Diving in springs

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sytech@yahoo.com - 13 Mar 2006 13:38 GMT

I've been reading about a place called "Ginnee Springs" in northern
Florida. I hear it's a great place.

I live iin N.J. and was wondering if there's anything similar (I know
about Dutch Springs in Pa.) along the east coast, closer to where I
live.

Any advice will be appreciated.

Sy

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Ron - 13 Mar 2006 13:48 GMT

Sy..Living in New Jersey, I doubt you're going to find anyplace closer
than Dutch Springs. I've heard talk about another quarry opening in
Portland CT, but that's probably not closer than Dutch Springs.

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Popeye - 13 Mar 2006 14:25 GMT

> I've been reading about a place called "Ginnee Springs" in northern
> Florida. I hear it's a great place.
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Any advice will be appreciated.

You may just have to break down and settle for the Atlantic Ocean.

> Sy

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Lee Bell - 13 Mar 2006 15:48 GMT

> I've been reading about a place called "Ginnee Springs" in northern
> Florida. I hear it's a great place.
> I live iin N.J. and was wondering if there's anything similar (I know
> about Dutch Springs in Pa.) along the east coast, closer to where I
> live.
> Any advice will be appreciated.

There are springs all over Florida. Quite a few of them are diveable, a
few are diveable even without a cave or cavern certification, including
Ginnie Springs, Devil's Den, Blue Grotto, Forth Fathom Grotto and Kings
Springs. There are more in the panhandle. I'll leave it to you to discover
those that require a cave or cavern certification for entry.

Lee

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nitespark - 13 Mar 2006 23:19 GMT

> I've been reading about a place called "Ginnee Springs" in northern
> Florida. I hear it's a great place.
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> Sy

Actually two very different types of diving.

Ginnie Springs is a cavern type dive. They do allow people with OW
certification in the part known as the "Main Ballroom". Water is VERY
clear. Max depth is about 40 ft or so. Other parts of Ginnie Springs
(the Eye and the Ear) require a minimum of a Cavern certification to
enter. They don't even allow you to enter at that part of the site with
a flashlight unless you are at least cavern certified. Water temp is
around 70-72 deg. all year round.

Dutch Springs is a quarry. To my knowledge, no overhead environments.
You will probably find a thermocline, which you won't find at Ginnie
Springs.

-

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Rod - 14 Mar 2006 00:48 GMT

>I've been reading about a place called "Ginnee Springs" in northern
>Florida. I hear it's a great place.
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
>Sy

There is also Bainbridge Quary in PA route 30 and the Susquehanna
river

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sytech@yahoo.com - 14 Mar 2006 00:59 GMT

In article

Any diving springs in Va,, NC, SC, Georgia?

> >I've been reading about a place called "Ginnee Springs" in northern
> >Florida. I hear it's a great place.
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> There is also Bainbridge Quary in PA route 30 and the Susquehanna
> river

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nitespark - 14 Mar 2006 12:16 GMT

> In article
>
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>> There is also Bainbridge Quary in PA route 30 and the Susquehanna
>>river

No springs I know of in Virginia, however, there is Lake Rawlings (a
quarry) that is pretty popular. Max depth of about 60 ft. It has been
used on at least one occasion I know of to shoot an underwater scene in
a movie (The Replacements). North Carolina has Bluestone Quarry just
outside of High Point. There is also Fantasy Lake, (quarry) just
outside Raleigh. However, NC has some great shipwreck diving off the
coast of Morehead City.

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-hh - 14 Mar 2006 13:48 GMT

> I've been reading about a place called "Ginnee Springs" in northern
> Florida. I hear it's a great place.
>
> I live iin N.J. and was wondering if there's anything similar (I know
> about Dutch Springs in Pa.) along the east coast, closer to where I
> live.

I'm in NJ too. In addition to Dutch, there's also Willow Springs, PA:

http://www.willowspringspark.com/

YMMV as to which you might prefer. Dutch tends to be colder, but
clearer, although both are the typical "northern" holes in the ground,
which is not at all like a Florida spring.

-hh

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JRE - 15 Mar 2006 01:14 GMT

> I've been reading about a place called "Ginnee Springs" in northern
> Florida. I hear it's a great place.
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> Sy

So far as I know, there is nothing remotely close to Ginnie Springs
anywhere near NJ.

Ginnie Springs offers what is reputed to be excellent cavern and cave
diving instruction, for one thing, while Dutch Springs is, well, Dutch
Springs. It's a good place to try out new equipment configurations,
learn open water diving, or gain experience, but the aquatic life and
sunken attractions pale beside the diving and the wrecks off the NY and
NJ coasts. Plus, at twenty-something bucks a day, it costs a sizable
fraction of the cost of a decent dive charter (which I personally would
find to be more fun most of the time). On the upside, though, there are
emergency personnel scattered about Dutch Springs with O2 at the ready
and I'm sure the paths to local hospitals and the nearest deco facility
are well-grooved. Also, there are hot showers and air fills available.

Anyway, for more about Ginnie Springs, see:

http://www.ginniespringsoutdoors.com/

(I might make it there for cavern diving instruction next year, if I'm
lucky.)

John Eells

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Charlie Hammond - 15 Mar 2006 15:32 GMT

>Anyway, for more about Ginnie Springs, see:
>
>http://www.ginniespringsoutdoors.com/
>
>(I might make it there for cavern diving instruction next year, if I'm
>lucky.)

For those who may not know, the "cavern" course is the first level of
cave diving instruction/certification.

In my opinion, you should have at least 50-100 dives before taking this
course -- enough to have good bouyancy skills and to be comfortable
with SCUBA diving.

If my own experience (at Ginnie Springs) is indicative, this is a good
course for almost anyone -- who is not claustrophobic. Completing the
course will give you new knowledge and skills that will be usefull for
pretty much any sort of SCUBA diving -- whether or not you continue the
cave certification program.

If you want to take the cavern course, don't just show up -- call in
advance and talk to your instructor. Be aware that not everybody passes
a cavern/cave diving course. (No, it isn't the same as your basic OW!)
I recommend that you take the course without worring whether you pass
or fail -- just plan to learn as much as you can.

I have a write-up of my Cavern Diving Course. It's from 1999, so it
is a bit dated. If you'd like, email me and I'll send you a copy.

Signature

Charlie Hammond -- Hewlett-Packard Company -- Ft Lauderdale FL USA
(hammond@not@peek.ssr.hp.com -- remove "@not" when replying)
All opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily my employer's.

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