Florida Springs | Recommended Dives

We’ve put together a few of our favorite curated lists for folks looking for recommendations on where to dive. Whether you’re new to the area, or looking for a good spot to try out new gear, here’s some of our favorite dive sites. If you are visiting Florida, and looking for advice on where to stay/eat/etc, please see our visitors’ guide. If you are looking for guided dives, see our list.

Silhouetted scuba diver swimming underwater toward the sunlit surface of Orange Grove Sink

Springs Sampler

In town for just a few days? Trying to get a feel for what Florida springs have to offer? Check out this sampler of different dives – a little bit of everything. If you need a buddy, check out our list of guided dives.

New Divers

Certified recently? Check out these new diver-friendly sites! All offer shallow depths, limited to no overhead environment, and good light/visibility.

Off the Beaten Path

Some of our favorite less commonly-dived sites in the area…if you’ve already done Blue Grotto and Devil’s Den, check out these more remote spots:

  • Royal

  • Orange Grove

  • Emerald

  • Hospital Hole [boat access required]

  • Paradise [advanced only]

  • Buford [advanced only]

Manatees

Hoping to see manatees? In most state parks, water access will close to divers if manatees are present in large numbers…but you can always hope to get lucky at the following sites.

Shallow

For divers looking to stay shallower than 60′ (or 40′ for junior OW divers), these sites offer shallower max depths, with no overhead.

Training/Skills Practice

Big open basins with platforms and/or suitable room for practicing skills, training, and buoyancy/new gear checks

  • Royal

  • Troy

  • Blue Grotto

  • Hudson Grotto

  • Fanning Springs (shallow, max 20’)

Cavern Dives (Recreational)

Open water recreational divers hoping to get a taste of cavern dives are welcome at the following dive sites. These sites require an open water or advanced open water certification, and can be dived in standard recreational gear with a single tank. Do note, that only certified cave/cavern divers are permitted to carry lights in the Florida state parks and in Devil’s Run at Ginnie.

  • Ginnie Ballroom

  • Devil’s Den

  • Blue Grotto

  • Volusia Blue Springs [no lights w/o cert, max depth 60’]

  • Paradise [advanced only]

  • Buford [advanced only]

Cavern Dives (Cavern Cert Required)

In addition to the recreational cavern dive sites, certified cavern divers can can visit the following sites. These dive sites require a cavern/cave certification, and full cavern protocol (lines etc) is recommended.

  • Madison Blue

  • Peacock: P1 + Orange Grove

  • Little River

  • Ichetucknee Jug Hole

  • Ginnie: Devil’s Eye + Devil’s Ear

  • Buford

  • Emerald

  • Morrison

  • Vortex

Popular Cave Dives

In town for a few days and want to hit the highlights of Florida cave country? Here’s a short bucketlist of the most popular tourist caves. All sites below require cave certification, training, and equipment; all state parks require a buddy. Except for Peacock and the Nest, all systems below are high flow.

  • Ginnie Springs: Devil’s Ear System [DPVs allowed]

  • Madison Blue

  • Peacock: P1 (Olsen & Peanut Lines), P3, Orange Grove

  • Little River [DPVs allowed]

  • Ichetucknee Jug Hole [sidemount only]

  • Manatee Springs [DPVs allowed]

  • Eagle’s Nest [advanced; Full Cave/Trimix; DPVs allowed]

The following sites are farther north or located in the panhandle:

  • Emerald

  • Jackson Blue [DPVs allowed]

  • Twin Hole [boat access]

  • Hole in the Wall [boat access]

Less Popular Cave Dives

Done all the usual cave systems, and looking for something different? The caves below are off the beaten path, due to being advanced cave sites, questionable legal access, and/or both. Please verify legal status of all dive sites before diving; all sites below require cave certification, training, and equipment. Please note, the majority of the sites below are advanced cave dives and not suitable for new cave divers (i.e., less than 100 cave dives post-full cave); a guide or experienced buddy is recommended when visiting for the first time.

  • Cow [NSSCDS membership + Full Cave/Abe Davis required]

  • Mill Creek/Alachua Sink [NSSCDS membership + Full Cave/Abe Davis; guide required]

  • Edwards Spring [NSSCDS membership + Full Cave/Abe Davis + Trimix]

  • School Sink/Wayne’s World [NSSCDS membership + Full Cave/Abe Davis; guide required]

  • Hart [Full Cave/Abe Davis or equivalent; guide required]

  • Lafayette Blue Springs

  • Clearcut

  • Telford

  • Ruth [sidemount only]

  • Charles [sidemount only]

  • Anderson [sidemount only]

  • Pot [sidemount only]

  • Gator Rise [advanced]