Traveling to Atlanta

[chrpai]

I'm traveling to corp HQ in Atlanta, GA next month and will have a weekend free. All work and no play makes me grumpy on Monday.

So what should I do? I guess I can go up to Lake Lanier and get some local mud pit diving in but I can do that back home all the time.

What's some moderate travel distance sites?

Atlantic off shore diving somewhere?
Gulf off shore diving somewhere?
Cave country for a cavern class?

I just don't know that part of the country very well.

I could use some suggestions. I could drive up Friday night, stay 2 nights and get back Sunday night.

 

[lv2dive]

For starters, Atlanta has the best aquarium in the world! Just MHO of course!

You are 2.5 hours away from some very nice lake diving at Lake Jocassee - remember the graveyard scene in the movie Deliverance? You can dive that graveyard! I think that is pretty cool.

Re cavern/caves: You are also 4.5 hours from Marianna, FL and 5 hours from High Springs. Being 5 hours from High Springs, may mean more by next month, several of the cave systems are blown right now from Tropical Storm Debby.

If I recall you were potentially interested in GUE - depending on your timing, there may be a Primer class being offered over that weekend (or one could be arranged).

PM me if you would like more thoughts - it may be clear that I live in Atlanta and drive a LOT to dive.

 

[chrpai]

I see a Fundies class scheduled the weekend after I leave. It'd be expensive to have to foot the bill for 5 nights of hotel though. If I could squeeze a primer in the weekend before that would be a possibility. Don't see one scheduled though.

Hows the vis at Lake Jocassee?

 

[diversteve]

You know you can dive the Aquarium right? The tank with the Whale Sharks...

Journey with Gentle Giants is the only opportunity in the world where you are guaranteed to swim or dive with whale sharks, manta rays and more! Suit up and SCUBA dive or snorkel in the Ocean Voyager exhibit, built by The Home Depot, with thousands of amazing animals for the experience of a lifetime!

Swim with Whale Sharks | Georgia Aquarium

$325 and they provide all the gear. Actually the only thing you can bring is your mask.

 

[chrpai]

No, I didn't know that. Looks like I get a modest employee discount also. Too bad the kids wouldn't be there to see me in the tank. That'd be cool.

 

[lv2dive]

To clarify - LOL - "footing the bill" for an acceptable, clean, no frills hotel in High Springs for five nights resembles footing the bill for one, maybe two nights, in some swankier locales.

To drive home the point: my first fundies class (also with a few days of fun dives added on, granted) cost me over $3k - SHARING A ROOM. My second fundies class cost less than $1k NOT sharing a room, in High Springs. Not doing boat dives, and the differences in the costs between High Springs and West Palm, made expenses quite disparate between the two locations.

 

[Froid]

Or you can add a couple legs to the flight and dive in Miami or Key Largo.