wcaptain
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I will be on a road trip thru Fla. and will have my gear with me. Anybody have thoughts on Devil's Den or Blue Grotto? Also is it worth the effort to dive for prehistoric shark teeth at Venice Beach?
northern and SW Fla. diving
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sportxlh
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Both the caverns are fun "been there, done that" dives. I enjoyed them, but won't necessarily make a point of going back. If you're in the area, it's worth stopping and diving. I'm not sure I'd drive 3 or 4 hours out of the way though.
Caveeagle
Contributor
Blue Grotto is a nice dive, but try and get there on a week day. It can get packed with student/training on the weekends and the viz suffers greatly.
I think Devil's Den is more of a snorkel/swim. Its a neat cavern, but I just don't think its worth dragging tanks and gear when there are better options.
You also might want to check out Paradise Spring. Its a little off the beaten path and a really cool cavern. You want to call ahead, because its not quite the commercial operation like Blue Grotto, and you need to make sure they know you are coming etc. **I heard a rumor they were reworking the decks too, so make double sure before heading there.
I think Devil's Den is more of a snorkel/swim. Its a neat cavern, but I just don't think its worth dragging tanks and gear when there are better options.
You also might want to check out Paradise Spring. Its a little off the beaten path and a really cool cavern. You want to call ahead, because its not quite the commercial operation like Blue Grotto, and you need to make sure they know you are coming etc. **I heard a rumor they were reworking the decks too, so make double sure before heading there.
Check out our web site: floridawestscuba.com. We are located on the water in Venice and can answer questions re fossil diving and accommodate you on one of our daily charters.
FettSolo
Contributor
I did the Venice Beach dive about a year ago. I was in the area to film a wedding, so flights/hotel/meals etc. were covered and I had a free day, so I figured why not. I went with Florida West, which was just mentioned in the previous post - they have a good operation, I had no complaints.
It's a unique dive experience. You basically spend a long time (I want to say an hour?) barely moving in shallow, but low viz. water as you search for fossils in the sand. After two dives, I had two large chunks of fossilized manatee bone, as well as a small collection of shark teeth.
As I was being paid to be in Venice that weekend, and the diving was the only thing I spent money on, it was worth it. But I would not go out of my way to do it.
I don't know if you've been through already or not but if you want to do a fossil dive in Venice I can so you my shore Diving spot where I find manatee and whale bones and shark teeth (and megalodon teeth) right off the beach.
Also the caverns at Ginnie springs are really cool in my opinion, especially the Devils eye and devils ear caverns.
If you'll be through in the winter you have to check out blue springs. It's a little walk and river walk to the lagoon but the cavern is a neat little cavern, then you drift down the river run surrounded by manatees.
Also the caverns at Ginnie springs are really cool in my opinion, especially the Devils eye and devils ear caverns.
If you'll be through in the winter you have to check out blue springs. It's a little walk and river walk to the lagoon but the cavern is a neat little cavern, then you drift down the river run surrounded by manatees.
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