Where to start to get into the world of fresh water

[stewfish]

Please don't say a class or dive shop.

A half dozen of us want to get into diving freshwater near St Petersburg FL and were looking for some place to go, even open on the weekdays since we are medical professionals and have odd days off. A couple of us dove some of the spots when younger, but that doesn't mean they remember anything informative

Open water and caverns to start until we are interested enough to take some cave classes. We were looking around and trying to find basic centoes/ sink holes for advanced divers, at beginner level fresh water (no spelunking or cave diving).

I was thinking Devil's Den - Devil's Den

We don't know much about the areas holes and where to start on this huge list. Florida Cave, Cavern, and Sinkhole Diving

A mud pond doesn't seem too interesting but a list of things like devil's den would be cool especially free or hard to get to, but worth it, nearby the bay area that we can reach without a multi-day trip scheduled.

It seems that Jennie Springs is mainly caves under the one large pool. Is it worth going to check out without a cave cert or is the main pool too shallow???

I think we are just looking for an adventure to hike or find these places, fun place to enjoy the sun and cool off, and a place to see something new and amazing without putting $60 each into the boat to go diving.

We went scalloping the last two trips and while driving home were talking about the area and got interested.

 

[TJF]

Ginnie Springs is a good dive, can swim around in the ballroom in the main spring. Can also checkout 3 entrances to the cave system there, but not lights allowed when doing this...

Can also recommend trying Blue Grotto & Troy Springs.

 

[stewfish]

Hm, why no lights at the entrance? Where can we read up on basic rules for FL freshwater, never heard that in Mexico/Yucatan.

3 hrs to Troy Springs puts us at 6 hours of driving for one day. prob have to do a multi-day trip for that one. Blue grotto is pushing it at 2:30 hrs.

Anyone else on ideas? If we did take a cave diving class are there caves closer by or are they all this far north?

After a little more reading this morning, I guess places like arch sink still sound cool and not just a mud pit.

 

[TSandM]

The rule of no lights is to try to discourage open water divers from actually entering the caves. It is a Ginnie Springs rule, and a good one.

Manatee has Catfish Sink, which is a nice open water basin, but I seem to remember something vaguely that you can't dive there without a cave cert.

I did note that you said in your original post that you are looking for "open water and caverns". Please do not cavern dive until you have some training -- Althought the Ginnie Ballroom (which has a number of characteristics not shared by all caverns) is open to OW divers, that doesn't mean that OW skills and training suffice for diving caverns. It is possible to get lost and to silt out many sites. The skills to dive safely in potentially silty, overhead environments simply aren't taught in the recreational pathway of the vast majority of agencies. Be safe -- if you want to dive caverns, get some training to do so. It's worth it -- it will improve your salt water diving, too!

 

[LBHeyman]

Rainbow River is a great dive for getting into freshwater stuff. There is also a lake out near Sebring that a lot of people get their open water certs in. There is Hudson Grotto in Hudson, Blue Grotto, Devils Den, and Paradise Springs in Ocala. Ginnie Springs is nice if you don't mind to drive to a little above Gainesville. All only require open water certification.

 

[stewfish]

When I think of cavern and something we would start with, I think of a big vast area that has an opening at the top that can be seen at every spot in the cavern, like a glass fish bowl has a narrower top/opening vs the body. But I do agree with the safety issues raised, thus the reason I was getting info so we don't waste 4 hours of driving to a short ceiling cave/dive that is too technical/ dangerous.

 

[Scubadreaminn]

We are right in the midst of it all and can help with your travel plans and find a few dives that may be of interest and not cost too much. Our website Scuba Dream'inn and we can map something out for you while you stay with us or if just want to come up for a day we can advise you on the best bang for the buck while limiting you’re driving and maximizing your diving. The sites others have listed are great, but even some of the springs can get pricey and they are scattered all over the place. Devils Den is fun, not very deep and some cool swim troughs, couple of training platforms, lots of OW checkout divers on weekends ($37). Blue Grotto is 10 mins away, deep and fun when the viz is good, some training platforms, air bell, lots of OW checkout divers on the weekends ($40). Forty Fathom Grotto, Crazy deep, need a dive guide to dive it. Ginnie is fun for the day, Ballroom is groovy, ($33 after tax). Troy is good, getting to 67', ($5 a carload), manatee and catfish hotel, well its a place to get wet and for $6 a carload cant complain. I love Rainbow river, cool drift dive, not deep at all, but lots to see...