Diving the Springs of Florida on $1,000 or Less

Photos by David Ulloa

Got the dive bug and need to keep it fed with an exciting and affordable adventure? Try the Florida Springs.

Weather getting a little iffy up your way? Tired of getting blown out at the coast? Got the dive bug and need to keep it fed with an exciting and affordable adventure? Try the Florida Springs.

By Alison Forbis

When most divers think of Florida, what usually comes to mind is the world-class diving in the Keys. But there is another side of Florida that many divers completely overlook — freshwater springs and sink holes. Hidden deep in thick forests of live oak and cypress  in the North, Central and Western portions of the state, are more than 100 diveable freshwater sites that you can explore without breaking the bank.

For many years, divers all over Florida and the Southeast U.S. have been making the trek south to do their very first check-out dives in some of the more popular springs like Crystal River and Ginnie Springs. And it's no mystery why they're popular! Crystal River is the only place in the US that you can legally snorkel with the endangered Florida Manatee. Ginnie Springs, in addition to having some of the country's best cave diving, has water so clear it's considered the gold standard for visibility. If you hear the term "Ginnie-clear", you've got a good dive ahead of you!

But there are so many other springs to explore that are a little more off the beaten track, and have just as much to offer. Here are a few highlights

Northwest Area Springs:

Merritt's Mill Pond/Blue Springs Recreational Area in Marianna is a large and beautiful lake operated by Jackson County . The pond is home Jackson Blue Spring, Shangri La Spring, Gator Spring and Indian Washtub, along with several other dive sites. Many of the springs lead to extensive underwater cave systems, so stay within your training and experience levels.  There is extensive aquatic life in these springs, including an extremely rare sightless salamander. There is a full service dive shop, Cave Adventurers, located on the lake. They rent pontoon boats (you will need one to cruise around and check out all these spots) for around $75 per day including fuel, and they offer great rates for nitrox and air fills.

Morrison Springs, near Ponce De Leon, is operated by Walton County and is one of the best open water spring dives in the state. There is a large spring basin leading to two caverns with depths up to 90 feet. The state of Florida recently completed extensive renovations to the park, including a new dock, boat ramp and outdoor showers. There is currently no entry fee for divers, and there is a full service dive shop about 10 minutes away at Vortex Spring.

Vortex Spring, also in Walton County, is a commercial dive operation with a full onsite dive shop along with camping and cabin rentals. Entry fee is $19 per day and includes night diving. It is a very popular dive training site with underwater platforms. The spring has a large basin and a cavern that reaches a depth of about 60 feet. This cavern leads into a small cave with a maximum penetration of over 300 feet, at which point there is a grate the blocks further passage into the system. Divers without cave certification are not allowed past the cavern light zone.

Northeast Area Springs:

Troy Springs State Park is a great dive spot near Branford, and it's the only park that can boast an authentic Civil War shipwreck-- in about 5 feet of water!  The maximum depth in the basin is about 75 feet and it runs into the Suwanee River. It can be crowded with check-out dives, so try weekdays. Entry fee is $15 per diver or, as with all Florida State Parks, free with annual pass--see below for details.

Peacock Springs State Park near Luraville is one of the most extensive cave systems in Florida, with over 28,000 feet of surveyed passage. There are two primary entrances to the system and several other smaller sinks on the property. Orange Grove Sink can be a good open water dive, and although usually covered with duckweed. you can get some awesome photos looking out from the cavern entrance back into the sink when you can get the sun just right.

Devil's Den: Located in Williston, this commercial site's name says it all--it's a large underground dry cavern with 50 feet of sparkling blue spring water in the bottom. This is a really fun open water dive with lots of swim throughs and fossils embedded in the walls and boulders. It's a very popular spot for check-out dives with a platform and dive shop on site, and visibility tends to go fast when you get a couple open water classes in here. If you can go on a weekday you will usually have great vis and no crowd--well worth the $37 entry fee--it's also a great place to picnic and explore the rest of the property. There are showers and restrooms onsite.

