SUGGESTION: Google Earth Dive Site Project

[Likes2Cruise]

As a new diver, I have been having been spending a significant amount of time reading and researching dive sites. Although there is a lot of information within the Scuba Boards and also within the multitude of websites and books, I find getting specifics for any given site to be a ponderous task.

To assist myself, I have begun plotting dive sites that interest me on Google Earth. But my plots are simply a location based on the information I have and still requires information about parking, unloading, entry points, nearest boat ramp, and exact dive site location.

I am proposing the creation of a collection of Google Earth objects (KMZ files) created by Scuba Board members that help provide the information that would make locating diving locations easier. (posting to the Florida area first as thats MY interest). If there are members interested in putting together KMZ locations and providing them here, I'd be happy to try to compile them into a single object.

Attached is an example of what I am thinking about - sorry the dive flag jpg is missing due to size limitations.


There are already some good sources out there for similar information, but none specific for Florida and with details about beach and spring diving.

Index

and
Google Earth Community: SCUBA Dive Site Collection (1101 sites)

Are both very good for providing some of the information I am suggesting.

 

[Divergirl4U]

~Dania Beach:
Eastern end of Dania Beach Boulevard, you can dive at the south end of the beach just north of the big condos swim out in line with the condos and after about 100 yards (once you start seeing stuff) drop 20ft or so is adv depth, and the North is the eurojacks this dive is on the Northern most end of the beach and a long hike North 150yards on the Beach until you are about even with large steel structures visible to the west. Swim out about 100 yards to find the Jax steel structures that house all kinds of life … beautiful dive and if you have a current it turns into a nice drift dive right back to the pier with nice ledges and cubby holes for fish to hide in. Also I hear there is a second reef line further out I have not explored. So this is a location you can make an entire day of.

I have all kinds of information i could email you ... how much work did you say you wanted to do lol
Kim P

 

[Likes2Cruise]

I have all kinds of information i could email you ... how much work did you say you wanted to do lol
Kim P

Well...I'm up for some of the work, but was hoping a collabrative ScubaBoard community effort. I'm sure no expert on Google Earth, but adding a few points and information seems pretty easy - so I hope others can give their expertise. It's much easier for someone who dives a site frequently to provide the logistics.

Attached is my impression of your Dania Beach dive description (for some reason the Eurojack one is too big to upload. 2kb is too small )

 

[LowVizWiz]

Try this site, lots of FL info.
I also have a google earth file with hundreds of springs that's too big to upload here!
I'll be glad to email it to you.

BTW what's with the 2kb limit on kmz's?

 

[Likes2Cruise]

Try this site, lots of FL info.
I also have a google earth file with hundreds of springs that's too big to upload here!
I'll be glad to email it to you.

Actually, the '1011 Dive Site' KMZ has all the dive sites from the that website with links back to it. I was suprised it covered many of the spring dive locations.

I would definitely be interested in your dive site file.

 

[The Chairman]

This will actually be a resident part of ScubaBoard in the very near future. Save those files and we will let you know when they are ready to be uploaded!

 

[solensdotter]

Very cool project! Look forward to contributing - and seeing it up on the 'Board!

 

[Zoomer]

Great idea....

 

[sudnit5]

This website has a bunch of dive sites with GPS locations and descriptions.
tampadiving.com :: Florida Cave & Cavern Systems
Hope that helps.

 

[LowVizWiz]

I would definitely be interested in your dive site file.

I tried to PM you, but could not do so for some reason... I loaded up the 1011 dive sites file and a lot of the Fl springs, specially to better known sites, are duplicated on the file I have some are not.

Let me know if you're still interested and how to get the file to you.

Wys.