Rainbow river

[rally]

Hi guys! Thanks for the previous info on the spring diving near Tampa. Does anybody know if you have to have a boat to dive Rainbow River? How about to snorkel? Can you just go from shore? I see conflicting stories on whether you can dive in rainbow river, can you Scuba?

Thanks

 

[brianstclair]

FWIW...

Not sure on the boat question - just wanted to let you know that it's a beautiful, relaxing drift dive. Depths 5' - 20', crystal clear. All kinds of cool freshwater fish, turtles, grasses, sand boils, etc. I would scuba, although you could snorkel it easily enough. I like being able to stay under, and there's at least one pretty cool, small cavern that's fun to hang out in with the fish. Definitely a cool dive!

Brian

 

[metaldector]

Call Bird's Underwater at 352-563-2763, ask about Rainbow River. They run trips there. You can also call the KP Hole Park (look it up on internet) and they can tell you the other boat charters. If I remember correctly, you meet at KP Hole and get on the pontoon boat and travel about a mile up stream. They then let you drift back (about 1 hour to 90 minutes). Cost is about $14.
I use my own boat so I don't need a charter.
Here is a couple of photos from a trip last month.

 

[herman]

Pretty much what the others have said. The current in the river is pretty swift so swimming up current is not a good idea. You really do need to have a boat (yours or a charter) to take you up river a ways so you can drift back. You can just snorkle it if you like but I also prefer to do it on scuba, it's 20ft deep at most but I like hanging around the botton. Don't forget that a dive flag is necessary.

 

[InlandCape]

We went out on a ProDive boat out of Crystal River a couple of years ago and it was a great dive. Nice easy drift with almost unlimited vis and only a hair over 20' deep if you dig yourself a hole in the sand. So you could see most with snorkel. I would recommend a dive trip that way you don't have to worry about a boat etc. If I recall correctly there was a few dollar fee to enter and I don't know but would imagine that would be a little more to take a boat or canoe etc.