Fills at Devils Den or Blue Grotto

[scubastingray]

Hey guys,

I'm planning a springs dive trip and am having trouble finding fills. The stretch of the trip is from Manatee springs state park down to Dunnellon, FL. The only shops I found along the way (or near) were the ones at devils den and blue grotto. I won't be diving them, but was wondering if you can get air fills at the shop without diving the site and paying the admission fee.

Does anyone know of anywhere else to get fills?



Thanks

 

[Imbodie]

Last I checked, kind of expensive to get fills there. Your best bet would be Cave Country dive shop in High Springs or Byrds in Crystal River...
When are you coming over for your trip? Where are you staying? are you springs diving, cavern diving or cave diving? If your two dive sites are Manatee Springs and Rainbow River, there is a guy in Old Town (just north of Chiefland) Don't forget about Fanning Springs if you are just diving springs.
Tim

 

[scubastingray]

Last I checked, kind of expensive to get fills there. Your best bet would be Cave Country dive shop in High Springs or Byrds in Crystal River...
When are you coming over for your trip? Where are you staying? are you springs diving, cavern diving or cave diving? If your two dive sites are Manatee Springs and Rainbow River, there is a guy in Old Town (just north of Chiefland) Don't forget about Fanning Springs if you are just diving springs.
Tim

The trip is planned for march. I'm just doing OW stuff with some friends. I hope to practice drysuit use a bit, which I know will look ridiculous in 72deg water. We had planned on doing Ginnie, manatee, kp hole rainbow river drift, madison blue, peacock (orange grove sink), kp hole, and crystal river.

I'm willing to pay a bit more if it means I don't have to drive an extra hour to get them, assuming they'll let me pay without paying their rather high entrance fee.
Who's north of Chiefland? That sounds like it could work.

I've yet to do fanning springs, but don't know if we can squeeze it in. What is that site like? Descriptions i've read make it seem pretty shallow, just a calm pool. I didn't find much though, so how do you like it?

 

[Imbodie]

Madison is a bit out of the way to all the other sites you listed and I don't believe they allow OW diving there.... If your diving Orange Grove, there are a couple of shops near(Cave Excursions, Cave outpost) Then Amigo's, Cave Country and Ginnie springs for dives at Ginnie Springs.... Manatee and KP Hole are not close to air fills (unless you consider Crystal River close). Sorry I can't find the shop in Old Town, I could drive you there, but looks like he's not advertising anymore.

Fanning is a small dive site, but definitely worth doing.... and you so didn't list Troy Springs which is a favorite of mine and close to Orange Grove...

-Tim

 

[scubastingray]

Ah right you are about madison springs. I was reading a review of the site, and it stated there was an OW area, but the state website contradicts that.

Troy is on the list. I was doing this by memory and neglected that one. I'm hoping the conditions are good, because last time I went there was about 1.5ft of viz and we called the dive.

 

[Superlyte27]

Get fills at Cave Country Dive Shop for the days at Ginnie and Manatee. Get fills at Cave Excursions for the days near Peacock. Last time one of my students got nitrox at Blue Grotto, the Nitrox fills were something like $24 per single tank for nitrox, and it wasn't much cheaper for air.

 

[Instructor_Tom]

Since you are just an OW diver i would highly recommend doing Blue Grotto and Devils Den. They are a lot more OW diver friendly than some of the other dive sites you mention which are really cave dive sites.

I assist with teaching at both Blue grotto and devils den for the shop i work with, and the instructor and i are usually both in dry suits during the winter months. It helps to stay focused on the students and not how chilly it is after a few hours in the water.

Blue grotto is used quite often by technical divers as a training site so you will see all kinds of configurations in there including guys in rebreathers.

T.


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[scubastingray]

Getting a fill at cave country dive shop adds about an hour to our driving route. It looks like air is $8 according to their site. Is that wrong? Pricing/Services/Waivers
the $2 a tank is worth it to not drive an extra hour. Hell, I'll use more in gas than I'd save (assuming they don't charge a ridiculous entry fee).

Since you are just an OW diver i would highly recommend doing Blue Grotto and Devils Den. They are a lot more OW diver friendly than some of the other dive sites you mention which are really cave dive sites.

I've been to a few of the sites before that I listed, and really like what they've offered. I've done devils den, but have yet to do blue grotto. The trip is for a bunch of college kids on a tight budget, and blowing $40 in entrance fees days in a row kills that budget.

I'll be honest I've also heard that those sites can be a bit boring and not worth the price.

 

[Instructor_Tom]

As far as i know Blue grotto only charges fees to divers. So if you don't plan to dive the site there should be no charge; but at least check it out while you are there. It is a neat dive.


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[Imbodie]

From the new web site air is $8 and nitrox is $15 per fill...
Pricing/Services/Waivers