Is a guide needed at Rainbow River

[Biggenz]

My wife and I are new to diving, just a handful of dives. We want to go to rainbow river and drift dive but are unsure if a guide is needed? We have seen a couple guide services but have also seen just a water taxi that takes you up and drops you off.

any information would be helpful.

 

[sportxlh]

You don't need a guide. Just pop your head out of the water occasionally to get your bearings. Most of the dive is less than 10 feet. At some points your tank will stick out of the water briefly when you clear a submerged mound of grass

 

[Biggenz]

Perfect that's what I needed to know. I assume that there will be other divers too so we will know where to get out.

 

[ChemGuy]

If you go on weekend there will be o/w classes there. I did my last 2 o/w dives there a few months ago. Enjoy. The water flow from some of the springs is crazy fast. Quite a few fish to see. Deepest I saw was maybe 24'

 

[sportxlh]

Perfect that's what I needed to know. I assume that there will be other divers too so we will know where to get out.

The river is narrow and shallow: it you have more than 3 other divers right around you, you'll feel a bit crowded. You'll likely just stick with your buddy. There are a couple places you can hit 20 feet or so like ChemGuy indicates: but those are mostly smallish holes or depressions on the river floor, not long stretches on the bottom of the river: most of the diving will be ultra shallow. If you use American Pro, they will motor their boat to the exit spot and drop anchor: you won't be able to miss the anchor line or the boat on the surface since the water is so clear, the river is skinny and there's a bend in the river near the exit point that's hard to miss. If it appears you are going to drift past their boat, they'll probably bang on the ladder to get your attention. This is a really really easy and no stress dive and it is nearly impossible to get lost.