Orlando Area Diving Opportunities?

[skyking]

I am heading for Orlando the end of next week for a week-long conference, and assuming Ivan or another storm doesn't blow me away would like to do some diving. Could anyone please point me at any available opportunites?

Thanks!
Tom

 

[Wendy]

I really hate to do this, but if you do a search this question has been asked abotu a dozen times.

Currently diving is out except for a few private fresh water sites that are not directly linked to a river. the rivers here are rising, affecting many springs sites.

There is always EPCOT's The Living Seas at Disney.

 

[simbrooks]

How far do you want to drive? Between 1 and 3 hours northeast and northwest of Orlando are springs and caverns, about 1.5 hours northeast is some boat diving off New Smyrna, about 2-2.5 hours driving southwest is shore diving for sharks teeth (although it should continue to be churned up from Ivan then), about 2.5-3 hours south east takes you to shore diving and boat diving on our golden coast.

Not sure if i will be free that weekend, might be finishing up a course in the springs, but doesnt mean i cant let you know a little something. Might not get back to you til sunday though as i am off diving tomorrow.

Do you want fresh or saltwater dives, fish or caverns, wrecks or reefs, tropical fish or game fish?

 

[skyking]

Biggest interests at this time are wrecks and spear fishing, or even hanging out with the fish and enjoyin' their company, but just getting wet is priority one!

Also been reading about diving for shark teeth off Venice. That's also on my list of things to do, but in the context of this trip is probably not realistic even if the weatherman cooperates.

NOT interested in overhead environments! Maybe after a couple hundred dives and a lot of training, but right now I'm a pretty new diver and that just isn't a comfortable concept and I do get a little claustrophobic, so .....

Probably need to stay pretty close to Orlando/I-Drive area since I'm one of the conference organizers and will also be entertaining my wife/kids during the week. Suspect this pretty much means freshwater lake/quarry or maybe Atlantic coast/Cocoa Beach/Titusville area. Maybe an evening/night dive?

Have been on the phone making arrangements to try to get in the Gulf the weekend of the 25th through a Tampa Bay dive shop I'm familiar with if it's not still churned up (most likely wishfull thinking on my part). If it is then one of the springs or maybe a lake/quarry become an option - there seem to be plenty within driving range of the Clearwater area where we're spending the weekend after the conference with an old high school chum (Did my OW/AOW there this past spring).

Hope I can hook up with some of you guys - if we can't dive the water we can dive a pub and pass around some big lies!

Tom

 

[simbrooks]

As for sharks teeth diving, the water is likely to be stirred up around Venice (~2-2.5 hours drive down I-4 and I-75), but its not going to be much worse than usual, however traffic, possible devastation and lack of gas might be a problem.

For spearing and wrecks, the gulf coast is good, but wont be fun that weekend IMO, however the NE coast could be good, maybe you want to try Seadog our of New Smyrna. Thats about a 1.5 hour drive up I-4, they have a nice boat, no pressure diving, the trip is about 1 hour out to the wrecks, all around 80-90ft and plenty of game fish to spear. They should be able to set you up with a buddy if no-one else bites. I enjoyed my dives with them back in may.

BTW, we are going to be up your way in the middle of November, thinking of diving in the quarries, probably on the shallow end of Gilboa, or maybe Portage, but we have yet to decide definately on which quarries to hit.

 

[skyking]

Think I responded to your postings on GLWC also - let me know or post on the GLWC board when you're coming up and I'll be glad to head out and dive with you guys! Think you're staying in Mason - I'm about :45-1:00 closer to Gilboa than that, and likewise for Portage. BTW IMHO Gilboa is much the better choice and about the same drive.

Portage has some cool stuff, but not many fish and very little vegetation. It does have a cool old cement mixer or some such and a cool swim-thru semi-trailer and lotsa sunken cars/boats (the latter are all below the thermocline anc COLD!). Haven't seen all the sites at Portage - only been there once, but been to Gilboa shallow side several times and it's possible to see all but a couple of the sites and still stay warm. The last couple involve dipping below the second thermocline for about 2-3 minutes (low 40's vs mid 50's for the rest).

If you're in for some shallow stuff my favorites are still Circleville and Natural springs - both about 1:00-1:30 from Mason. Circleville is about 20-25 ft with a thermocline at about 20 and all the stuff to see above it, Natural springs is about 30 ft at the deepest with the thermocline at 18-20 and "most" of the stuff above. Both will be warm late into the year.

Tom

BTW, we are going to be up your way in the middle of November, thinking of diving in the quarries, probably on the shallow end of Gilboa, or maybe Portage, but we have yet to decide definately on which quarries to hit.