Vortex Spring

[Archer_Pensacola]

My wife and I are scheduled to do our checkout dives with our instructor at Vortex Spring. Obviously we are excited and anxious about doing this. Can someone tell me what it's like there, and what we might see as we dive down in the Spring?

 

[Spectre]

You'll see some artificial overheads [makeshift tubes], a big metal "talk box", some koy fish to chase, and probably a ton of other divers.

 

[amaze]

My wife and I are scheduled to do our checkout dives with our instructor at Vortex Spring. Obviously we are excited and anxious about doing this. Can someone tell me what it's like there, and what we might see as we dive down in the Spring?

Vortex is a good first dive spot. Lately the visiibility has been a little milky and on the weekends when a lot of check out dives are being made its bad vis in the basin. Just after entering from the west most steps it drops to 20 feet where there's a rectangular concrete platform on the floor...you will probably do drills there. It has an orange buoy marker on it as well. The air box is just behind it and to the right as you head into the basin further. At the airbox just to the left inbound you will see an entrance to one of the metal caves the other one is on the right. If you continue into the basin past the entrance to the overhead on your left you will reach a small ridge, go up and over and you at the top of the cavern and can drop down to about 50 feet into a large room with some boulders. At one end is the cave entrance and on the left is an extension that slopes up to about 30 feet or so. The cavern is a lot of fun to explore and ther's some flow coming from the cave entrance. The cavern is also marked with a buoy. The water is a constant 70 or so so it will be a bit chilly if you are down lond in a wetsuit. About 2 years ago i had an annual pass and probably did 150 dives there. Just dove it for the first time in a while about three weeks ago. Have a good dive and enjoy. Bill

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Bream, bass, koi, freshwater eels, turtles, crawfish, ect. The artificial swim thrus are fun and good practice in getting your bouyancy squared away.

Shoot me a line if you ever want to try out some of the other local spots, we dive the panhandle quite a few times a month.

 

[Tom Smedley]

When are you going to Vortex? Rick Murchison and I will be there on August 20 and 21. I know it will be crowded throughout the month of August because Connie is booked out on rooms.

Just remember something important. When it comes to diving and dealing with Mother Nature. The most important thing to pack is your sense of humor.

You, as a member of a class, will be under the control of your instructional staff and as such will see what they want you to see. Vortex has a panacea of stuff to look at and enjoy. The visitiblity will probably not be the best with all the novice divers there. However, just enjoy, learn, and see what you can.

Be sure to:
1. Bring your sense of humor
2. Enjoy the hamburger steak at Sally's
3. Enjoy the breakfast buffet with tomato gravy at Sallys
4. Enjoy the young entrapeneur's hotdogs and snowcones at Vortex
5. Get all your diving skills done and out of the way
6. Enjoy yourself
7. Soak up the local culture on the swimming beach
8. Do the best you can with what you've got. See number one.
9. Personally thank Eduardo for working so hard to keep your tanks filled.
10. If you have food left over give it to Eduardo.
10 a. Do not ***** at Eduardo - he is doing the best he can.
11. Enjoy yourself (Did I say that already?)
12 Go back next time out of season or during the week.
13. See number 5 through 7.

You have the best training place - clean - lots of facilities - safe. If the staff seems busy they are. Looking at water from the surface is like watching a circus from outside the tent. Congratulations on your check-outs.

The blue gills and eels absoutely love vienna sausage.

Hope to see you there

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

7. Soak up the local culture on the swimming beach

Definately