Blue Grotto, located just down the road from Devil's Den, is another cavern/sink dive with a maximum depth of about 100 feet. Entrance fee is $40 per day. You can follow a circuit line that starts at the wall opposite the entrance dock, swim to the bottom of the sink and back around to open water and never lose natural light. There are good facilities for check-out dives, so just like its neighbor, this is a better deal on weekdays or early in the day before the crowd gets there.

Central Area Springs:

Manatee Springs State Park in Chiefland is an ancient Florida forest filled with cypress trees and all kinds of wildlife very close to the Gulf Coast.  This is another extensive cave system and there are two good open water dives. Manatee Spring is typically crystal clear with a depth of about 40 feet and flows directly out to the Suwannee River.  Catfish Hotel, further upstream, is covered with duckweed and open water divers should not enter the cavern part of this sink as you can literally be sucked downstream into the cave towards Manatee!

Rainbow River in Dunellon is the runoff of Rainbow Springs (the spring is off limits to divers). You can catch a water taxi at KP Park ($3 entry fee per person plus about $10 per person for the ride) that will take you up the secluded river and drop you closer to the spring, where you then you drift back to the park to exit. Along the way there are several small springs and caverns, and lots of spots where spring water is literally bubbling out through the sandy bottom. This water is Ginnie-Clear and there is a variety of fish and birdlife as well and beautiful setting with some huge old live oak trees that hang over the water that make a good spot to do a quick surface interval.

Alexander Springs is an interesting open water dive in a huge spring basin in the beautiful Ocala National Forest. The maximum depth here is about 25 feet, and the water is very clear as long as you beat the crowds. Entrance fee is $10 per diver and there are excellent facilities for picnicking and camping as well as many other activities in the park.

Hudson Grotto in Pasco County is a large sinkhole and fascinating dive--although it tends to be very tannic (the color of the water ranges from "tea" to "coke"), its limestone walls are full of fossils, swim-throughs, and many "surprises" that have been planted there by divers over the years. The grotto has a salt-water infusion during high tide so you can encounter underwater visitors from the Gulf in here as well as the full range of freshwater life. Entrance fee is $15 per diver and you sign in at Scuba West, a great full service dive shop right across the street.

Similar Yet Unique

While each spring has its own personality and unique setting, they are similar in several ways that make for awesome diving.

Animal Life: The springs are inhabited by a variety of animal and plant life. Common residents include freshwater eels, bass, mullet, gar, small flounder, catfish, several kinds of turtles, and many freshwater crabs and crayfish, not to mention the occasional gator and manatee. Inside the caves you can find strange sightless and colorless shrimp and other cave-adapted animals called troglobytes. In some cases these animals are found only in Florida, and sometimes only in one or two spring systems.

Activities: The opportunities for underwater photography and videography are excellent in the springs due to the often exceptional water clarity and unique beauty of their locations both above and below water.  Some of the most incredible underwater photos you will ever see are taken from inside one of the caverns looking out into a crystal clear open water pool. Underwater artifact and fossil hunting are popular activities, especially in the water runs from the spring pools into the river.

Dive Conditions: Water temperatures in the springs range from about 68 to 73 degrees year round depending on which part of the state you're diving. What can be more perfect? The waters feel cool and energizing in the summertime, and in the winter it's a great feeling to warm up before your dive on a cool morning.

During rainy periods the tannic water from the rivers can overflow into the spring basins. This can reduce visibility but also makes for some interesting scenery where clear water mixes with tannic. Call a local dive operator beforehand for an up-to-date dive report.

State Park System: Many of the springs are located in Florida State Parks. You can pay a daily entrance fee of around $15 or buy an annual pass for $60 individual or $120 family (this is a great deal if you're diving with a group--you get up to four people in on one family pass!) that will get you free or almost-free access year-round. Arguably the best deal in diving! You can usually buy a pass at any of the parks, or go to http://www.floridastateparks.org.

