crystal river

[flcracker]

Is crystal river a good place to dive, and can you dive it without a boat?

 

[CBulla]

First question - yes. I enjoyed the dive in the springs there.

Second question - er.... no. you'd have to navigate some channels and so some swimming to get to the springs.

Suggestion: Crystal Lodge Dive Shops rents boats really really cheap. Go rent for a few hours and have fun. Make sure the anchor is set!!

 

[GrierHPharmD]

Here's a link to info about the area. The best spring is King's Spring, located beside Banana Island (in the center of the photo on the linked page.)

There are manatees there year round that you can snorkel with, and King's Spring is a nice cavern. It's well worth the effort to spend a day on a small boat there, just exploring and doing some easy, freshwater diving.

http://www.floridacaves.com/crystalriver.htm

 

[Below H2O]

Does anyone have directions to a public boat ramp nearby?

 

[ngray]

Went two weeks ago, kings was silt fest to 20 ft, and was in general heavy on the algae. Just poor vis. Went around 1:00pm on a Saturday. I do understand that it's best at dawn, before the requisite 12 boats show up.

We ended up paddling our canoe (get a jonboat) to Three sisters, just south of the marina, for a glorified snorkelling trip, but I tell you, it's simply gorgeous.

Definitely use the floridacaves site, and also pick up a copy of Ned DeLoache's "Underwater Florida" books. No bookstore has it, but every dive shop does. Very useful.

Short version is do King's first, it's the best dive. It's a horseshoe-shaped spring, you can enter from either end. It has a statue of a manatee, so if you don't have a camera, rent one! Great photo op.

Let us know how you like it!

 

[GrierHPharmD]

We ended up paddling our canoe (get a jonboat) to Three sisters, just south of the marina, for a glorified snorkelling trip, but I tell you, it's simply gorgeous.

Did you see many manatees? I've never been there in the summer before, but I've heard that they're there year round these days.

 

[CBulla]

Went two weeks ago, kings was silt fest to 20 ft, and was in general heavy on the algae. Just poor vis. Went around 1:00pm on a Saturday. I do understand that it's best at dawn, before the requisite 12 boats show up.

We ended up paddling our canoe (get a jonboat) to Three sisters, just south of the marina, for a glorified snorkelling trip, but I tell you, it's simply gorgeous.

Definitely use the floridacaves site, and also pick up a copy of Ned DeLoache's "Underwater Florida" books. No bookstore has it, but every dive shop does. Very useful.

Short version is do King's first, it's the best dive. It's a horseshoe-shaped spring, you can enter from either end. It has a statue of a manatee, so if you don't have a camera, rent one! Great photo op.

Let us know how you like it!

Was the statue covered with a lot of algae and hard to read again? I helped clean off all the gooop a few months ago when I dove there and you could read all the wording all around it... thats also the place I found a 4# weight

Boat ramps can be found here: http://www.swimwithamanatee.com/rivers.htm

The town of Crystal River is SMALL, you can map quest it and find all the roads applicable. Also, most every marina had a boat ramp.

 

[_Kurt_]

Does anyone have directions to a public boat ramp nearby?

There are 3 ramps on Fort Island Trail, off US19. First is the Plantation Inn, 10 bucks, nice ramp. 2 public ramps further up, don't use the last one- you can't get back to it at low tide. The middle one is best, but go EARLY or you'll have a long walk back to the water! :11: