Brad Stambaugh wrote:

> On December 29, I will be going to northern Florida with some friends to
> explore springs, caves, and rivers. I was wondering if there are people
> here on this list that have been around the Florida springs area,
> especially around Ocala, Tallahasse, and Branford.

I occasionally dive some of the springs in the Ocala area.  What to
recommend depends a great deal on your experience and training.  The Ocala
area as two very well known springs, Blue Grotto and Devil's Den.  Both are
an interesting place for reasonably experiienced open water divers.  They
offer a taste of cavern diving without the very high level of risk
associated with such diving by those not trained for caves or caverns.  Blue
Grotto also has a cave system, but it's not safe for penetration for those
without full cave certification and equipment.  These springs are located in
Williston, a small town outside of Gainsville.  Closer to Ocala proper, is
Rainbow river.  This is a very pleasant river drift dive, easy, shallow and
enjoyable.  40 fathom grotto is also in this part of Florida.  We visited
this site once and did not find it particularly appealing.  It's a large,
deep hole.  Because the surface is covered with duck weed, it is a dark dive
below about 70 feet.  There's nothing to see except some objects placed for
diver viewing, a boat, a small towable submarine, a motorcycle, a car and
the like.  Diving at 40 fathom grotto requires a guide, so if you want to
dive the site, make advance arrangements.  We did not return for a second
dive there.

Just a bit further south and west, you'll find Crystal River and south of
that, Homosassa River.  Both are well known places to dive/snorkel with
manatees.  The manatees tend to congregate in the river when near shore
waters get colder than about 72 degrees, which they are likely to be in late
December.  We stay at the Best Western in the city of Crystal River.  The
motel is on the river, has its own dive shop/fill station, and rents flat
bottom jon boats suitable for half a dozen river divers.  Nearby, in the
river, you can fine King Spring, a shallow, non complex cavern that
reasonably experienced open water divers can do safely.

I'm not familiar with the more northern cities you mention.  There are some
springs up that way as well as salt water diving in the Gulf of Mexico.  The
springs I'm aware of are commercial operations, including some that have
specficially be modified to attract open water divers.  Diving in the Gulf
tends to be a bit on the deep side and require relatively long boat rides.

I don't know what water temperatures you are used to, but you should expect
water temperatures in the low 70s to high 60s.  The springs are 68 to 72
year round.

> BTW...Since I'm not known to most of you I live in northern Ohio (USA).
> We have 6" of snow, which is very pretty to some people. But the thought
> of getting wet and being warm has become an obsession. Does anybody else
> know the feeling?

Sure do.  Temperatures here in S. Florida drop all the way down to the 50s
at night and, on some days, don't get much above 70.  Brrrr.  Winter's here.
8^)

FWIW, you're not going far enough to experience the best open water diving
in the state.  The west coast is relatively baren.  It's OK if it's all
that's available, but there's better only a few hours away.  The southeast
cost, from around Stuart, down through the Keys is prime ocean diving.
Stuart down to around Boca Raton is drift diving, Ft. Lauderdale and south
more likely to be from an anchored boat with mild to no currents.  This is
where the reefs and greatest fish concentrations are.

Lee