Four Special Springtime Scuba Diving Destinations

Lord Tennyson's poem "Locksley Hall" tells us "In the spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love". Many scuba divers find that those thoughts of love lead them to plan their first scuba diving trip of the year. Unless you love ice diving or live in a location warm year-round, you likely have not been scuba diving in months. Many scuba divers are only able to get away for diving a few times a year, so that the first dive vacation, even if it is a short one, should be something special.

You can, of course, head to any of the major dive destinations in the Caribbean for your spring getaway. Many of the “Snowbirds” will be headed back north to home and after the college spring break periods are finished, the destinations are not as crowded. Belize will likely still have numerous whale sharks to make your dives special, and other marine mammals will be starting to migrate.

Let’s not forget some of the outstanding Indo-Pacific destinations. The spring is the best time for scuba diving in the Philippines. The rainy season has finished, and visibility and marine migrations are at its best. Thailand is also a great location year-round with spring being the best time to dive.

However, let’s use our imagination and start our year off with something extra special. Here are four locations that you might not think about to start your scuba diving season. Spring-time Scuba diving, here we come.

Have You Ever Considered Utah As A Scuba Diving Destination?

Utah might not be on many divers’ lists of diving destinations, especially in the spring. Winters are cold and, in the spring, you will still see temperatures just above freezing at times. Homestead Crater may change your mind. Having stayed at the resort where the crater is, you find yourself one chilly morning walking to the dive site with a heavy robe over your swimsuit. As you approach the water’s edge, it is starting to get warmer. There you assemble your gear, gear up, and then do a giant stride off the dive platform into the clear blue water. It is springtime, the outside air is still chilled so the water must still be cold. Nope, that giant stride will take you into water that may be as warm as the water that you bathe in. Homestead Crater is fed by a hot spring, and the water is about 95 degrees Fahrenheit (about 35 degrees Celsius) year-round. Both the air and water temperatures stay in the 90’s, regardless of the outside temperatures.

Homestead Crater, also called Utah Crater, has been known for its hot springs for over a century. Simon Schneitter and his family settled near Midway, Utah and started a farm. In 1886, he found a limestone rock formation with warm mineral waters seeping from it. This discovery led to the development of a resort. A few decades ago, further exploration led to the discovery of an underground lake. An opening was made at the top and later a tunnel was created to lead to the water inside. Today, there is a 55-foot limestone dome above the underground lake fed by a hot spring below. The opening in the dome allows light to enter and keeps the air circulating.

A few floating docks have been installed as both dive platforms and relaxation areas. Underwater platforms have also been installed. The water is 65 feet deep, and because the area is at a high elevation, it is also an altitude dive site. The water is clear and tinted blue. Unlike the blue of the ocean, which is mostly reflected sunlight, the blue color here is due to the mineral content. If a diver is careful not to stir up the silt on the bottom, they will be able to see bubbles where the hot spring water flows into the crater.

If you have a non-diver as a traveling companion and they are not keen on Utah, you could point out that there are many world-class ski resorts in the area, and many are open most of the spring.

Key Largo Spring Break Without the Spring Break Crowd.

Mention “Spring Break” and Florida comes to most people’s minds. Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale have a reputation as the go-to destination for tens of thousands of college students. While these two fine cities have been trying to rein in the spring break wildness, it still happens. These activities and scuba diving are at odds with each other and could lead to a ruined vacation for you. Still, you do not need to rule out a Florida dive vacation this spring.

Key Largo has some of the best diving in the United States. However, it is not a party destination. Hotels and resorts are spread out along US1. While there is some nightlife, it is not like the two above-mentioned cities where you can walk from one bar to the next to the next and so forth. The beaches are also smaller and more remote.

Key Largo is the northernmost of the Florida Keys and near the Everglades. Public transportation for Miami International Airport takes about an hour. We have discussed the diving in Key Largo and the Florida Keys in detail in other articles.  There is a wide range of dive sites that will be suitable for all level of scuba divers.

