Diving Ginnie Springs?

[ScubaCollin]

Hey guys, my whole family is thinking about doing a camping trip down to ginnie springs. Im just wondering if all they have there are cave dives, they water looks sooooo clear! I wouldnt want to miss out on a dive there if I wasnt cave certified, also is the diving beginner friendly? Ive only been diving for about a year.

 

[simbrooks]

The big draw there is the huge cave system, then of course the clear water also helps. There is enough to do there for a day or so in the OW, "OW-safe" cavern (with light) and poking your head in (without a light) to the other caverns of the Devils run, maybe a river drift as well as doing the main cavern at night (technically a cave as there is no light zone, but its pretty similar to the daytime). The dives are pretty friendly as long as you dont go into the real cave system, lots of people do them. If you find yourself bored after a day (i would suggest one tank for the ballroom, one for the devils/river drift and one for a night dive) there are other state parks or commercial OW-safe caverns in the area you could visit within an hour or two max drive. When you turn 18 (assuming you have an AOW cert) i would recommend taking a cavern course to continue to improve your skills as well, most people find it a useful course! I have dove the ballroom at least 20 times and found something new during at least 10 of those dives, i think i have seen most of that cavern now.

 

[ScubaCollin]

Is there more to do other than diving? I could easily do the same dive everyday, I just want a change from most of the tropics. Is there any fish live? Im also happy about the fact that there is no salt, makes it easier to take pictures lol.

 

[simbrooks]

You can rent canoes or tubes for the river, there is a volleyball court, if you head out of High Springs you can find state parks to mtn bike in - dont know much else you might want to do or is available around there. Nowadays i use the place to practice in a simple, safe location and to go cave diving. Its not like the tropics, except the tree life around there, it can get hot in the summer, but its not like the Caribbean beach style tropics i think of when i talk about such things. There are plenty of small freshwater fish in the area, either in the runs above the springs or the river - might see a gator if you are lucky. Pics should come out well.

 

[ranger]

There are several more springs within a 30 minute drive......Devil's Den and Blue Grotto which offers different diving. You can also camp at Devil's Den which is no more than 5 minutes from Blue Grotto. At Blue Grotto you can reach 95 to 100 feet of depth....and has a neat softshell turtle (named Virgil) which follows you around like a dog, very diver friendly.

 

[ScubaCollin]

A gator?! I dont want to see a gator. Ive seen sharks and had no problem with it, but it seems gators are a bit more curious than sharks.

 

[ScubaCollin]

There are several more springs within a 30 minute drive......Devil's Den and Blue Grotto which offers different diving. You can also camp at Devil's Den which is no more than 5 minutes from Blue Grotto. At Blue Grotto you can reach 95 to 100 feet of depth....and has a neat softshell turtle (named Virgil) which follows you around like a dog, very diver friendly.

Do the other springs offer the same visibility? The reason we all decided to go to ginnie was because of the book Im reading "The last dive"

 

[ranger]

The vis can be great or it can suck, depending on if there are training classes in the springs. Blue Grotto is especially vulnerable as it has a layer of silt that typically gets stirred up by student divers. My recommendation is be there when they open and be the first in the water. I have seen 70 to 100 feet of vis in Blue Grotto and I have seen 5 feet. Oh, at Ginnie don't worry about gators as they will not bother you. We dive the SC blackwater rivers that are teeming with gators, and the only problem I've had was when I anchored my boat too close to the bank where a female had a nest. When I surfaced she followed me to the boat on my fintips, but otherwise didn't bother me. She just wanted to ensure I didn't go to her nest

 

[OneBrightGator]

I'd say Ginnie is your best bet for OW around Gainesville/High Springs. I wrote up a little "primer" for a FCD get-together there last year, a quick search should find it for you...

 

[Life-Is-Good-Diver]

Hey guys, my whole family is thinking about doing a camping trip down to ginnie springs. Im just wondering if all they have there are cave dives, they water looks sooooo clear! I wouldnt want to miss out on a dive there if I wasnt cave certified, also is the diving beginner friendly? Ive only been diving for about a year.

I dont know when your heading down here, but were heading up there in 2 weekends, March 4th-6th camping, diving, the whole thing, if anyone else will be there as well, let me know, PM me, i'll be up there with about 4 tent's and a bunch of people, have fun!!!