Lodging: The local hotels around the springs are generally very diver- and wallet-friendly. High Springs in Alachua County is a good central location for diving the Central and Northeast area springs. It's within an hour's drive or less from many of the springs and it's got quite a few reasonable places to eat as well as lots of local art and antique shops. My favorite place to stay in the area is the High Springs Country Inn. It's locally owned, and once you stay there a few times you feel like part of the family! A room with one double bed runs $42 plus tax and a king or two double beds runs $57 plus tax. Many of the parks allow camping and some have cabins for rent. These usually run $80 to $100 per night and sleep about 6 people, so if you have a crowd and don't mind being up close and personal with your dive buddies, this is a great option.

A Note on Cavern and Cave Diving:

If you are on the adventurous side, Florida's springs are the windows into many hundreds of miles of underwater caves that are nowhere near fully explored. This network is easily the U.S. Mecca for cave diving. Cave diving is not an activity to be entered into lightly, and cave divers are required to complete extensive training, often over years, as well as follow special procedures, apply advanced diving techniques, and utilize redundant equipment to reduce the very high risk of diving in overhead environment where the nearest exit to the surface thousands of feet away. There is rarely a year that goes by during which some diver without the proper training, equipment or experience decides to go "just a little further" in a cavern or cave and either gets lost or runs into a problem he's unable to solve underwater, resulting in a serious accident or fatality. If you are, like many of us, lured by the call of the caves, please get the proper training and always respect the rules and the caves. If you're not sure you want to take the full cave plunge, you can get your feet wet with a cavern and/or intro to cave diving class that gives you a taste of the experience and the equipment.

There are several certification agencies that specialize in training cave divers, including NSS-CDS, NACD, IANTD and GUE.  All have instructors who have spent thousands of hours in these systems and can introduce you to this fascinating world using the proper procedures for safety and cave conservation.

Itinerary for Northeast/Central Florida Springs Week

Sunday: Fly in to Orlando airport. Rent car and drive to High Springs. Check in at the High Springs Country Inn and catch up with Sam (the owner) and family.

Monday: Start out the week with a full day at Ginnie Springs. You can rent any gear needed at the full service dive shop onsite and there's a sandwich shop that's usually open. Spend the morning with a dive down to the grate in the cavern at the main spring, Ginnie, to experience the strong flow coming out. In the afternoon explore the three springs in the Devil's Cave System, and even do a short drift dive down the spring run to the Santa Fe River, exiting back at Ginnie Spring.

Tuesday: Get up early and head southwest for a morning drift dive at Rainbow River. You can make reservations with a river taxi a day or two beforehand to pick you up at KP Park and take you upriver to drift back . In the afternoon, time permitting, cruise back north to Manatee Springs State Park. Dive Catfish Hotel first so you can rinse the duckweed off your gear in Manatee Spring afterward!

Wednesday: Head over to Troy Springs for a morning dive or two. Made sure to check out the wreck of the Madison in the run. Gas up at Cave Excursions and make sure to catch a quick sandwich across the street at the historic Luraville Country Store (18001 SR 51, Luraville, 386-776-1048). For the afternoon, drive a couple miles down the road and make a dive in Orange Grove Sink just beyond the first parking area you come to after you enter Peacock Springs State Park.

Thursday: Another early day but worth it! Back down to Crystal River to check in with Bird's Underwater or one of the other local dive shops. Spend half the day exploring King's Spring and in Kings Bay, and the other half snorkeling with the Florida manatees — if you're there during winter you'll see a bunch of 'em. Just don't approach them on scuba — snorkeling only.

Friday: Make a deep dive in the morning at Blue Grotto, then move across the street to Devil's Den for afternoon dives and to explore the beautiful wooded property there, which includes a large fish pond, picnic tables, grills, and several other sinks as well as a small dive shop. In you're not into bringing your own, the Driftwood Grill just down the road in Williston has quick service, good food and prices for lunch.

