Unwarranted Cost Increase at Florida Springs

[ucfdiver]

Wow, guys, get over it . . . you aren't paying for the park. You are paying for that which it takes to maintain and sustain the parks. What was in the past is in the past - we cannot afford to keep operating that way! (We being everyone, as all the States have this issue.)

If not you, the user, to bear the greater brunt of the fees, then who?

Do you want to see Statewide Taxes go up, to pay for the park infrastructure sustainment, just so someone can put this on a ballot someday and your park and springs shut down?

Would you prefer to see them privatized, where everyone diving / swimming there, would pay the entire cost of keeping the area running?

I agree that those of you that bought an annual pass with the assumption that the diving fees were included should be grandfathered. Yes, please, petition the State to do that. But otherwise -- the "user fee" is a long-known tax, and it will continue to become ever more prevalent.

If not you, the user, then who?

I would be fine paying those fees. We already pay for cleanups, benches to gear up on, park benches for instructors to use, line committees, etc. However I'm *NOT OK* paying to upkeep my own property than necessary.

Have you been to Peacock Springs? There's a porta potty and a gate. The state park provides users no more than that...Ginnie has hot showers, a deli, fill station on site, drinks to purchase, etc all for $22/day, and they have to operate as a private business. I don't think it's fair to pay $15/day for something my tax dollars helped purchase when private industry can offer way more service for only marginally more cost.

 

[LiteHedded]

well the answer is nothing. cave divers don't cost the park any more than any other user would.
it's purely a cash grab directed at the group of people that do the least harm and do the most good for the park.

 

[UCFKnightDiver]

This sucks!

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Its awesome to own a boat.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

In my state they started charging a $5 fee for state park usage (including diving) in 2005. Three years later they rescinded the charge because they found out that it was hurting the economy ... people simply stopped using the parks.

I suspect the same thing will happen in Florida ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[ktomlinson]

I was advised to buy an annual pass when I complained about the price increase for divers. (advised by SB members and one park ranger) I complained when the price per day went from $10 per diver to $15 per at the beginning of the year. I started a thread about this a couple of months ago. I never bought the pass because even though I was told by a ranger that the pass covered diving, i never could find that in writing...in fact I found that diving wasn't included in writing on the Florida parks website. My biggest issue is that you can pay 4 bucks and get a carload of people in to swim in the same water I am diving in for the increased fee. I have heard all about the diver only facilities but a wooden tank stand built out of 3 2x4's certainly doesn't warrant the fee difference between divers and swimmers.

 

[ktomlinson]

To be fair to the fl parks people, this isn't an increase it is a clarification that diving was never included.

 

[ucfdiver]

I have heard all about the diver only facilities but a wooden tank stand built out of 3 2x4's certainly doesn't warrant the fee difference between divers and swimmers.

I don't believe the state park pays, or has paid for those.

 

[Dive-aholic]

I got a call from the District 1 Park manager today in response to my e-mail. The 5 district managers had a conference call meeting this morning and have put this on hold. All parks are going back to their normal operation pre-memo. They will be having meetings concerning this issue. Apparently, this started in the Orlando district with a manager asking for a clarification and snowballed from there. The intent was not to start charging daily fees to annual pass holders for diving. In fact, some of the managers weren't even aware that there were any changes. The District 1 manager (the only park where diving is allowed that he oversees is Wakulla) told me his park is doing things as before. If you hold an annual pass, you don't have to pay the daily fee to dive Emerald. The other parks should be doing the same. He will be contacting me with further updates as they arise.

 

[LiteHedded]

awesome news rob!