My 11 and 13 year old daughters were Junior OW certified last month and we had a blast doing a few family dives on the same trip. My husband and I aren't experienced enough to ensure a safe and fun dive for all of us without help, so we'd like to find a private DM/instructor who could dive with us in June at some of the central FL freshwater sites (Devil's Den, Ginnie Springs, Blue Grotto, etc.) We're already going to be in the area for a family event, and I don't want to pass up the chance for the girls to get some time underwater to keep their skills up. Any recommendations would be appreciated, thank you!
Recommendations for private DM in central FL?
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Scott Davenport of Earth Immersion. He even runs a scuba summer camp for teens in the springs. I’ve done guided cave dives with him the past two Christmas holidays, and he’s helped me with some skills. Super patient and a great sense of humor. He was a high school teacher for some years so he’s well used to teens.
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Johnoly
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I believe the springs you mentioned are considered north Florida, not central Florida (which is more like Orlando), but I'm glad you got some good suggestions here.
DogDiver
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I live within an hour’s drive of all the sites you mentioned. They are all “guppy” dives. All potential cave areas have been grated and welded off. You don’t need anyone to hold your hand diving there. Just bring your wallet and C-card. Credit card lol. Oh, Ginnie doesn’t allow kids under 12 anymore regardless of certification level.
Better sites at State Parks include. Troy Springs. Manatee Springs and Peacock Springs. Only $4 per car per day.
Better sites at State Parks include. Troy Springs. Manatee Springs and Peacock Springs. Only $4 per car per day.
That was my knee-jerk reaction, too. Then I thought about what it must be like to be an 11-13 year-old Jr. OW Diver and realized I have no idea, and moreover, that everyone is different. When I was just getting back into scuba in 2001 after a short hiatus I made a trip down to visit Blue Grotto, Devil's Den and the Ginnie spring run, and even I as an adult found them mildly fun. So who's to say?
Troy bottoms out at, what, 60 feet? That might feel like too much for some Jr. OW divers. In Peacock (Orange Grove) it's easy to inadvertently go deep, and the visibility isn't always as nice as the places the OP mentions. No, I think they have the right places in mind for easy-diving family fun.
OP here to provide a little context! A couple of times on the dives we did as a family in the Keys after my girls got certified, the instructor (who we kept on as our private DM) noticed one of my kids putting too much air in her BC and quickly swam up after her, hauled her back down, and helped her dump the air and regain neutral buoyancy. We were only 20-25 feet deep, so there wasn't any danger in the situation, but my husband and I don't have the technical skills to be able to do something like that. The best we'd have been able to do is follow her to the surface and regroup there. Until we all have more experience diving, we're planning to hire private DMs so that we can all treat the dives as learning experiences and not be the blind leading the blind, if that makes sense.
I appreciate all the thoughts and everyone's taking time to respond!
Aquaviolator
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I'd add Alexander Springs. max depth is about 23 feet with a lot or areas to explore for kids of that age. Turtles,fish etc. You can now dive in Ponce DeLeon springs as well. About the same depth and really no hazards. There's also an old time restaurant where you make your own pancakes. something the kids would really like
umhlangan
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It might be worth getting in touch with Taylor Schott and having a conversation to see if she is a good fit. Home | Schottsie's Scuba
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