pairizarry
Guest
All,
Here my dive report for my recent trip.
I headed to Crystal River (American Pro Diving Center) from Orlando at 5:30am, after missing my exit to the Florida Turnpike, I was thinking I was going to be too late for the 7am Crystal River snorkel/dive. Luckily they were still watching the manatee video when I arrived. We headed out at idle speed to the Kings Spring area of Crystal River. When we arrived about 8:45 am, there were already 6 boats out there with about at least 50 snorkelers. I had my 3mm hood and wetsuit and of course mask, fins, and snorkel. The water at first felt a little colder than the advertised 72 degrees but I got accustomed quickly. The water was as clear as Lake Rawlings and that was pretty good since there were now more people kicking around the bottom. I saw my first manatee and he was a big boy around 12ft. It is amazing how something so big can be so docile and gentle. I had my camera so I took some good upclose pictures, especially of one sleeping on the bottom. I saw a total of around 5-7 manatees, including a youngter and his mother. There were also a lot of fish there as well. I almost thought I was in salt water because the abundance of marine life I saw. I even saw one idiot using a DPV, while diving, which are both against the rules in manatee areas.
After about 45 mins, my group of divers was called to get our gear to head to the Kings Spring cavern. We snorkeled to the site because we couldn't dive around the manatees. We dropped down to about 27ft to the opening of the cavern and followed the divemaster into the cave. Not much to it, dark and walls, nothing spectacular. There was a nice view of the cave opening and the school of fish above. Total depth was 48 ft for 33 min and the temp as advertised 72 degrees.
We headed back to the shop and then I sat down for the PADI-Manatee Diver speciality class (normally $35) that was offered free to Sport Diver (PADI's magazine) readers.
We were now ready to head to Paradise Springs for a 2-tank dive into its caverns. It was about a 50 mile trip one-way or about an hour drive to the site. I was solo with a group from Arkansas that was there for the weekend. Paradise Springs is actually located on private land on someone's front yard. That would be great to own your own dive site that you can dive all year long. Paradise Springs was a round hole that goes down to 140 ft if you are cave certified and about 100 if you are not. The first dive we went to the bottom limit for non-cavern certified around 90-100 ft. Since there were 16 divers in the small area, the vis wasn't that great. It was just more darkness and walls. There were supposedly fossils on the wall but nothing awesome. The 1st dive I went to 91ft for 32 min and the temp was 74 degrees.
The second dive was only done by myself, one Arkansas diver, and the two divers from American Pro. It was a lot less congested and the vis was a little better but still nothing really to see. I saw a sand dollar and a fossilized lizard, which looked like a turd to me, but they say lizard I have to believe them, right. The 2nd dive was at 48ft for for 35 min and temp at 74 degrees.
I prefer marine life and wrecks to dark caverns with nothing to see other than walls. I may still go to Devils Den and Blue Grotto because everyone talks about them but if they are devoid of life like these two I would rather go to Jupiter, West Palm Beach, Ft Lauderdale, and the Keys do drift dive and wreck dive in the ocean, where I am bound to see marine life.
http://www.americanprodiving.com/info/crystal_river.asp
http://www.americanprodiving.com/info/Paradise_Springs.asp
Pedro
Here my dive report for my recent trip.
I headed to Crystal River (American Pro Diving Center) from Orlando at 5:30am, after missing my exit to the Florida Turnpike, I was thinking I was going to be too late for the 7am Crystal River snorkel/dive. Luckily they were still watching the manatee video when I arrived. We headed out at idle speed to the Kings Spring area of Crystal River. When we arrived about 8:45 am, there were already 6 boats out there with about at least 50 snorkelers. I had my 3mm hood and wetsuit and of course mask, fins, and snorkel. The water at first felt a little colder than the advertised 72 degrees but I got accustomed quickly. The water was as clear as Lake Rawlings and that was pretty good since there were now more people kicking around the bottom. I saw my first manatee and he was a big boy around 12ft. It is amazing how something so big can be so docile and gentle. I had my camera so I took some good upclose pictures, especially of one sleeping on the bottom. I saw a total of around 5-7 manatees, including a youngter and his mother. There were also a lot of fish there as well. I almost thought I was in salt water because the abundance of marine life I saw. I even saw one idiot using a DPV, while diving, which are both against the rules in manatee areas.
After about 45 mins, my group of divers was called to get our gear to head to the Kings Spring cavern. We snorkeled to the site because we couldn't dive around the manatees. We dropped down to about 27ft to the opening of the cavern and followed the divemaster into the cave. Not much to it, dark and walls, nothing spectacular. There was a nice view of the cave opening and the school of fish above. Total depth was 48 ft for 33 min and the temp as advertised 72 degrees.
We headed back to the shop and then I sat down for the PADI-Manatee Diver speciality class (normally $35) that was offered free to Sport Diver (PADI's magazine) readers.
We were now ready to head to Paradise Springs for a 2-tank dive into its caverns. It was about a 50 mile trip one-way or about an hour drive to the site. I was solo with a group from Arkansas that was there for the weekend. Paradise Springs is actually located on private land on someone's front yard. That would be great to own your own dive site that you can dive all year long. Paradise Springs was a round hole that goes down to 140 ft if you are cave certified and about 100 if you are not. The first dive we went to the bottom limit for non-cavern certified around 90-100 ft. Since there were 16 divers in the small area, the vis wasn't that great. It was just more darkness and walls. There were supposedly fossils on the wall but nothing awesome. The 1st dive I went to 91ft for 32 min and the temp was 74 degrees.
The second dive was only done by myself, one Arkansas diver, and the two divers from American Pro. It was a lot less congested and the vis was a little better but still nothing really to see. I saw a sand dollar and a fossilized lizard, which looked like a turd to me, but they say lizard I have to believe them, right. The 2nd dive was at 48ft for for 35 min and temp at 74 degrees.
I prefer marine life and wrecks to dark caverns with nothing to see other than walls. I may still go to Devils Den and Blue Grotto because everyone talks about them but if they are devoid of life like these two I would rather go to Jupiter, West Palm Beach, Ft Lauderdale, and the Keys do drift dive and wreck dive in the ocean, where I am bound to see marine life.
http://www.americanprodiving.com/info/crystal_river.asp
http://www.americanprodiving.com/info/Paradise_Springs.asp
Pedro
