Dive flag in Fl springs

[piikki]

I must have missed this info when reading about the sites but I do not need a float/flag when diving in northern/central Fl springs, right? Please say so! Doesn't seem to make any sense to me but I was not planning to pack it. Springs in questions are most likely Ginnie, Manatee, Blue Grotto, Troy, Alexander... Any have special rulings I should take into account? At the moment I am not planning to do river drifting - unless someone points out a great one lurking around...

Thx

 

[PerroneFord]

I have done Ginnie, Troy, and Blue Grotto. Never seen a flag in the springs there. Now if you head off to the Suwanee River, then yes, you need a flag. I've never been to Manatee or Alexander, so maybe someone else can comment.

 

[mike_s]

You need one at Morrison. Boaters/fishermen use the same area to launch their boats as where the divers enter the water.

 

[simbrooks]

Most of those springs are self-contained (Blue Grotto, Devils Den and Paradise Springs are the most popular) or are roped off or at least away from navigable waterways. The few that do connect to rivers or other navigable waterways (such as Ginnie, Troy and Rainbow River off the top of my head) you are required (but many people dont do it) to put up a flag.

Many other springs (Manatee, Peacock, Alexander and Blue Spring to name a few) do connect eventually to a river, but the state/federal parks rope off those access areas and you are not supposed to go past the rope (although it is all too easy when you are UW).

The key point is whether the area is navigable, if so take a flag, if not you probably dont need one. Now doing an OW course in one of the springs i often see a flag up - which the class use to ascend/descent with visual reference and kneel around the anchor of that line/flag, but this is something else altogether!

Great river drifts are at Rainbow River, the stretch from the devils part of Ginnie to where the tubes get out - if you have the air and the water is clearish, both of which require a flag. There is a short drift at Blue Spring (Orange City) when the manatees are gone, from the head to the swimming platform further down the run - no flag required.

I dont know about the panhandle, only north central florida.

 

[PerroneFord]

Ginnie is roped. Troy has permanent logs placed to prevent entry. I think the cavers at Ginnie would be rather upset if they had to tow a dive flag!

The comment on Morrison is spot on though. They are actually re-routing the boaters there, but that has not happened yet. That said, I don't take a flag to Morrison.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

Vortex doesn't require a flag.

 

[simbrooks]

Ginnie is roped. Troy has permanent logs placed to prevent entry. I think the cavers at Ginnie would be rather upset if they had to tow a dive flag!

Ginnie might be roped at times, but you can still get into the river, that is the navigable waterway, not the cave system - as one of the cavers who uses that system i would also be pissed if we had to tow a dive flag around, but i believe i already made it clear it was a river drift Havent been to Troy - yet, its always blown out when i have time to go, but i know it is connected to the river at some point. Even so, most of the time you dont need a flag in most of the springs.

 

[piikki]

Thanks everyone!

Havent been to Troy - yet, its always blown out when i have time to go, but i know it is connected to the river at some point.

This leads to next question - how often do these things flood out? What's the best last minute resource to find out what places are not open diving (other than contacting every park separately)? Trip is in the end of January, is it likely danger time?

 

[PerroneFord]

Some of the springs are VERY close to the river and susceptble to flooding. Ginnie is always clear. I guess its the massive flow. Ginnie is considered bad right now, and it's still 50+ft vis. Troy sits RIGHT off the River. Most of the springs in this area are affected by the Suwanee river. There has been a LOT of rain to the north so these springs are likely to be flooded for a while.

I think Dept. of Env. Protection has links to check river levels, but they won't mean a lot to you unless you know what's bad. Easiest way is to post here and ask. I, or other divers in the area, can get you info generally within a day. But I can tell you, most of the springs will not be very nice in only a couple of weeks. If i was coming from out of town, the springs I'd bet on are:

Vortex
Ginnie
Blue Grotto
Devils Den


That's three different areas of the state and they are all nearly always clear. Morrison is just down the road from Vortex, and if it's clear, its worth skipping Vortex for. Get your fills at Vortex though for your second or subsequent dives.