 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeArticlesDiving DestinationsLearning Scuba DivingMarine LifeMiscellaneousDiscussion GroupsGeneralScuba EquipmentScuba LocationsAustralian ScubaUK ScubaDirectoryScuba Clubs |
Scuba Forum / Scuba Locations / February 2006Orlando
I'm going to be in Orlando for business in early March time frame. I was thinking about adding a day to the trip and try some Florida diving. Any recommendations? Need to fly in and out of Orlando. Chris chrisb1erg*NOSPAM*@pacbell.net Remove *NOSPAM* We are looking for Scuba Diving Buddies for our club. We take week long trips out of Florida and it is a liveaboard for $550-$850.00 Send an e-mail titled, interested Scuba to pplindsay@yahoo.com if you are interested. Chris e-mail me there also...there is a club that seems to do some nice day trips. > I'm going to be in Orlando for business in early March time frame. I > was thinking about adding a day to the trip and try some Florida > diving. Any recommendations? Cave diving up north of there... Blue Springs is a short drive and probably the closest... Not the best cave around, but it clear water, next to impossible to silt out, and if you're lucky, you might see some manatees in the spring run on the way up to the spring head... > and if you're lucky, you might see some manatees in > the spring run on the way up to the spring head... Not the case anymore, have reports the eco-terrorists have won, divers now chased out when the damn things are present. They seek the contact, divers get penalized. Of course, I'm sure those cute little photos on the net of divers approaching them gave ammunition to the manatee-hugger cause. Curtis ""Magilla"" wrote >> and if you're lucky, you might see some manatees in >> the spring run on the way up to the spring head... > > Not the case anymore, have reports the eco-terrorists have won, divers > now chased out when the damn things are present. They seek the contact, > divers get penalized. You still might see them. You can still walk the trail along the run. Chasing divers out should not surprise me, but it doesn't sound right anyway. Are you sure or is this something being considered? Is it just divers, or divers and all the swimmers, canoes, etc.? Lee >> Not the case anymore, have reports the eco-terrorists have won, divers >> now chased out when the damn things are present. They seek the contact, [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > anyway. Are you sure or is this something being considered? Is it just > divers, or divers and all the swimmers, canoes, etc.? Divers were the last to get it, last time I was there we were allowed in while swimmers had to wait, because they knew we were headed to where the manatees didn't go. We did, of course, avoid them to the very best of our ability. Since then, a friend and regular there reported they started making divers wait too (for the upper run to be clear, not just an opening where we could pass). Don't have first-hand knowledge of the extent, just a reliable report things had been tightened. Curtis >>> Not the case anymore, have reports the eco-terrorists have won, >>> divers now chased out when the damn things are present. They seek the [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Curtis Ah well. Another case of doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. Lee > Ah well. Another case of doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. Well said. I have no problems with the diver protection rules, they make sense even if seem strict to some. Just seems to me the manatee protection rules go beyond what's necisary. Curtis "Magilla" wrote: >> Ah well. Another case of doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > if seem strict to some. Just seems to me the manatee protection rules go > beyond what's necisary. A similar battle has been going on in La Jolla for years. They built an artificial cove called the Children's pool, which the harbor seals decided was quite nice. I think the current status is that you can use the beach as long as you don't scare any seals into the water. Either extreme kind of made sense to me (California has lots of seal habitat and California has lots of beaches and dive sites), but now we have a situation where federal wildlife officials have to make decisions based on the interaction of human and animal behavior, which I think is guaranteed to both fail to protect the seals and fail to please the people trying to use the beach. > A similar battle has been going on in La Jolla for years. They built an > artificial cove called the Children's pool, which the harbor seals decided [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > of human and animal behavior, which I think is guaranteed to both fail to > protect the seals and fail to please the people trying to use the beach. Tell the Canadians about it. They'll bring their clubs right down. Lee No, you can still dive the cave, you just can't swim or float down the run. And if you harass the manatees you get tossed. But in all fairness the rangers watch very closely and they know sometime the manatees will approach you without you knowing it. It can be a suprise to come nose to nose with an 800 lb gray blob. gary Deltona Fl >> and if you're lucky, you might see some manatees in >> the spring run on the way up to the spring