Moving From Texas to Clermont (Orlando)

[TommyB]

Hi All!,

couple quick questions if i may.

Moving from Dallas, Texas to Clermont (orlando) approx 8/11/07).
Need to find a dive club that would not mind having 2 new noobs as members.
(I'm just a lowly OW cert'd diver, just got OW last weekend).:huh:
Wife will be getting her cert in August.

I posted some general questions in another topic, guessing it got lost in the
meet's and greets.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=193584

I'll just repost here, see if it get's a better response-

Wife will be doing her OW in Aug. So, she'll do the pool work and I was thinking that a spring would be a great way to introduce her to diving.
Do they do OW in the springs? or is it drive to beach/boat for OW??
Plan is to fly instructor over from Dallas, and get her pool work done, then if possible hit the springs for OW. (don't ask about the flying thing, as I would like to stick with people I know / trust / and are on the same wave length as me, especially where the wife is concerned. (patience / details / etc really matter to her..)

This sound reasonable, or am I way off base here.. ??

Made some great friends, etc with the peeps from scubatoys, and will still continue to buy my big ticket items from ST. But would like to find a LDS that is of the same
caliber as ST only closer to the new home. (Would like a local shop to buy my Dork diver trinkets).

Hopefully I don't get beat-up to bad in here for wanting to keep ScubaToys as my LDS. I guess LDS for me would now mean (Long Distance Shop)----
(Greg, Karen, Patrick et al, know they have an open invite to come visit, stay any time they are in the Orlando Area).

(Does that Fl. Conch Divers in the forums cover all of FL, or is it just a forum topic area)

Regards, and Thanks in Advance
Tommy ///

 

[jlwest63]

Tommy,
Welcome to Florida sort of. The Florida area here covers all of Florida. We ( me and the wife) did our check out dives at springs a few years back. They are great dives and lots of fun. We are in Jupiter right now diving for the weekend so Florida has a lot of options for dives.

Good luck.

 

[ccso434]

You will have a lot of places to pick when you get here and start diving. Both coast have great open water dive locations both beach and ocean. Then you can drive north a short while and hit the springs. Hope to see you in the water.

 

[Stu S.]

Welcome. I live close to where you are moving. There is good instruction from Tom Johnson of Dayo Scuba. He taught my daughter. He provides 100% of all equipment. No extra charge. Right down to the booties. OW can be done in the ocean, Blue Springs, or DeLeon Springs. It is instructor's preference. Mr. Johnson may give you a choice.

If you choose to spring dive, make sure your instructor has experience with these springs. There are a few things one needs to know.

There are about ten dive merchants in our area. Each is good at something, so it is like shopping in a big market. The Diver's Direct Superstore in Orlando is impressive, so pay them a visit for sure.

I know nothing about clubs. I dive with co-workers.

Central Florida has good diving. Better yet, we are equal distance from the world-class North Florida caves and springs and the South Florida wrecks and reefs. We drive easily to places that others come very far to dive.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

I'm moving to Orlando area myself in about three weeks....about a two hour drive north around Gainesville, you have several good places to dive, Troy and Manatee are both state parkswith good diving. Ginnie Springs is near Gville, and offers several nice dives, also, Scubaboard has megadives at Ginnie twice a year, in the fall and spring. Look for the next one in October. Devil's Den is also near Gainesville. Paradise Springs and Forty Fathom Grotto are near Ocala, just south ofGainesville. (all of the last four places mentioned charge about $25-$30 to dive) (Amigo's Dive Shop in Fort White gives free gas to instructors! It's on the way to Ichetucknee springs, where there is no diving (unless cave certed) but great tubing and snorkeling!) Crystal River has some nice springs, I only managed to find two of them, and one of them is really for snorkeling....but King Spring was very easily found (need a boat to get to it, but shops in the area will take you there for $40 a piece (American Pro Dive center in Crystal River) or you can rent a boat for the day) and is a very cool cavern dive to about 50 feet, and it's fresh water, about 75 degrees. Manatees are here inthe winter often.

I don't know about Orlando though...when I move there, I'll find some good places And the only dive club I know of is the one at UCF, where I'll be a student. However, the Florida forums here are pretty active (and is where you should have posted this, methinks) and groups are always meeting to dive somewhere, even if it's a little bit of a drive, pretty much anyone is always welcome at a Conch dive And if they look at you funny, hand them a case of rum. You reach god-like status among Conch's if you show up with rum.

(but first beer=last dive. Conchs know how to have fun above water too!)

 

[TommyB]

Thanks All!!
Great Info. Don't feel so down about having to relocate now.
Met some really nice folks from ST's shop and was dreading the move.

I'm from St. Augustine, but have not been back there since I got out of the Navy in 81. Moved to texas when as like 4 yrs old.. What's funny is, Joined Navy to see the world. So went to boot in Orlando, Memphis "A" School, then got Stationed at NAS Cecil Field, Jacksonville
(but we did make a lot of Med crusies)

edit //
and I have a boat

http://www.scubatoys.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=484

 

[scubafool]

Alexander Springs is probably the closest springs to Clermont that allows OW diving. Take 561 from Minneola to 19 North, to 441 South, back to 19 North, all the way through Altoona to 455 (I believe that is the correct road #), 455 east to Alexander. Probably a little over an hour, I'd guess. Alexander is the perfect place for a new diver to hone their skills and become more comfortable in the water.

I have never heard of anyone diving in the Harris Chain of Lakes, although I am sure someone has. And Jupiter, West Palm, etc, aren't that far of a drive down the Florida Turnpike.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

I wouldn't take that boat out 15 miles unless the weather looked very calm! If it's anything more than a slight chop, that would be amiserable trip.

Alexander is a very nice dive! I really enjoyed it and would go back!

But you could take the boat to places like Crystal River very easily. She'll perform like a champ there. Just take two anchors anytime you don't leave someone on the boat. Last time I only took one anchor, and the boat started drifting!! Fortunately, we were scalloping, snorkeling on the surface, so we noticed it. But it drifted 300 yards in 8 minutes....

 

[TommyB]

Thanks!!

Hopefully got one or 2 peeps lined up already to show the "new kids" on the block the Fl. ropes.

I run/own an internet webhosting / gaming server company, so pretty much can go diving everday long as I can get online when needed --

Wife is already out there this week, so playing bachelor the entire week.
Too Bad nowhere to dive during the week in dallas-
Guess I could go sit in the pool over at Scubatoys and blow bubbles for Joe/larry, or over at the clubhouse

(What do you mean you left me here to get the house ready to sell)..

Thanks again. Looking forward to maybe meeting up with some the the FL crew.

Tommy //