Frank Kohler
Contributor
OK me and my dive buddy are planing a trip to Manatee Springs in Chiefland, Florida and we would like to know if anyone here has dove there and what it is like?
Manatee Springs?
- Thread starter Frank Kohler
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chuckrt
Contributor
Hi Frank,
Dove there a few times and it is a really nice park. Diving can be excellent to if you are trained in cavern/cave. There are two sites Catfish Hotel and Manatee at the swiming section. At catfish it is the main entrance for the cave system but if not trained you are not allowed any divelights (for very good reasons) and your area of use can be smallish. The other dive is shallow and in a small area as well but the outflow from the cave is a great ride and gives excellent practice in finning against a current. I found I had no problem with my scubapro splits. All and all it is a fun dive site and if you take your time and explore the fossil and walls and sand bottom in the main area you will find turtles and small life. You will also find many cave divers there and again unless trained DO NOT GO PAST THE LIGHT ZONE. Enjoy.
chuckrt
Dove there a few times and it is a really nice park. Diving can be excellent to if you are trained in cavern/cave. There are two sites Catfish Hotel and Manatee at the swiming section. At catfish it is the main entrance for the cave system but if not trained you are not allowed any divelights (for very good reasons) and your area of use can be smallish. The other dive is shallow and in a small area as well but the outflow from the cave is a great ride and gives excellent practice in finning against a current. I found I had no problem with my scubapro splits. All and all it is a fun dive site and if you take your time and explore the fossil and walls and sand bottom in the main area you will find turtles and small life. You will also find many cave divers there and again unless trained DO NOT GO PAST THE LIGHT ZONE. Enjoy.
chuckrt
OP
Frank Kohler
Contributor
chuckrt:
Thank you very much for you response. I very much enjoyed reading you great explanation of the dive site and now I can wait( I cant wait anyhow to get back in the water, o how I miss diving lol). Thank you for telling me about the caves I did not know that it was there. Once more thank you.
Thank you,
Frank Kohler Jr.
H2Andy
Contributor
i have some pictures of Manatee on my site. go to Photos, and you'll see the Manatee Springs section. unfortunately i don't have any underwater pics from that site.
when you face the cave, be careful: there is a strong current from right to left,
and it gets sucked in at the extreme left. stay away from the left side, as the
current there can suck you in before you know it.
otherwise, it's a great dive.
when you face the cave, be careful: there is a strong current from right to left,
and it gets sucked in at the extreme left. stay away from the left side, as the
current there can suck you in before you know it.
otherwise, it's a great dive.
OP
Frank Kohler
Contributor
H2Andy:
Great pictures I cant wait to dive there now looks like a bit of fun.
The duckweed pond (there is lots of duckweed on the surface) is the larger area, it drops to about 70ft near the entrance to that siphon, there is plenty to see on the way back up. The outflow (catfish corner? or is that another pond somewhere?) is only about 30-35ft deep from memory - from what i recalled riding back out of the outflow after swimming in a bit, there is a big old tree stuck in your way - watch out for it as you ride the flow!!
Yes there are caves, just dont go near them for now (until trained). If i lived closer i would go there more often, but its a 2.5 hour drive from here.
Yes there are caves, just dont go near them for now (until trained). If i lived closer i would go there more often, but its a 2.5 hour drive from here.
OP
Frank Kohler
Contributor
simbrooks:
ya it is the same distance for me to. me and my dive buddy are makeing this are first dive of the dive sesson.
:lol2: :wave-smil boy o boy how i love this time of the year
H2Andy
Contributor
yeah or even join ya if you feel like company
DEEPSEAWOLF
Contributor
I have been there many times diving and with SCUBA. The sinkhole is cool, especially when the sun is out and the beams of light cut through every hole in the surface. There are two large water snakes that are relatively harmless, but recently have been fishing in the spring mouth. WATCH WHERE YOU PUT YOUR HANDS!!!! I'm told by the rangers that the snakes are not poisonous, but can startle someone by suddenly swimming from under a rock outcropping in the cave mouth. The sinkhole can silt up quickly if you don't watch your fin strokes. I bought our family entrance pass for 85 bucks which covers 8 people entry or special use. Works great when four divers would cost 40 bucks, but we all get in for free instead! I'm not sure how much the NON Florida resident pass is. Go to MyFlorida.com under State Parks. It will have lots of info.
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