head... [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Curtis > No, you can still dive the cave, you just can't swim or float down the > run. And if you harass the manatees you get tossed. That's what it used to be, hear that's changed, maybe for just the peak weekends? I haven't made the trip since tipped off may not be able to get in. Have you been there in the past month? > But in all fairness the rangers watch very closely and they know sometime > the manatees will approach you without you knowing it. It can be a suprise > to come nose to nose with an 800 lb gray blob. In all fairness, most of the rangers have been very realistic about the situation, and their diving rules enforcement in general has been strict but fair. I've always found them very pleasant. Curtis Last time I was there was Dec, but we live only 15 min from there, so as soon as the weekend schedules clear a bit, I'll go over. If its a very cold day, the manatee will stay near the cave in the 72 deg water, but as the day warms up they move downstream to the St John's. gary Deltona, Fl >> No, you can still dive the cave, you just can't swim or float down the >> run. And if you harass the manatees you get tossed. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Curtis > Last time I was there was Dec, but we live only 15 min from there, so as > soon as the weekend schedules clear a bit, I'll go over. Anyone made it past Cork/Cap Rock and explored the rest of the system yet? Not that I've heard, and I can guarantee It won't be me. I managed to look down that little hole once when the flow was light. There is a reason I'm just "Cavern", not "Cave". Something to do with 4000+lbs. a cubic yard for that limestone. Gary Dalton, Fl >> Last time I was there was Dec, but we live only 15 min from there, so as >> soon as the weekend schedules clear a bit, I'll go over. > > Anyone made it past Cork/Cap Rock and explored the rest of the system yet? > Not that I've heard, and I can guarantee It won't be me. I managed to look > down that little hole once when the flow was light. There is a reason I'm > just "Cavern", not "Cave". Something to do with 4000+lbs. a cubic yard for > that limestone. I try to make it past there nearly every time I get a chance to go there... Haven't succeeded yet and I started around 1981... I've been chewed up, spit out, and had a chance to examine the overhead everytime I've tried... For me, it's kind of this "forbidden fruit" type of thing... With that much flow, there *has* to be a decent cave system back behind that rock... I'm curious if I could get a line around the rock and attach it to a few lift bags so that the rock could be moved... Hey Curtis... Any idea how much it might weigh? I suspect that once you get through the restriction, the flow will lessen... The problem is getting through it though... So far, I haven't heard of anyone who has survived it... > I try to make it past there nearly every time I get a chance to go > there... [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > haven't > heard of anyone who has survived it... Darwin must not wanna give up an award on you. > Darwin must not wanna give up an award on you. Me and Darwin are good buds... Seems he's always sleeping when I'm trying something though... Come on Curtis... Aren't you the least bit curious what is behind that rock that allows that much flow to come through? >> Darwin must not wanna give up an award on you. > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > rock > that allows that much flow to come through? Oh, have shined into it with an 18 watt HID, and on the correct gas for that depth, so I have seen enough to suit my fancy. Have spent more time at the cork looking around than many spend for their whole dive. Suspect I "could" get into it, I've entered Manatee from the headspring with a raging flow on more than one occasion, but that peticular configuration is not one I'd try, nothing in there is worth my life. So, guess I'll pass. Not to mention that the next yahoo who meets the Reaper there will possibly get the place closed to all. Curtis ""Magilla"" wrote in message news:rk9If.21973$id5.21920@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net... > Oh, have shined into it with an 18 watt HID, and on the correct gas for > that depth, so I have seen enough to suit my fancy. Have spent more time at > the cork looking around than many spend for their whole dive. So, what could you see past the cork? I've never been there with the flow low enough that I wasn't spit back out damn close to immediately, no matter how much extra lead I carried with me... Did it open up into anything interesting? Actually, I'm kind of surprised that no one has managed to explore it yet... When I was there back in 1981, you couldn't even see the opening... The small shells around there were blown up by the water and it looked like a 10 ft diameter white globe just sitting there in the water... Trying to penetrate it resulted in a case of white out and just as you thought that you were through it, you found out that you were pinned against the overhead yet again... There's caves that I like better, but I keep coming back to Blue Springs in the hope that sooner or later, I'll be able to see what is on the other side of the rock... The Peanuts cartoon with Charlie Brown, Lucy, and the football comes to mind... > >> Darwin must not wanna give up