Springs in the panhandle

[whathedeuce]

I'm going to be going to north west florida a couple times in the upcoming months...i am going to panama city in march and destin in may.... I have been looking at these springs but i didn't know which ones were really worth going to or not, or if there were any other good ones i was missing. Here are the ones i saw.... let me know what you guys think...

Shangri La Springs
Vortex Springs
Merrits Mill Pond
Morrison Springs...

Also, if i am OW certified, am i not allowed to go into the caverns? i know i can't go into caves, but i also know that a cavern also technically an "overhead" thanks!

 

[PerroneFord]

Vortex will be fine. Morrison, if it's open, will be fine. Merrit's Mill Pond has a number of sites on it, but they are all overheads. Really not a place for an OW diver and you'd get bored quickly. Shangri La is a part of Merrit's Mill Pond.

Given the experience you list, I would recommend you avoid going into any caverns. They are deceptively easy to have an incident or an accident in.

Enjoy your visits!

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

FWIW...

Something like 3 years ago, a load of us(all OW at the time) went out to the Mill Pond(which includes ShangriLa, Jackson Blue, Twin Cave, Hole in the Wall, Indian Washtub, Gator Hole, and a couple un-named springs). We enjoyed swimming around the OW sections of the sites just enjoying the excellent visibility and loads of bream, bass, crawfish, and the rest of the scenery involved with the Mill Pond, above and below the waters surface. It can be fun, just don't fool yourself into believing that you need to go into the holes(caverns/caves) to have a little fun at your level of diving.

Morrison and Vortex will be the easiest for you to enjoy, you'll need a boat to dive most of the Mill Pond and other springs like Cypress and Becton(both very good OW springs in Holmes Creek).

 

[divinginn]

Matt I still think you should write a book on the springs of florida,i would def. buy one. I hope to get down there in the next few weeks. is morrison closed down totally or is it just a long walk? really enjoyed it when we were there at voctoberfest.

 

[divinginn]

I also got bitten by the cavebug while in the cavern,not sure I really wanted to but I am thinking of taking a cavern class,might as well sell all my other toys,looks like scuba poverty is in my future.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Matt I still think you should write a book on the springs of florida,i would def. buy one. I hope to get down there in the next few weeks. is morrison closed down totally or is it just a long walk? really enjoyed it when we were there at voctoberfest.

I'm thinking even if the park is closed, we can still get there by the older boat launch if they aren't working there as well. I haven't been there in a couple months as its been flooded every chance I've had to go - and opted to just pass East for more reliable diving(Morrison will be reliable again in the Spring).

As for a book, its in the back of my mind - still need WAY more experience before I start writing about any excursion I have

I also got bitten by the cavebug while in the cavern,not sure I really wanted to but I am thinking of taking a cavern class,might as well sell all my other toys,looks like scuba poverty is in my future.

Even if you don't take to the caves, taking a cavern course will definatley help improve your overall diving!

 

[whathedeuce]

Suprbugman, i was hoping you would chime in...seems like you own the springs down there....any place you reccomend in particular? either vortex or morrison? or are there any i didn't mention that would be good....

 

[reefseal]

FWIW...

Something like 3 years ago, a load of us(all OW at the time) went out to the Mill Pond(which includes ShangriLa, Jackson Blue, Twin Cave, Hole in the Wall, Indian Washtub, Gator Hole, and a couple un-named springs). We enjoyed swimming around the OW sections of the sites just enjoying the excellent visibility and loads of bream, bass, crawfish, and the rest of the scenery involved with the Mill Pond, above and below the waters surface. It can be fun, just don't fool yourself into believing that you need to go into the holes(caverns/caves) to have a little fun at your level of diving.

Morrison and Vortex will be the easiest for you to enjoy, you'll need a boat to dive most of the Mill Pond and other springs like Cypress and Becton(both very good OW springs in Holmes Creek).

I've dove Morrison last spring. It was my first time diving some of springs in the area. (Vortex, Jackson Blue..) We had intended to dive the Mighty O but the winds killed that so it was great to have the springs as a Plan B. We had the gear for it. I have a stupid question on what flooded means. Is it that rains cause the vis to be so bad you can't dive it? I figured the vis would be good in the cavern so what's the big deal? Just trying to understand.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Tannic water and/or runoff in the basin. Makes the OW portion look like crap without any, or little visibility. If its flooded, there's a chance that sunlight will be blotted out completely. If there's no sunlight, there's no cavern zone, it becomes cave - whether its clear or not. Typically the cavern area is clear, except in times of extremely high water, but if there's no natural light to mark the smallish cavern entrance, you can be asking for real trouble by going in without a line and cave training.

Suprbugman, i was hoping you would chime in...seems like you own the springs down there....any place you reccomend in particular? either vortex or morrison? or are there any i didn't mention that would be good....

Vortex is a sure thing. Cypress is also a sure thing, with less crowds, better visibility, but at the expense of the added trouble of having to aquire a boat(Vortex rents canoes) and paddling a mile upstream(very picturesque regardless of diving) and into the spring run. Morrison is also a great site, just keep in mind it does flood alot in the winter. There's no reason you can't hit two of these three sites in a day if you start early.

 

[reefseal]

Thanks. I understand now. I remember experiencingTannic water for first time at Ginnie when doing drift dive. Even shallow water, was dark. I shudder to think of being in morrison cavern if you can't find the light..