Orlando: dives within driving distance?

[kanigel]

Hiya! I'm heading down from Seattle to Orlando in mid-May to help visit and maintain my wonderful, but ailing grandmother. She and the family have been informed that while my boyfriend (buddy) and I are there, we are taking one of the ten days to go diving. I'd like to be within a couple of hours' drive, but either freshwater or salt is fine. If we can go to only one place within that radius, where should it be? I'd prefer shore diving for cost reasons, but if there is a must-do boat dive from either Tampa or Daytona beach, then I'm willing.

We've been discussing Ginny Springs. Even at 72 degrees, I'm looking forward to that warrrrrrmmmmmm water. No giant ziplock bag for diving!

So, just spill it out, porfavor. I would love to know what's great down there....

 

[pdoege]

If you search the conch divers sections for blue spring, ginnie, and blue heron you should get what you are looking for.

Those are probably the 3 best shore dives that I can think of close to Orlando. I'd personally choose Ginnie, but Blue Spring is closer and cheaper.

Peter

 

[kanigel]

Thank you Peter! I will definitely look into them!

Also, if you don't mind... I forgot to ask what kind of exposure protection we should use. We have shorties that we used on 100' dives in Hawaii and we were too warm in them, so we are hoping they will be at least passable.

 

[pdoege]

Depending on your cold tolerance a shorty will be fine.

I have been in Ginnie with a 5mm shorty and I could spend about 20 minutes there comfortably.

Ginnie has a rental shop on the property, and there are two more close by. You can rent whatever you need.

Peter

 

[The Chairman]

In close proximity to Blue Spring there is also Alexander Springs. It is not hard to do both springs in a day. Blue Spring has some incredible Geology while Alexander has some incredible ichthyology. Both are simply drop dead gorgeous springs and both are within an hour or so of Orlando.

 

[FlIrishman]

ten days to go diving. I'd like to be within a couple of hours' drive, but either freshwater or salt is fine. If we can go to only one place within that radius, where should it be? I'd prefer shore diving for cost reasons, but if there is a must-do boat dive from either Tampa or Daytona beach, then I'm willing.

We've been discussing Ginny Springs. Even at 72 degrees, I'm looking forward to that warrrrrrmmmmmm water. No giant ziplock bag for diving!
....

I'm a saltwater diver - don't go for the cold, colorless, fishless, reefless fresh water. So, the best Florida salt water diving is:

1. Jupiter - the 85 ft ledges are awesome. You can go on a dive boat out of Jupiter, but I'd recommend Narcosis out of West Palm Beach.
http://www.irishmansoftware.com/Narcosis.htm

2. West Palm Beach - the Breaker's Reef at 55 ft is always loaded with colors, fish, corals, sponges. It's one of my favorite.

3. A little further down the state is the Datura Street - Snorkel Trail
http://www.irishmansoftware.com/beach_sf.htm
It's a beach dive. Marvel from SingleDivers can help you to find the location.

4. My favorite wreck dives are the Eagle, Bibb and Duane in Key Largo. Conch Republic will get you overnight reservations and get you out there at a better deal than most dive operations in Key Largo.

http://www.conchrepublicdivers.com/

And, really - if you make it a 3 day 2 nights to Largo / Tavanier, take one day to Key West and do the Key West Crawl [ Enter Fat Tuesday's on Duval St and get on Large Hurricane to go. It comes in a large container marked FT with a nice sipping straw. Turn left on exiting FT and go into Fast Buck Friedies to shop. Continue down the street to Wyland. Go back towards the other end of Duval and go to Mel's Museum, Aquarium etc etc. At any time should your Huirricane go empty - return to Fat Tuesday's for a refil. You might even want to tell them you don't feel the rum in it. Keep doing this til you can no longer stand. You will then learn how to do the Key West Duval St Crawl ]


Geo / Melbourne, Fla

 

[jviehe]

Paradise Spring in Ocala is also not far away, and closer than Ginnie. Its all cavern, 100ft deep, and somewhat clear if you get there first. 25$ to get in.

When will you be here exactly? We are having a megadive party at Ginnie on the 14th.

 

[Reel Crazy14]

Trust me, the only attraction to springs are the somewhat warm and clear water, not much else. Daytona is only 1 1/2 hours away and the diving is much better, sea dogs has a good charter boat there. Also- a little bit further is jupiter, west palm, ft. lauderdale and all those places if you have the time.

 

[Dr. Doug Ebersole]

Admitting my bias as a "warm water, pretty fish" diver I would recommend making the drive to Jupiter or West Palm. At most you will need a 3mm suit. Again, biased but I'd recommend Jupiter Dive Charters (www.jupiterdivecharters.com) in Jupiter and either Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures (www.scuba-adventures.com) or Pura Vida Divers (www.puravidadivers.com) in West Palm. In West Palm (actually Riviera Beach), diving the Blue Heron Blvd Bridge is an excellent shore dive. If you head about 45 minutes farther south, the shore diving at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is one of the best spots in the state. There are multiple photos of all of these sites on my website (www.debersole.com). Have a great trip!

 

[Orlando Eric]

I aggree with the make the 2 hours drive to do the Ocean Drift Diving. Much better than the Look at the WET rocks diving of a spring.

However.. if it is going to be May 13~14th we are having a MEGA Dive 05 get togethter at Ginnie Springs and I expect this event to become legendary among the conchs as a "life changing" event.

Now as for the Duval Street crawl. As I remember it... you do not backtrack to the frozen girley drink bar. You start at one end... stop in every bar going down one side then back up the other doing the same thing. There are cruise ships that stop in there for short periods of time that make this more of a hashing run.

Girley drink= very sweet, pretty colors, hardly taste the booze.
Manly Drink- Booze + Water. You can experience the smokey flavor and bite.

my .02