Do not dismiss other Florida diving destinations off hand as well. Florida has numerous springs that has a constant 72 degree temperature year-round.

St John USVI Off The Beaten Path Scuba Diving.

The US Virgin Islands are a popular tourist destination. However, most of the tourists, including cruise passengers, head for St. Thomas. The range of tourist activities that St Thomas provides is impressive. It is also a great destination for scuba diving. If you are going to be focused on your scuba diving, then maybe a short ferry ride to St John is a great fit for you. St. John is just four miles from the main harbor on St. Thomas, still, in terms of the difference between the two, you could be hundreds of miles away. St John is the smallest of the three main US Virgin Islands, being only about 50 square miles in size, with a population under 4,000 people, three-fourths of the population lives in Cruz Bay.  Sixty percent of the island is a National Park.

The tourism industry in St John is more laid back and nature-oriented then the busier and more populated St Thomas. You also do not have to deal with the thousands of cruise passengers that swarm St Thomas daily.

The dive centers here are very professional and offer a full range of services. Nitrox and tec diving are readily available. The reefs are generally healthy and marine life plentiful. The selection of dive sites is also impressive. You will find over 30 dive sites around the island, with many just a few minutes away from the dive centers. Many of the dive sites are drift dives that are suitable for more skilled scuba divers. Beginners will also have a range of dive sites that include reefs and shipwrecks. St John dive centers will also do trips to the British Virgin Islands dive sites.  The wreck of the Rhone is one such site.  The RMS Rhone sank in a storm in 1867 and is today considered one of the best dive sites in the Caribbean.

Depending on the ferry line and terminal you use on St Thomas, the ferry ride will take between 25 and 45 minutes. The British Virgin Islands are also only a short distance away and can be reached by ferry in a similar time.

Bimini For a Short International Scuba Diving Trip

Bimini in the Bahamas is the closest foreign soil to Miami. It is just about 50 miles away. Bimini has an outstanding international reputation for sports fishing and scuba diving. Diving around Bimini is found around the two small islands, North Bimini Island and South Bimini Island. Most of the tourist locations are on North Bimini Island. These dive sites are generally ten to twenty minutes away from the dive centers. As the Gulf Stream is located nearby as well as the Florida Reef, you have tropical diving. Drift dives are common, as are wall dives and patch reefs. Sharks are also very common. In the late winter to early spring, Hammerhead sharks are in abundance in the waters around the islands. Sharks are present in large numbers year -round with many species being sighted.

The Bahamas are known for its sharks and Bimini did not disappoint. Bull sharks tend to be more reclusive and harder to photograph Creative Common Photograph by Dan Eidsmoe

The Great Bahamas Bank is also nearby, just about 40 minutes by boat. This shallow shoal is home to wonderful reefs that are teeming with marine life.

Another great thing about diving Bimini, is that it is an easy extra to a Florida trip. In less time than it would take to check in for a flight you can travel from Florida to Bimini by ferry.  Ferries leave from Fort Lauderdale several times a day, traveling to Bimini. The travel time is about 2 hours. You can also fly, the flight time is 45 minutes, not counting all the “extra” time needed for air travel.

What Springtime Scuba Dive Location Is Your Fancy?

I hope these suggestions pique your interest in planning your springtime scuba diving vacation. We are just breaking the surface with some suggestions.  Scuba diving in the Fall at Ningaloo Reef in Australia is an unbelievable adventure. One of the largest reef systems in the world offers some of the best diving. Unlike the Great Barrier Reef on the other side of the continent, Ningaloo is a fringing reef, one that can often be reached from shore, but extends many miles offshore. Each fall, whale sharks migrate to this area along with whales and other marine mammals. The reef is far from a built-up area so has little impact from man. Just remember, Fall in Australia is when the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing springtime.

Where will you start your diving season?