Visiting Parents Near Ocala, Where to Dive?

[JasonH20]

My wife and son are visiting my parents at The Villages (near Ocala) for Christmas this year. I'll be there from the 21st to the 31st. Just checking if there is anything cool to dive in the Orlando / Tampa / Ocala area? Well I know there probably is, but I just don't know what it is yet.

I've been diving 2 years, 60 dives, all in or around Puget Sound (meaning cold, low vis, dry suit ) Diving here is awesome, but I'd love to try something else for a bit of change. I dive a BP/W, and long hose, but am not stricty DIR, just heavily influenced through my dive buddies.

So, any ideas? Wish I had the training to try a cave dive, but maybe there are some otherwise cool springs around there to dive? Anything close by on the coast? I've never traveled anywhere to dive, so not even sure what equipment I should bring if I do try to dive?

Thanks!
Jason

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

The Villages are an hour south of Ginnie Springs. The Ocala/Oraland area has a lot of springs to dive. I am sure somebody else will pipe in with more info. Good luck, and welcome to Paradise!

 

[eandiver]

Yeah, Ginnie sounds like a good bet. If you decide to go let me know and I'll be there.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Closest springs are probably Paradise and Alexander springs, both are very fun in different ways.

 

[AshTray]

Paradise is very fun and not as packed as others.

 

[JasonH20]

Looks like Ginnie Springs is a regular dive destination with instructors, dive shop, and rentals. From what I could find on Google, Paradise and Alaxander are more just places to dive, but without much of a facility?

For now I think I'd lean torwards Ginnie. While it would be nice to avoid the crowds, it looks like a better first time place to "get my feet wet" so to speak. I was checking out their intro to cavern diving, I'll have to start pleading with my wife to see if I can do that for my xmas gift.

I realize my dry suit might be a bit of overkill for the springs, but should I bring it anyways and just wear with sweats and shirt rather than my regular undergarment?

OK, I'm officially excited about trying out diving in your springs.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Drysuit is fine for the springs. If you are interested in a Cavern course, GDI who is on the board, I hear is an excellent instructor.

 

[mr3d]

I live in Ocall and would love to show you arround. Might even be able to get you into 40 Fathom Grotto. We should try to Dive Epcot. My wife is not a dive but she is is thinking of letting me go.....

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

From what I could find on Google, Paradise and Alaxander are more just places to dive, but without much of a facility?

Alexander is a divesite in the middle of a Nat'l Park, so no fascility.

Paradise has a quasi fascility in the form of the owners garage. He does fills and rents tanks, I'm not sure if he rents full sets of gear as I had my own the one time I've been. We had the place to ourselves and had a great dive earlier this year.

Ginnie is alot of fun too, I dive there everytime I get that deep into FL

 

[Crazy Fingers]

I agree with the others. You should do Paradise Spring. That place is wicked cool, and deep too... you can get to ~100 feet without entering the technical cave. If you're scared of overhead environments you should definitely stay away.