North America · United States
North Florida Springs
Cave and cavern diving in constant-temperature springs
Photo: LittleT889 · CC BY-SA 4.0
A cluster of freshwater springs and sinkholes in north Florida, where cavern entrances open into limestone cave systems. Ginnie Springs, Devil's Den and Blue Grotto have open-water and cavern dives for divers with basic certifications, Peacock Springs is a training ground for new cave divers, and Troy Spring holds a sunken Confederate steamer.
About diving in North Florida Springs
Diving here needs no boat. The springs are entered from stairways and submerged training decks, and they are almost never affected by the weather. Rains and river rises are the exception: they cut visibility in most of the caves, close some systems and change the strength of the flow. Blue Grotto, Devil's Den, Ginnie Springs and Manatee Springs are the most flood-resistant.
Underwater the geology is the main attraction. Blue Grotto is a sinkhole with sheer limestone sides, and at Ginnie Springs a sandy-coloured limestone room opens at 11 m (35 ft) with fossils embedded in its walls; fossils abound across the springs. Cave passages are mostly small to medium, with occasional big rooms. The springs hold schools of mullet, turtles and the occasional crayfish or alligator.
Divers with basic certifications have plenty to enjoy: Blue Grotto's basin runs from 3 to 12 m (10 to 40 ft) with no overhead environment. Many of the recreational-depth caves have variable flow and average depths of 18 to 30 m (60 to 100 ft), and the high flow in the Devil's Spring System makes penetration and gas management more challenging. Peacock 1 and Orange Grove are the exception, with low flow and average depths of 12 to 15 m (40 to 50 ft).
Best time to dive North Florida Springs
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Daytime high | 26°C79°F | 28°C82°F | 30°C86°F | 33°C91°F | 37°C99°F | 37°C99°F | 37°C99°F | 36°C97°F | 35°C95°F | 32°C90°F | 29°C84°F | 27°C81°F |
| Rain | 79 mm3.1 in | 73 mm2.9 in | 83 mm3.3 in | 80 mm3.1 in | 92 mm3.6 in | 185 mm7.3 in | 181 mm7.1 in | 199 mm7.8 in | 135 mm5.3 in | 58 mm2.3 in | 55 mm2.2 in | 78 mm3.1 in |
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Daytime high | |||||
| 26°C79°F | 28°C82°F | 30°C86°F | 33°C91°F | 37°C99°F | 37°C99°F |
| Rain | |||||
| 79 mm3.1 in | 73 mm2.9 in | 83 mm3.3 in | 80 mm3.1 in | 92 mm3.6 in | 185 mm7.3 in |
| Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Daytime high | |||||
| 37°C99°F | 36°C97°F | 35°C95°F | 32°C90°F | 29°C84°F | 27°C81°F |
| Rain | |||||
| 181 mm7.1 in | 199 mm7.8 in | 135 mm5.3 in | 58 mm2.3 in | 55 mm2.2 in | 78 mm3.1 in |
2011–2025 averages. Daytime high and rain: NASA POWER.
The spring water holds a constant 22 °C (72 °F), so diving runs all year; Ginnie Springs is crowded on weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
North Florida Springs water temperature and weather by month
Most rain falls from June to September, peaking at about 200 mm (7.9 in) in August; October and November are the driest. Daytime highs reach 37 °C (99 °F) in June and drop to 26 °C (79 °F) in January. The coldest water here is about 20 °C (68 °F), so pack a 5 mm suit.
Dive types & marine life
Manatees can be seen in the cooler months at Manatee Springs, where birds, mammals and fish are spotted year-round.
- Cave & cavern
- Freshwater
- Wreck
- Dugongs & manatees
- Freshwater fish
Best dive sites in North Florida Springs
- 1
Ginnie Springs
Cave divers enter the Devil's Spring System; open-water divers stay in the cavern's daylight areas.
- 2
Devil's Den
A spring where the remains of prehistoric mammals have been recovered.
- 3
Peacock Springs
A cave-diving destination that trains new cave divers.
- 4
Blue Grotto
Large clear-water cavern to 30 m (100 ft), a popular training dive.
- 5
Troy Spring
The sunken Confederate sidewheel steamer Madison lies on the spring floor.
Site guides
Cave & cavern
Clear water to 30 metres in a cavern worked by training courses
Cave & cavern
Daylight drops through a collapsed roof into a 37 m (120-foot) chamber
Freshwater
A 15-to-20-foot (6 m) spring pool, entered by stairs from the park
An iron grate closes the most dangerous part of the cave in the Ballroom
Cave & cavern
Manatees in the run, miles of mapped cave under it
7,408 metres of mapped passage, and a 2010 connection added 3,000 more
Wreck
A Confederate steamer, scuttled in 1863, in shallow spring water
How to get to North Florida Springs
Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV) is the nearest airport, and a car is needed. Ginnie Springs lies north-west of Gainesville near High Springs, while Florida Route 121 runs south-west from Gainesville to Williston, home of Blue Grotto and Devil's Den.
Photos from North Florida Springs
Geoff Gallice · CC BY 2.0
Geoff Gallice · CC BY 2.0
Michael Rivera · CC BY-SA 4.0
Art Anderson · CC BY-SA 3.0
Dive videos
Diving a high-flow cave! The Devil's Spring system at Ginnie Springs in Florida! · BlueWorldTV on YouTube
Scuba Diving The DEVIL'S DEN Prehistoric Spring In Florida - Ep 112 · Blue Horizon Diving on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Is cave certification needed to dive the springs?+
No. Ginnie Springs' Ballroom and river, Blue Grotto and Devil's Den have open-water and cavern diving, and Troy Spring is open water only.
What wetsuit do the springs need?+
A 5 mm full suit should be sufficient, since the water holds the same temperature all year.
What limits apply to a cavern dive?+
A cavern dive stays within sight of natural sunlight, keeps an appropriate gas reserve and never goes beyond 40 m (130 ft) of total linear distance from the surface.
Sources
- Northern Florida Springs — Scuba Diving magazine
- N. Florida: Caves, Springs — Wet Rocks Diving
- Diving Florida's Springs — Divers Alert Network
- Manatee Springs State Park — Florida State Parks
- Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park — Wikipedia
- Troy Spring State Park — Wikipedia
- Diving at Ginnie Springs — Ginnie Springs Outdoors
- North Florida Springs Guided Dives — Florida Springs Scuba
- The Blue Grotto dive site — ScubaGo / SSI MyDiveGuide
- Gainesville — Wikivoyage
Photo credits
- Clear turquoise spring basin with wooden entry steps at Rum Island Springs on the Santa Fe River by LittleT889, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cypress trees draped in Spanish moss line the dark tannic water of the Santa Fe River by Geoff Gallice, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bald cypress trees and their knees reflect in the still, dark water of the Santa Fe River by Geoff Gallice, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A boat ramp and dock lead into the tannic Santa Fe River at Santa Fe River Park by Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cypress knees rise along the riverbank at Rum Island on the Santa Fe River by Art Anderson, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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In The Logbook
- Cave diving: what it takes and where to goCaves & caverns · 12 min read
- How long does a tank of air last?Gear & kit · 9 min read
- Freshwater diving: lakes, springs and quarriesFreshwater · 15 min read
- DPV diving: what an underwater scooter changesGear & kit · 10 min read
- Cavern and cenote diving without cave trainingCaves & caverns · 8 min read
- Your first wreck dive: what to expect and whereFirst dives · 6 min read
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