you!

That’s fantastic, I’m so glad you went - Amigos is an experience!! I love taking folks there for fills.

We just missed you, we were at Ginnie on Tues (and yes by Florida standards it was COLD!!!). Keep us posted on your trip!

Amigos was very cool.. the owner (can't remember his name), very cool guy. Was happy to help and even gave us a few tips about where to go.

Ginnie was fun.. I wish the sun was out, but other then that it was good. My only regret is not getting there earlier.

We opted to skip Rainbow River yesterday. At Ginnie my 14 year old got cold in his brand new 5mm wetsuit, the granddaughter got cold in her wetsuit at the surface, so instead of leaving them out we decided to head to my in laws in Lilian AL (which was always the plan, just after Rainbow). My son screwed himself. He suited up first, jumped in to play and then got out and it was 65 out. By the time we all got in he was already chilled. He didn't even get to see the cavern (although I think he was scared and I wouldn't want to force him to do sonething).

How "sad" is it that this was the clearest water I've ever dove in.. by a long shot. It was like diving through glass. They said the back of the cavern is 120? and I could see it from the entrance clear as day.. pretty amazing.

So I'm shooting for a shore dive in or around Pensecola and if that goes well jump on a boat and get in a real dive.

Anyone have an idea what the ocean water temp is now?

 

[Six Feet Under]

Looks like the surf temps at Pensacola Beach are 66 ° right now

 

[rob.mwpropane]

Looks like the surf temps at Pensacola Beach are 66 ° right now

That's what google had to say too... a bit warm if you ask me!

 

[aElliott]

+1 for rainbow river

 

[BubbleChaser]

What are some dive site suggestions in and around Crystal River? I will be getting my AOW certification with American Pro Divers in April and will have an extra day to get in a dive. I believe we will be spending time at Blue Grotto, Devil’s Den, and Rainbow River for our AOW. Where should I spend my open day? Ginnie Springs? Also. I plan on doing a morning snorkel with the manatees. I see Eagle’s Nest is near Crystal River. Is that a recommended place for open water diving or only cave diving? Thank you for sharing your insights and experiences.

 

[Rilelen]

Eagle’s Nest (and Buford, nearby) are advanced sites. The Nest is cave only, and an advanced cave at that, Abe Davis or equivalent recommended, at trimix depths. Definitely not a place for open water divers.

There’s a good map of the open water dive sites here - in addition to DD, BG, and Rainbow, you might check out some of the state/county parks - Manatee, Orange Grove (at Peacock), and Royal are all good options. Paradise is a fun cavern diver that only requires AOW - they are closed Monday and Tuesday, cash only. Ginnie is fun but avoid going on the weekends, it’s already getting super crowded with the tubing/busy summer season.

All of the springs require you to arrive and check in with a buddy, so if you’re traveling alone, you may need to hire a guide - I like “Just Wet Rocks” and “Spring Run.” You can also ask about buddies on any of the local FB groups and dive clubs - try “it’s dive o’clock somewhere in central FL”.

It’s a bit late in the year for manatees, we are still seeing one or two around but not a lot; as the weather warms up they go back to the Gulf.

 

[Six Feet Under]

Buford is a fun dive... providing you have a buddy and stay within your certification limits. No different than doing a shipwreck dive where hard bottom is beyond your recreational certification limits on something like Spiegel Grove or Oriskany - don't ruin it for the rest of us by doing something dumb and getting hurt (or worse).

For newly minted AOW, my suggestions within an hour of Crystal River:

Blue Grotto
Catfish Hotel (Manatee Springs State Park)
Paradise Spring


Ginnie is fun too, but gets incredibly busy from spring break on through the summer and it's not worth the hassle, IMO, unless you're cave certified. If you want sports bar-type food after class, Lollygaggers (across from American Pro) is pretty good. There are tons of other restaurant recommendations and similar stuff to be offered if you're interested (I live on the other side of Citrus County).