Trying to find a buddy to go to Alexander Springs

[DontHoldYourBreath]

Haven't been in the water since last Fall. Looking to do a refresher at Alexander. Am free this weekend and possibly a few days during the week if we can get there early. Can do 1 or 2 tanks. Let me know if you want link up.

I've got about 50 dives. Looking to get my feet wet before summer starts and I do some more advanced dives. Thank you!

 

[TampaOW]

Alexander Springs has a lifeguard on duty during the summer, and there is no requirement to have a dive buddy. It's only 25 feet deep, with crystal clear water, so the main threat is colliding with one of the snorkelers dive-bombing from the surface. It's a small dive site, but I find it useful for practicing valve drills with double tanks, and cave diving rehearsals like lost line and lost diver. At that depth, I can easily do four 45-minute dives in a day of training.

 

[Aquaviolator]

It's that time of year where weekends become a fiasco there just fyi. Like stated above, you can dive alone there and practice everything.

 

[TampaOW]

That's an excellent point. You'll have a much better time by going to Alexander during a weekday. The entry fee is only about $8, so the place really gets crowded on the weekends.

 

[MaverickDiver94]

By any chance is anyone interested in going on a dive tomorrow? I was thinking of heading to Lake Denton tomorrow - Saturday, June 10th

 

[drrich2]

It's been many years since my one visit, which I remember fondly. It was shaped like a Mexican sombrero hat flipped upside down; the central depression down to the spring was..., well, kind of a let down. Pretty small area for a 'dive site.' But the shallow vegetated perimeter of the surroundings offered a host of animals - Florida soft-shell turtles, 3-striped mud turtles, cooter turtles, gar, bowfin, and at the surface in the distance a perhaps 4-foot alligator. Treat it as a scuba-assisted snorkel excursion focused on wildlife observation and it can be quite worth your while.

 

[MaverickDiver94]

It's been many years since my one visit, which I remember fondly. It was shaped like a Mexican sombrero hat flipped upside down; the central depression down to the spring was..., well, kind of a let down. Pretty small area for a 'dive site.' But the shallow vegetated perimeter of the surroundings offered a host of animals - Florida soft-shell turtles, 3-striped mud turtles, cooter turtles, gar, bowfin, and at the surface in the distance a perhaps 4-foot alligator. Treat it as a scuba-assisted snorkel excursion focused on wildlife observation and it can be quite worth your while.

Honestly never been but heard it really nice, so thinking about trying it out.

 

[Rilelen]

It’s very shallow (like 5’) except for the one ~ 20’ spot in the middle (which does have a cute little cavern in it where you can poke your head). But it makes for a nice little natural “swimming pool” for refreshing skills or trying out new equipment.

 

[Bubblesong]

Weekend in Alexander Springs?!? God Save you! One and only visit. We waited three hours in line to get in one summer Saturday, (because my edgy, OCD sister absolutely insisted) then Saturday visitors thronged every, Chernobyl smoking, cookout spot, then (it seemed like) 500 people all splashed, crashed and swam around the entire surface.
There was one mermaid, he had a red plastic tail.
Agree with other poster; Go on a weekday.

 

[The Chairman]

Alexander Springs is one of the overlooked gems in the Southern Ocala National Forest. Make sure you spend some time looking under the canopy that surrounds the spring opposite the beach. Turtles, snakes, small gators, some rather large fish. It's amazing. Don't go under their rope boundary, or you'll get a lecture. Also, look for all the aquarium fish in the eel grass around the boil. Make a lot of bubbles, then go silent, and watch the thousands of baby shad rise just above to see what just happened. You'll also be able to spot a lot of invasive aquarium fish in there. I've seen plecos, mollies of all sorts, neon tetras, and more. Just. Go. Slow!!!