Megadive Party '04-b

[DEEPSEAWOLF]

Ok, we're looking at some time in early October. I'm going to start looking for State Parks as fallbacks for the cost. I actually loved the stuff to do at Ginnie. It looks like we could get one more party out of it for this year, then everybody would be ready to hit someplace else. I am looking at getting a gas grill and bringing that. It would cut cooking time down to minutes from hours and allow me more dive time! We are now creating a locker at the house for overstock of party gear! Next party, we will only have to worry about food!
We have enough plasticware, cups, paper towels and plates for the next TWO parties! More depending on turnouts. We hit approximately 50 attendees this weekend with about 25 divers. That's what I had expected. I only had about 10 BW's show up from the 30 invited. One was in the area but lost and gave up. Other than that, I am looking at next party to be about the same number of people. Now I know how much food to have and with a good transportable grill, we won't even need theirs. Food could be ready and waiting between dives, and we'd need less camping space. Electric would be less as well. I am looking at three potential sites, Ginnie, Vortex, and Anastasia park for beach/surf. Ginnie being the most central with more for the OW/BW which was the most prominent. There were less than 5 cavers from what I heard.
Majority rules for OW/BW, with cave stuff optional or nearby.
I have started a NEW folder for ideas. Someone even mentioned that we have a THEME party. IE: Redneck dive gear. COMPLETELY absurd and non fuctional dive gear.
Water hoses for hoses, safety goggles for mask, culligan water bottle for tank,...
or
a color... everyone bring an outfit of a certain color and it has to be diveable...
or
crazy skinz- the most outlandish dive wear, from skins to tank wraps, to helmets and safety rigs

I would like to keep the location between Vortex, Tampa, St. Augustine, and Anastasia Beach. That makes a good Central area with lots of options. I can get to any of those except Anastasia within a few hours drive, as it was for everyone to Ginnie. Most within a few hours. I liked how Ginnie had so many options for the day's events. There were also a number of other springs around, some that were cheaper even.
Perhaps we could a mega camp at Ginnie, then if people wanted to go elsewhere to dive, or vice versa... we could do that as an option... state park to camp... REALLY CHEAP, then a day fee to dive elsewhere. Let's say we got a campsite at Manatee Springs. 4-8 people+ for campsite at about 15 bucks a night per SITE, not PERSON! Then we pre-registered/reserved for 20 divers at the end of each day. We could be signed in each morning and already diving with guaranteed spots, NOT having to make a run for the station to be there at 6 AM to be able to dive.
OR Camp there, drive South in a caravan to dive cheaply an hour or less away. Or camping in St. Augustine on the beach in a state park. Diving from there if weather holds, lots to do if it doesn't. During the SoFlo Trip we learned to plan for that contingency. I will take extra money in the future to risky sites, so if we scrubthe dives, we haven't scrubbed the weekend. Springs are ALMOST guaranteed clear, unlike the beaches.
These are some of the ideas I have, any suggestions, questions, comments? :06:

 

[OneBrightGator]

How about having a month long Medadive Party? We could go to a different location every weekend, like State/Local Parks, with fewer attendees each time (since State Parks can't handle the same volume as Ginnie). This would significantly cut down the cost and allow more people to go. I'd be willing to "host" one weekend.

Ben

 

[jviehe]

Manatee is a good idea due to the low cost and variety of activities for all level of divers. If you want a real mega event, and dirt cheap, consider Jim Hollis River Rendevouz for camping. Then its 10 mins to 2 different springs, several cave systems, and your right on the river. Theres convict spring right there at the camp site for swimming also. He can even take you down to the springs via pontoon boat.

 

[Virus]FSLR2[]

Anastasia State Park in St. Augustine is a great beach park, but no diving. Not that it isn't allowed, but nothing to see. That, and the high possibility of 5' surf, 1' vis, and long hike with the gear to the ocean. Not much in the way of shore diving around here. Occasionally I've been able to go in between Vilano Beach and Ponte Vedra Beach, but only a few times. The rest of the time it looks like HollyWIND on a bad day, minus the broken coral littering the beach. There are some megs that wash up and the occasional silver and gold spanish coins and jewelry, but those are rare enough that it's not feasable to dive for them. South on A1A would be where I'd try for those, down near Beverly Beach, but I don't know about shore diving there either. How awesome would that be to have a scubaboard party there and have the gold coins just decide to show up for us... Now I'm dreaming... They usually are found during/after a nor'easter or hurricane.

Anyway, trying to clear the air about shore diving St. Augustine and Jacksonville. Some of the Jax Divers may have a secret spot that I don't know about, and if they do, I sure wish they'd share (Send an email to suicidediver@scubadiver.org and I'll send you $$$ to your paypal account once the information has been verified <giggle>), other than that, it's a boat ride out, and to my knowledge, there's still not a consistent boat running out of St. Aug. Certainly not one large enough to take all of us, that would take a few of them to be comfortable. Maybe Jacksonville, but that's not really centralized.

I like Lantana for the dives, they're easy drift dives, no work involved. Jump in, drop down, get neutral, and keep trim.. that's about it for the dive... Easy dives, usually 70' or so, and tons to see, and good dives for those with cameras, those without, those with little experience, and those with tons of it. There's wrecks down there also, so we could do a drift, a wreck, and then another drift for the day on a boat.

I've used Capt. Craig several times, and found them to be an awesome crew. They're at http://www.idivestarfish.com/ and they run a 34 foot Crusader that would dive 22, but he normally runs only up to 16 divers. This presents a problem, which we'll find anywhere trying to get a boat. Either we put on our horns and Mooooooove on in the cattleboat, or we try to find an operator that has a couple of boats to run out together. There's an idea...

Well.. There I go rambling again...

-=V=-

 

[H2Andy]

..., trying to clear the air about shore diving St. Augustine and Jacksonville...


there's tons of it, so long as you don't mind no visibility and
nothing to see other than a flat sandy bottom...

hehehe... i said bottom...

 

[Virus]FSLR2[]

H2Andy, sorry to hear about your flat, sandy...umm...never mind. Maybe if I weren't diving BEHIND you, I'd have a different view!

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Only thing to consider is DEMA, which I believe is in October that a lot of people go to. Its in Houston this year...I think

 

[CBulla]

Oh good! IF they are in Houston testing out and showing off gear in cattle poo run off ponds, then we'll have the beaches to ourselves in SE Florida!

 

[SmokeAire]

I think Ginnie is a great compromise for those divers with non-divers in the family. Lots of things to do and very good and convenient facilities.
The problem with the springs located on the Swannee is the river conditions determine the diveability of the springs located on it. I've been to Troy Springs when the vis was zero due to the SR being up. At least GS is always clear.
I am definitly up for another SB shindig.

Chuck

 

[CBulla]

Chuck - thats OK for ya'll up that way, but some of us had a heck of a drive, and to be honest, the river drift dives were the most interesting dives. Now, add a disco ball and some spiff stuff to that ball room and we may have a game!

A place to ponder - Crystal River. Its really kind of nice there, lots of fishes, some springs and bridges to dive, and boat rentals for 3 hours were less than 1 dive in the spring for 1 person at Ginnie.