Crystal River, Florida training

[IndianaPatrick]

Hi,
Myself and two friends are considering flying from Indiana to Tampa to learn to scuba. We've contacted Capt John Russell of 'scubatampa', who can do the PADI training over a weekend, once we complete the CD-rom course. He trains at Crystal River, where the manatees congregate. This is a "birthday" trip for my friend, so we would be going at the end of February. I realize this is the cool season, but the water will be 72 degrees. Does that make a big difference?

Does anyone have experience with Capt. John, or any other information about the Crystal River area? Any other tips or recommendations?

Thanks

 

[pdoege]

The water temp is 72 degrees when you are in or near the springs.

When I was there the air temp was about 45 degrees or so. I was diving a 3/2 mil and did not have a problem keeping warm.

Of course, if you are in a class, you will not be moving around as much, so you may want a thicker suit. I imagine that the instructor/LDS will be able to provide a 5 or 7 mil suit.

Good luck!

Peter Doege

 

[IndianaPatrick]

Thanks, Peter.

Sounds like you were there during the winter too. Not having worn a wetsuit before, it's comforting to hear your comments about the temps.

Do you remember how the visibility was at Crystal River? Are there any tropical fish to see? Somebody told me that the fresh-water springs would drive out any saltwater sealife. Did you go to see the manatees? Not that I'll be doing very much 'social' diving; this trip is to train and certify.

Pat

 

[Wendy]

I didn't see anything tropical when I was there and the vis was less then great in the river itself, but clear in the springs. I did see some blue crabs out in the river, so I guess that the water out there is a mix of salt and fresh water.

 

[pdoege]

Nothing tropical or colorful. I saw dolphins out there once.

Mostly just fresh water fish. Sort of drab. I didn't mind the drapness in my checkout spring dives. Too busy learning.

Lots of manatees. They are actually a pain when you are trying to do stuff. You have to make sure that you follow the various laws. They tend to be a bit inquisitive and they do get in the way at times. Cute though.

After you become certified, you can just go and dive off of Tampa. I actually dive off of the East coast. I would recommend the West Palm area or perhaps the keys depending on how much time you have.

Peter Doege

 

[Sleestax]

I don't know anything about that outfit, but I did my checkout dives in Crystal River las October.

Just some tips:

1. The water was only 69F when we did our first two dives. I had a 3 mil suit including a hood and I was still chilled. As someone else mentioned, this was partially due to the inactivity of a checkout dive. You will do a lot of sitting around waiting for people to complete their skills. Once I was able to move around a bit, the water was fine in the 3 mil suit.

2. If you want to see Manatees, go early. I was on a later dive scheulde and I didn't see a single manatee (more info to come). I was told after the fact that the best time to see them is early in the morning.

3. Visibility. It was raining the day I did my checkout dive. The combination of rain and new divers kicking up the severely sludgey/muddy bottom reduced visibility to less than 3 feet. Also, even without the sludge, the water has a darkish brown tint to it. So visibility can be a challenge even without new people kicking up the silt.

That's about it. I would have enjoyed the CR dive had I actually viewed a manatee. Otherwise, the water is pretty uninspiring (to me anyway).

HTH.

 

[IndianaPatrick]

Thanks to all for the Crystal River advice. We may do that at a later time. But we figured, what the hell, let's go for the gusto on our first dives. We're going to Cozumel!! If that doesn't addict us to SCUBA, then likely nothing will. ;-)

Started pool classes locally last night. We'll take our referral to Mexico and finish our certification there with Eagle Ray divers. Found good air fare, and a beautiful villa for $55/night.

This'll be our first trip to Mexico for both of us. It's going to be an adventure!

 

[MikeFerrara]

I would suggest doing some research on the instructors and shops you are considering. Doing some poking around here on the board will help you get an idea of what you should be asking. Making some correct decisions now will make a world of difference in your diving career.

Mike

 

[IndianaPatrick]

Thanks, Mike, for the reply and advice. Actually, my friend has gotten irritated with all the research I've done already. It's just my nature, while she likes to jump in helter skelter. (It could also be a symptom of our ages; I'm 50 and she's approaching 24.) We started thinking about this over a month ago, and I've spent quite a lot of time on boards and in various websites looking for training, lodging, etc, along with learning about the *perils* of being a tourist in Mexico. ;-) We should be well prepared by the time we leave. I already have a thick folder of information.

Although it started as sort of a lark for her birthday, we've become excited (and serious) about SCUBA, and want the best experience possible. Like other endeavors where you take your life in your hands (skydiving, flying, etc), this is not a sport to take lightly.

We were just talking the other evening about the comaraderie and helpfulness we've noticed among the diving community, similar to what I experienced with skydivers. We hope to develop some new friendships along the way. From what I've seen and heard, I think that's pretty much guaranteed.

 

[MikeFerrara]

Good luck in your class and enjoy.