Snorkeling and Scuba Diving Central Florida

Devil's Den - a freshwater spring in inland Florida to scuba dive and snorkel

After reading about the great diving in the Florida Keys, you thought you would be sly and causally mention how fun a Florida vacation would be. We know, you were planning on directing it to a diving vacation but the family ran with the idea and started debating which amusement park to stay close to. Do not give up on your Florida diving vacation just yet.

Orlando offers the diver much more than a swim in Disney's aquarium. Central Florida has some of the best freshwater diving in the United States and is close to coastal diving as well. Many divers support the belief that Central Florida supports the widest range of freshwater diving in the world and is a year-round dive destination.

Central Florida, including around Orlando, has outstanding freshwater diving and is also close to the coast. Freshwater divers will find a wide selection of springs, sinkholes, and rivers to dive in. The area is great for cavern diving and cave diving as well.

Give in, join the hype of visiting Orlando and suggest activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, and kayaking to balance out the amusement parks.

What is Special About Snorkeling and Scuba Diving Central Florida?

Central Florida offers the snorkeler and scuba diver a unique range of diving experiences. Visitors to the Orlando area can find themselves ready to dive at outstanding dive sites along the Gulf Coast in just a couple of hours. As great as that diving is, it is the inland freshwater diving that makes Central Florida a special place for scuba diving.

The state of Florida has the largest concentration of freshwater springs in the world, with over 720 springs. Most of these are in what we would call Central Florida. By itself, the word “spring” does not arouse much interest, we might envision a trickle of water breaking the surface and forming a small stream. Let's break that image.

Blue Hole Spring, Florida

There are 33 springs in Central Florida that are classified as first magnitude, which means on average they produce over 64 million gallons of water a day or 100 cubic feet per second. That large bathtub you are so proud of might hold 8 cubic feet of water. There are 191 second magnitude springs that provide over 6.4 million gallons of water a day or 10 cubic feet per second. If that was directed to your bathtub it would be filled faster than you could turn the faucet on and off. Even the 151 third magnitude springs turn out over 640,000 gallons a day or 1 cubic foot per second.

While there is some variation in water temperature between springs, the temperature at any spring in Central Florida is consistent. You will find most springs have a water temperature of 72 to 74 degrees F.

What Types Of Diving Can I Do?

For many scuba divers, inland diving brings the image of dark cold murky water of a quarry, or a similar environment in a sediment-filled river. Florida inland diving exposes you to cool but not cold water with generally outstanding visibility. You will likely want to wear a wetsuit even in the summer, however, you can wear the same wet suit in the winter as the water does not change temperature.

There are 40 springs that offer the opportunity for scuba diving with over a third of them in Florida state parks. A few additional state parks allow snorkeling but are not geared towards scuba diving. You can even drift dive some rivers that are spring-fed.

Here are some general descriptions to help you understand the types of dive sites.

• Spring Basin. This is a depression that has been filled from springs beneath it. It may appear as a lake or a pond. You will seldom see any surface fed inlets to the water, and you will find an outlet often a stream or small river.

• Sinkhole. Florida is cursed with sinkholes, but they can be a blessing for scuba divers.

Much of the subsurface in Florida is limestone. It is a major factor in the water purification and springs found in the state. Over time, water has created underground rivers, which create caves and caverns. This can develop into a situation where the surface weight over an opening is too much for the remaining earth to support and it crashes down. Think of walking on a roof that will not support your weight, or a build-up of snow collapsing a roof on an old building. The water in a sinkhole is normally below the surface of the land around it and you need to walk or climb down to the water. The Yucatán peninsula in Mexico is also famous for sinkhole diving, called cenote diving there.

• Caverns. Cavern diving is often aligned with diving sinkholes. In scuba diving terms a cavern is an overhead environment with no direct access to the surface. However, you remain in the light zone of the entrance.

• Cave diving. Like caverns, Cave diving is also an overhead diving environment, however, you travel out of the light zone of the entrance. Cave diving is the most advanced and potentially dangerous type of scuba diving. It should only be attempted by fully trained cave divers with the proper equipment or under the direction of a cave diving instructor. Central Florida is well-known to cave divers for the variety of dive sites and the extensive networks of cave systems. It has been estimated that over half of all cave divers in the world have trained in the Florida cave systems.