Saturday: Time to off-gas a little, but no worries. You can rent a kayak or canoe and explore the Santa Fe River, go hiking at Oleno State Park or tubing at Ichetucknee. In the afternoon pick up gifts for the kiddos (or yourself!) at one of the many art, antique and gift shops while you explore historic downtown High Springs. Enjoy a romantic or rowdy (depending on your company) dinner at Great Outdoors to top off the week.

Sunday: Oh no! There's never enough time to do it all. Back to Orlando to fly off to colder climes. While you're driving go ahead and start planning your trip back next year!

Links of Interest:

High Springs Country Inn, 520 NW Santa Fe Blvd, High Springs. 386-454-1565

High Springs Chamber of Commerce

Dive Sites and Other Activities:

Florida State Parks:  There is a page for each park with updated hours, conditions, activities.

Ginnie Springs:  7300 NE Ginnie Springs Rd, High Springs, 386-454-7188

Devil's Den: 5390 NE 180th Ave, Williston, 386-528-3344

Blue Grotto: 3852 NE 172 Ct, Williston, 386-528-5770

Got Gas?

 There are several dive shops convenient to all these locations, but here are a few recommendations:

High Springs Area:

• Cave Excursions East: http://www.caveexcursionseast.net, 4030 NE County Rd 340 (corner of 340 and State Rd 47), 386-454-7511. Closest to Ginnie Springs.


• Amigos Dive Center: http://www.amigosdivecenter.com, 5472 SW Elim Church Rd, Ft. White, FL 32038, (386) 497-3876. High Springs area or while heading towards Peacock/Troy. You will not regret going a little out of your way for this experience that's more like hanging with friends than visiting a typical dive shop, and once you've met Wayne, you'll feel like you have a new "amigo" for life!

Peacock/Troy Area:

• Cave Excursions: http://www.sidemount.com 20338 180th Trace, Live Oak, 386-776-2299. Bill Rennaker is the owner and if you're lucky, he'll be around to share a new joke (typically not for virgin ears!) or a juicy story.


• Dive Outpost: http://www.diveoutpost.com, 20148 180th St, Live Oak, 386-776-1449

Crystal River/Gulf Coast Area:

• Bird's Underwater: http://www.birdsdivecenter.com, 320 NW Highway 19, Crystal River, 800-771-2763.


• Crystal Lodge Dive Center:  http://www.manatee-central.com, 525 NW 7th Ave, Crystal River, 352-7956798

Great Eats Around High Springs:

Alice's Parkside: 215 NW Santa Fe Blvd, High Springs, 386-454-1166. Homecooked food, excellent breakfast under $5, great staff! Turn left out of hotel, Alice's is 2 blocks down on the right.

Fleetwood Diner: 615 NW Santa Fe Blvd, High Springs, 386-454-5775. Across the street from hotel, good diner-type food with Greek flair--if you love spinach their spinach pie is AWESOME! Breakfast/lunch/dinner/full bar.

Kazbor's Grill: http://www.kazborsgrille.com, 16135 NW US 441, Alachua, 386-418-8078. Turn left out of hotel, continue straight about 4 miles to Kazbor's on left. Thursday night is all-you-can-eat wings night. Try the smoked!

Conestoga's: http://www.conestogasalachua.com, 14920 Main St, Alachua, 386-462-1294. Meat eater? This is the place for you. A little more pricey, but sometimes you just gotta have a good steak!

Great Outdoors: http://www.greatoutdoorsdining.com, 65 N. Main St, High Springs, 386-454-1288. This is a High Springs classic with a variety of light meals to entrees and great desserts. Decent wine list and nice atmosphere, good place to splurge on your last night--or any night, for that matter!

Ready for the Damage?

(all assuming you are traveling with a dive buddy)

Round-trip airfare to Orlando:    $225

Rental Car:                               175 each (total $350)

Gas:                                          50

Dive Entry Fees:                         200

Hotel:                                       210 each if double ($300 for single)

Play Money for Saturday:              50

Total:                                     $ 910

That didn't hurt much did it? Especially for a week of great diving, pristine nature, friendly people, awesome weather, many memories and lots of reasons to come back. Come on down y'all!