How do get to Morris Springs, FL?

[scubarealtor]

Morris Springs is supposedly north of Destin, Fl near I10 and is a good and free place to go diving.

However, I googled for it and can't find the place. Can someone tell me where it is and/or post a link about it.

Thanks,

Viajerochevere

 

[kchFLA]

Check out the Florida Conch divers forum - Northern section. You may get a better response there. Oh and It's actually Morrison Springs.

 

[ClayJar]

http://maps.google.com/?q=30%B039'27.17%22N%2085%B054'17.74%22W

Take I-10 exit 96 and turn south on Florida 81. In about 3.5 miles, turn east onto county 181 (only goes east), and continue 1.7 miles or so until a road comes off to the right in a hairpin intersection. This is Morrison Spring's turn; take it, and continue down the road, following the fork to the left, until it goes from blacktop to dirt and shortly thereafter arrives at the spring, open dawn to dusk.

If you need fills, you can get them at Vortex Spring. Just go north on 81 from exit 96 until you get there (it's about 10 miles between Morrison and Vortex). Air fills at Vortex are $5 if you're diving there, $7 if you're not, $10 for nitrox, and diving at Vortex is $32/day, with one free fill included. Morrison is free, but while there are bathrooms with running water, that's about all there is. (There *is* a sand-floored pavilion.)

While you're there, feel free to stop at Sally's, which is the local place where everyone who dives the springs seems to stop and eat. To get there, take 81 north from exit 96 to US-90. Turn west on 90, and you'll see the bright pink side of Sally's beckoning you.

 

[scubarealtor]

thats what i love about scubaboard. you post a question and get tons of great info within an hour.

thanks for the help.

 

[ClayJar]

Might I ask when might you be thinking about going out to Morrison? I know in the Florida Conch and Deep Dixie forums, there are several divers who seem to frequent the Morrison, but so far, I've never been there at the same time as a SBer, at least as far as I know. Since they are among the nearest dives to Baton Rouge, I tend to get there every so often.

 

[kchFLA]

Post when you are going and I'm sure someone will attempt to be there. It is a fairly nice little dive. I like going there to practice skills. There is a platform that is nice to gauge trim. I've only gone into the cavern once (not cavern certified so went into check it out.)

The water is low as this part of Florida hasn't had much rain. The spring can only provide so much water.

photohikedive lives the closest and has gone on evening dives.

I didn't provide directions because I just drive there; I don't know the names or numbers of the roads.

 

[Tom Smedley]

Unless you go into the cave there is very little to see at Morrison.

The bottom is silty and barren in the spring and out into the creek run. There is a training platform that was there 25 years ago unchanged. There are two "caves" - one goes horizontal for a few feet with several very dangerous offshoots that are filled with silty bottom. The other main hole goes down like a chimney and opens into a large room. There are fantastic limestone formations in the room and lots of American Eel and catfish as well as bluegill and rock bass. Someone has placed several ceramic figurines in there. The hydraulic pressure is moderately high right now and the sand boils up everywhere on the cave bottom. The main aquifer was sealed many years ago because of it's danger. There is a permanent rope that goes from the cave entrance to the aquifer boil. If you do go into the cave, stop at the ledge below the chimney and dump all air from your BC as you start up. If you are neutrally buoyant as you start up you will be shot out like a cannon as your suit and the air in your bcd expand.

Aside from the fact that there are no facilities yet, there is lots of loose sand so unless you have 4WD be careful where you park. Also, the indigenous folks that hang out there on the weekend put on some real shows occasionally.

When combined with other places and dive sites, Morrison is a great place to see. However, I wouldn't drive all the way from Mississippi just to dive Morrison.

 

[scubarealtor]

i'm in the planning stage for the trip right now and i will definately post it here so hopefully i can meet some of you guys there. we met suprbugman and seaotter last weekend at pensacola. great bunch of guys.

this is that i have in mind so far. come down on a friday and stay at vortex and dive there saturday, dive it as many times as i can until it gets boring, inlcuding some night dives. then instead of paying the fee for vortex again i want to go to destin and dive the reef/pier whatever it is. then finish up at morrison and head home.

i know that i'm supposed to do my deepest dive first but if i end in the spring my gear will be nice and clean (i'm not lazy, i'm and engineer) considering the shallowness of the destin dive and the long surface interval that i'm planning will i accumulate enough of a nitrogen load to cause problem in the much deeper morrison springs?

Gracias,

Viajerochevere

 

[Tom Smedley]

Combining Vortex and Morrison is a great thing. I had a wonderful time doing that a few weeks ago. Destin is almost 60 miles from Ponce de Leon. You would end up adding some mileage to your trip home if you did Destin first and then backtracked to Morrison. Your gear would be salt free but contain lots of sand granules from the spring. The main boil in the cave is 86 or so feet. I ended up in deco last time when I was looking for fossils and lost track of time.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Unless you go into the cave there is very little to see at Morrison.

The bottom is silty and barren in the spring and out into the creek run.

I disagree, the spring run and even the borders of the spring basin are typically full of fish and amphibian alike to look at while diving the spring. The last time I dove the spring run we saw all sorts of fresh and brackish water fish. The normal bream and bass, along with pike, slider turtles, and a very large school of striped bass, with a few fish greater than 25lbs showed up for us. Most of my best incounters at Morrison have been in the spring run(gar, bowfin, softshell turtles, ect).

The main cavern is simply beautiful though, I agree

Our dive plan usually goes as followed:
Enter water and go into the cavern until we burn 1/3rd our tanks(we haven't run NDL anywhere close within the time it takes for us to burn 1/3rd an 80). Exit the cavern(s) and hang around the tree until we get bored. Swim to the outskirts of the basin and follow it down the spring run until a determined turnaround pressure, cross the run, and follow the outskirts on the opposite side back to our entry.

Be sure to take a flag with you, boat traffic can be brutal.