Ginne Springs questions

[mcf57]

I am a certified diver (since 2008). I only go about 2-3 times per year so fairly casual. I have about 60 logged dives with my deepest being about 100ft. I am looking to plan a trip to Ginne Springs for summer of 2022. It will be with some friends, but I am the only one certified and interested. We will probably mostly camp there and I am looking to also try and dive while there. Nothing complicated and just looking to get some dive time in. I have always wanted to try Ginnie SPrings so this seems like a good opportunity.

I will need to rent all of my equipment and obviously find a dive buddy. I thought I saw how Ginne doesn't rent tanks due to COVID so assuming will have to do something with a local dive shop. Or maybe this has changed. What is the best way to go about this?

 

[Marie13]

This thread showed up as similar thread when I clicked on yours. From last summer.

Scuba Rental Near Ginnie Springs Florida

Hi all, I am planning to go on a scuba trip to florida on August 3rd. Due to complications with COVID Ginnie Springs is currently not renting cylinders or doing airfills. I wondered if anyone knew of places near Ginnie Springs to get cylinders/airfills. Thank You, Cole Harlow

scubaboard.com

 

[tbone1004]

You can rent pretty much everything from Amigos dive center and/or Extreme Exposure. Neither are recreational dive shops though so keep that in mind, they won't have jacket bc's or anything.

 

[Marie13]

If you absolutely must have a jacket BC, rent from a dive shop near home. And only get tanks in FL. That might be an OK option.

 

[Manatee Diver]

FYI Ginnie is crazy during the summer, particularly on weekends.

 

[Jack Hammer]

The spring runs aren't very deep. Another option to consider that can include your non-diving friends is to snorkel the spring runs. There will still be quite a bit to see and enjoy.

 

[mcf57]

This thread showed up as similar thread when I clicked on yours. From last summer.

Scuba Rental Near Ginnie Springs Florida

Hi all, I am planning to go on a scuba trip to florida on August 3rd. Due to complications with COVID Ginnie Springs is currently not renting cylinders or doing airfills. I wondered if anyone knew of places near Ginnie Springs to get cylinders/airfills. Thank You, Cole Harlow

scubaboard.com

Yea, due to Covid, that trip obviously didn't happen so I posted again. Maybe this yr it will, but it doesn't sound easy

 

[analogous]

I've been a long time Ginnie Springs goer, ever since I was a child, and is a beautiful place with an incredible cave system. However, it may be worth knowing that Ginnie Springs has recently begun engaging with Nestle for water extraction for their bottled water at a rate that far exceeds any recommended water conservation groups' recommendations, and what is safe for the hydrology of Florida and the ecosystems and rivers that rely on the naturally high output. Unfortunately, they have amazing resources there for diving, but they are terrible stewards of the waterways, and don't seem to care about litter in the Santa Fe River, or the springs for that matter. The water wars are well underway at Ginnie, as the underwater aquifer and natural water resources of Florida are considered public property, yet the property owner is in cahoots with Nestle to extract 16.9 million bottles per day.

Something to consider! Here is a link. Many groups are calling to boycott the spring. Here is a link to more info Water Board Approves Pumping Ginnie Springs Water To Benefit Nestle - WUFT News

 

[Manatee Diver]

Unfortunately, they have amazing resources there for diving, but they are terrible stewards of the waterways, and don't seem to care about litter in the Santa Fe River, or the springs for that matter. The water wars are well underway at Ginnie, as the underwater aquifer and natural water resources of Florida are considered public property, yet the property owner is in cahoots with Nestle to extract 16.9 million bottles per day.

There is at least one thread on this topic on this forum.

You are grossly over generalizing a complex topic, while ignoring the elephant in the room that is AG usage of water. In the SWRMD commercial users like Nestle accounts for around 1% of the total water usage. While AG accounts for around 50%, the rest is largely residential and public usage.

If you talk to the old school cave divers they will tell you the the flow rates have dramatically declined throughout the 70s and 80s well before commercial water extraction became common. Combined with algae clogging the spring basins due to high phosphate levels from fertilizer usage.

Hey don't let me get in the way of your political hit job against the big evil Nestle. Not that I like Nestle they are bastards that have renegged on their deals and treat their employees poorly. But in this case they are relatively innocent.

 

[analogous]

There is at least one thread on this topic on this forum.

You are grossly over generalizing a complex topic, while ignoring the elephant in the room that is AG usage of water. In the SWRMD commercial users like Nestle accounts for around 1% of the total water usage. While AG accounts for around 50%, the rest is largely residential and public usage.

If you talk to the old school cave divers they will tell you the the flow rates have dramatically declined throughout the 70s and 80s well before commercial water extraction became common. Combined with algae clogging the spring basins due to high phosphate levels from fertilizer usage.

Hey don't let me get in the way of your political hit job against the big evil Nestle. Not that I like Nestle they are bastards that have renegged on their deals and treat their employees poorly. But in this case they are relatively innocent.

You're right, there is a ton contributing to the decline in overall river health in the region, and the state's water resources that are immensely complicated, but not really... Unfortunately, the ag industry is obsessed with the oldschool ways, which takes its toll. We are at a point where we can't keep pointing the figure and saying "but what about them." I would hope someone would give me a heads up when it involves ecotourism. Especially knowing how much those tasty oysters at the end of the Suwannee need their fresh water