Places near Ginnie for OW Divers

[JahJahwarrior]

If you are coming from the south, Troy Springs is on the way to Peacock. Peacock is a bit out there. Orange Grove is a nice cavern dive similar to Catfish Hotel at Manatee, and is the only site you can dive at Peacock. Coming from the south, you'll pass Ginnie, Itchetucknee (no diving there for you), Troy, then get to Peacock.

There is a large gathering of cave and cavern divers for a social and midnight galaxy dive at Ginnie Springs in the Ballroom, where you are allowed to dive at night, but you'll have to pay $32 to dive Ginnie, and since the galaxy dive is at midnight, you'll be getting out late.

Blue Grotto is down near Ocala, closer to south Florida and I don't think it's too far from the interstate. It is also privately owned like Devil's Den which is near it, a few minutes away.

Manatee is open water allowed, but they have a limit for teams in the water and in the park, and you'll probably not be able to get in if you dive there late in the day. I show up before the gate is open and sometimes there can be a line.

Be advised that state parks seem to require you to be out of the water by 5pm and in no later than 4pm.

 

[AceszHigh]

Thanks for that, very informative. Yeah I somehow had the wrong address for peacock. I'm leaning toward manatee springs now (seems to be the closest to Ginnie and cheap..$6 per vehicle)..but now I'm concerned about getting in. We'll probably arrive around noon (just 2 of us)..hopefully we will get in. To the other person who wanted to dive tomorrow - PM me your ph# if you want to try to meet up..

If you are coming from the south, Troy Springs is on the way to Peacock. Peacock is a bit out there. Orange Grove is a nice cavern dive similar to Catfish Hotel at Manatee, and is the only site you can dive at Peacock. Coming from the south, you'll pass Ginnie, Itchetucknee (no diving there for you), Troy, then get to Peacock.

There is a large gathering of cave and cavern divers for a social and midnight galaxy dive at Ginnie Springs in the Ballroom, where you are allowed to dive at night, but you'll have to pay $32 to dive Ginnie, and since the galaxy dive is at midnight, you'll be getting out late.

Blue Grotto is down near Ocala, closer to south Florida and I don't think it's too far from the interstate. It is also privately owned like Devil's Den which is near it, a few minutes away.

Manatee is open water allowed, but they have a limit for teams in the water and in the park, and you'll probably not be able to get in if you dive there late in the day. I show up before the gate is open and sometimes there can be a line.

Be advised that state parks seem to require you to be out of the water by 5pm and in no later than 4pm.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

Put their number in your phone so you can call them after picking up the tanks to ensure they are open. Good to know it's $6 a car there, it seems like every park has a different fee now. I almost miss the days when it was an easy $15 each person or $60 for a pass, remembering to have the right amount of singles on me is much harder than anything else in cave diving!

 

[keaton diver]

Sorry Ace, I don't think I can make it to Manatee. Have fun!

 

[kidsdream]

I am pretty sure that the current fee (state park) for entrance to the park is $4. And as others have noted, Orange Grove (the parking area closest to the entrance) is the only OW spot in the park.

I'm coming from S FL..the main purpose of the trip is to buy a set of LP95s from a guy near Ginnie and we were trying to get a quick dive or 2 in before turning around to head back .. so I think Troy would unfortunately be a little too far North.

We're leaning toward Peacock. I was trying to call them at the ph# 386-776-2194 for info but nobody answers it. Can anyone confirm that Peacock will be open with decent diving conditions tomorrow? What about admission price for diving? Thanks!

 

[JahJahwarrior]

The fee is $4 per vehicle at Peacock.

I suppose it changes from site to site, as I paid $5 to dive Madison, where they were completely out of envelopes so I had to just toss money in the iron ranger and put a note on my dash explaining that five of the ones thrown in there were from my car...

 

[Dive-aholic]

I've never driven from High Springs to Manatee, but I think Troy is closer. Troy is less than 1/2 an hour from High Springs.