Taking a multi-day trip to the Springs

[MrChen]

If sand can get next to the skin even with a sock, it hurts. On wednesday I did 16 short 10 min dives in Alexander springs doing product testing. It's a 75 foot long very shallow walk in the water across a sand bottom till you are at 3 foot depth and can flop forward to begin kicking the remaining 200 feet to the deeper boil hole. And that's after a 50 foot walk across the dry beach sand. All the dive sites have some sand topside that gets kicked up as you walk. One diver had sand in his boot and they were in pain before noon it hurt so much. It's just a bit of pain-free advice to pass along to your cousin, cause if he quits after day one of pain, it's gonna shorten your trip also and that sucks.

Ok, I'll wear my boots that I bought for Bonaire, I never put a hole in them. Thanks for the advice!

My cousin wears a converse like shoe.

 

[The Chairman]

My cousin wears a converse like shoe.

Great choice!

 

[MrChen]

I wear actual boots worn by Navy Seals. They are called OTBs (Over the Beach), and have lots of drain holes so they can go from the water, over the beach, and into battle without having to mess with their boots. I wear thin nylon socks and pull the socks over the tops of the boots and laces. this keeps most sand and rocks out of the boots bottom and top as well as keep the bows from the laces getting hung on anything. I usually have a bit of sand accumulate between the sock and ankle right at the top. But it doesn't make it down any lower.

My cousin has normal 3mm booties and a pair of Converse like shoes he bought for when we went to Bonaire. I can recommend to him to bring his shoes, but also want to advise him on how to seal them up. Are you saying you wear a sock in the shoe and one over the shoe? Any chance you can post a pic?

 

[The Chairman]

Are you saying you wear a sock in the shoe and one over the shoe? Any chance you can post a pic?

One sock. Pull the top of the sock down and cover the opening where the foot goes in. I'll see if I can find a pic. Don't hold your breath.

 

[The Chairman]

And, I don't have a pic of it. Sry.

 

[The Chairman]

FWIW, it works great on a boot because of the high top. Not so sure on a low top.

None of the springs you mentioned should be a problem. I used to teach out of Alexander, and never had an issue there. Advice, I would gear up in the parking lot at Alexander and then take the five-minute walk to the spring and walk right on in. All these other people would waste all sorts of time schlepping tanks and such to a picnic table, or more likely beside one. It can get quite crowded on the weekends.

 

[Green Frog]

Back in the day when I was doing a bunch of beach diving on San Salvador, Bahamas I found a pair of what I think of as “hard sole” booties that had soles about like Converse basketball shoes and slip on ankle high light weight neoprene uppers. I never drilled holes in the soles, but my big toes eventually wore holes on top… so water can kinda drain up!

 

[The Chairman]

The newer boots have drains on the side. I like them either way. I wore a pair of their low rise shoes to Moscow, and was hella surprised when I stepped in a semi-frozen shallow puddle near a heated grate. Surprise! That woke me up and I realized those holes work both ways! But it drained right out and the humidity was so freakishly low that it dried out in no time.

 

[MrChen]

That's what we did earlier this year. It has all the food and conveniences and makes for an easy drive to many of the springs. Here's the dive days that my buddy and I did:

Day 1 - DD and BG



Day 2 - Ginnie Ballroom



Day 3 - Ginnie Spring System

On day 2, how many dives did you do? Were you not able to do the ballroom and spring system in the same day? Or was there enough to do in the ballroom that you did repetitive dives?

 

[MrChen]

Here are my latest thoughts. BG and Devils on Friday. Saturday Ginnie.

Where do you guys recommend for an afternoon arrival on Thursday?