an award on you. (snip)> > Not to mention that the next yahoo who meets the Reaper there will > possibly get the place closed to all. Grumman isn't a yahoo, he's a rec.scuban. > Grumman isn't a yahoo, he's a rec.scuban. I was under the impression that Curtis was implying that Darwin is more likely to claim people with Yahoo email addresses... >> Grumman isn't a yahoo, he's a rec.scuban. > > I was under the impression that Curtis was implying that Darwin is more > likely to claim people with Yahoo email addresses... I'm gonna be nice....... > I'm gonna be nice....... That's no fun... > > I'm gonna be nice....... > > That's no fun... True enough, but this is rec.scuba.locations. If yer looking fer fun or trouble, then you should be over at rec.scuba. (wicked grin) > If yer looking fer fun or trouble, then you should be over at rec.scuba. Not necessarily in that order. > > If yer looking fer fun or trouble, then you should be over at rec.scuba. > > Not necessarily in that order. Right. :^) > Last time I was there was Dec, but we live only 15 min from there, so as > soon as the weekend schedules clear a bit, I'll go over. > If its a very cold day, the manatee will stay near the cave in the 72 deg > water, but as the day warms up they move downstream to the St John's. Next time you're there, don't be a stranger, introduce yourself. I do the hole there several times a year, just not this year yet. Curtis > No, you can still dive the cave, you just can't swim or float down the > run. And if you harass the manatees you get tossed. > But in all fairness the rangers watch very closely and they know sometime > the manatees will approach you without you knowing it. It can be a suprise > to come nose to nose with an 800 lb gray blob. Interesting. Frankly, I find this all a bit silly. I've never known a diver that, without mechanical assistance, could sucessfully harass a manatee for long that didn't want to be bothered. They swim a lot better than anyone I know. Of course you can, briefly bother them, but heck, learning that not all men are completely safe is probably a pro survival lesson. Coming nose to nose with a manatee, in clear water, is the kind of surprise I like. Lee > Not the case anymore, have reports the eco-terrorists have won, divers > now chased out when the damn things are present. They seek the contact, > divers get penalized. So, you have to enter from the boat ramp instead of the park and swim up the stream... Navigable waterway, they can't do a damn thing to you... Long swim though... Upstream swim to boot... > Not the case anymore, have reports the eco-terrorists have won, divers > now chased out when the damn things are present. They seek the contact, > divers get penalized. > > Of course, I'm sure those cute little photos on the net of divers > approaching them gave ammunition to the manatee-hugger cause. Speaking of Blue Springs, I saw a CNN video concerning the release of a couple of manatees over there... http://www.emailthis.clickability.com/et/emailThis?clickMap=viewThis&etMailToID= 1863038263 >I'm going to be in Orlando for business in early March time frame. I >was thinking about adding a day to the trip and try some Florida [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >Remove *NOSPAM* The Living Seas at WDW Epcot. $140 for for about 40 minutes of diving in one of the world's largest aquriums. (aquria)  Signaturedillon Could have been is in the past Could be is in the future There is only the now Drive about an hour west to Port Orange and go with "Discover Diving." Very cool people. -Amanda > I'm going to be in Orlando for business in early March time frame. I > was thinking about adding a day to the trip and try some Florida [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Remove *NOSPAM* > Drive about an hour west to Port Orange and go with "Discover Diving." > Very cool people. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >> >> Remove *NOSPAM* Discover Diving is in Port Orange, which is just south of Daytona Beach, about an hour to the north of Orlando via I-4 west. They can set up an ocean dive on one of the many offshore reef sites. The closest is about 6 mi. offshore, and in 60-90 ft. of water, and they get progressively further out and deeper from there. I recommend calling ahead, since this time of year there isn't much demand, so there might not be a regularly scheduled trip. Also, you'll want to find out what the temperature is going to be like. It varies from "drysuit" to "thick wetsuit" this time of year. Which is why the springs are popular to both divers and manatee in the winter.. 72 all year round. Paradise spring in Ocala is not too far to the north. The flow there is much less than blue, so it's a more relaxing dive, but also easier to silt out. They can do air fills, (and I think rent cylinders as well) but do not have a full dive shop. Devil's Den in Wiliston is a bit further to the north and quite stunning visually though not as deep as the other sites (but your air will last a bit longer ;)) The entrance is from a platform in the center of the spring, but the entire thing is under a dome of earth. It also is fairly easy to silt up. They have limited dive-shop facilities. Air, lights, I think they have wetsuits, but I'm not sure if they have regs, weights, etc. no nitrox. |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.