• River Drift Dives. There are a number of dives that you can do on the rivers in the state, many of which are spring-fed. You will find a number of dive operators that will take you on a drift dive with a boat as a support craft.

• Manatee dives. You will sometimes see dives listed as Manatee dives, generally in the Crystal River. You may also see sites saying that diving with manatees is illegal. The West Indian Manatee, also known as a sea cow, is a federally and Florida State protected marine mammal. They are often found in Florida rivers and around the springs. It is illegal to touch them, chase them, or in any way harass them. Generally, it is acceptable to observe them while you are diving, as long as you do not approach them or touch them if they come close to you. Manatees have a very low tolerance to variations in water temperatures. As the water temperature lowers in the winter, they tend to gather near spring heads with consistent water temperatures in their comfort levels. When the concentration of manatees becomes high, some dive locations may be closed. In January 2022, colder than normal water temperatures in the river had a record number of manatees crowding the spring heads in Blue Springs State Park, 622 were counted.

The Best Diving in Central Florida.

Any list of the best diving is always subjective and keeping the list manageable is a task in itself. Some sites will make a great day trip from Orlando, while others really deserve a few days of diving. Here are a few that you should consider:

• Blue Springs: Instead of hitting the commercial water parks, hit a real water park and enjoy a day at Blue Springs State Park. Located about 30 minutes from the amusement parks, the park is great for scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, and tubing. There is also hiking, camping, and places to enjoy a picnic. A section of the park has a manatee reserve, where no swimming is allowed. However, there are boardwalks in that section that allows visitors to watch these marvelous creatures. Scuba divers and snorkelers will find the spring run area varies from a few feet deep to about 10 feet and is the best place for snorkeling. The basin offers crystal clear water at a constant 72 degrees. Open Water Divers can go down to just shy of 60 feet (ca. 18 m). Beyond 60 feet (ca. 18 m) there are opportunities for advanced divers as well as cavern and cave divers. The maximum depth of the spring is about 110 feet (ca. 34 m). If you are snorkeling or diving in an authorized area and are approached by a manatee, do not touch it nor swim towards it. Bring your own gear and you can enjoy the park for just $6 per carload.

• Williston: I am going to list Williston as a destination. Williston is the home of a number of springs and two of them, the Blue Grotto and the Devil's Den, are often mentioned as the best diving freshwater dives. Not just in Florida but the world. You can decide which one is best yourself. Both of these sites are privately owned and were developed for scuba diving. Devil's Den is located in a dry cave with openings to the surface. The water goes down the 55 feet (ca. 17 m). Blue Grotto is deeper with a maximum depth of around 100 feet (ca. 30 m).

• Ginnie Springs: This is another commercial operation that has an outstanding reputation for snorkeling, recreational diving, and cave diving. There are a number of dive sites here. The devil springs section has three springs. These are best enjoyed by cavern and cave divers, however, you can dive parts of them as an Open Water Diver. The Ballroom at Ginnie Springs is a basin that is 100 feet (ca. 30 m) across and 15 feet (4.57 m) deep. At the bottom of the basin, there is the Ginnie Cavern. The Ballroom connects to the Santa Fe River by 150 feet (ca. 46 m) long run. You can also dive in the river, with many divers starting at the devil spring section and drifting to the Ballroom run.

• River Diving: There are two very popular spring-fed rivers that offer outstanding diving and snorkeling. These are the Crystal River and the Rainbow River. Both are well known for being gentle drift dives and interesting marine life, manatees sightings are frequent. The Rainbow River also has night dives.

Central Florida, Your Next Favorite Snorkeling And Dive Destination

The amusement parks often overshadow the natural beauty that is Central Florida. If you are not already a snorkeler or diver, buy some snorkeling gear before your vacation to Central Florida and give it a try. You will not regret it. If you are already a snorkeler or diver, plan a few days in your vacation to get into the water. Personally, I find the Florida State Parks and the commercial establishments at the springs a much better experience than the commercial amusement water parks. They are also a better value.