North Florida’s Best Freshwater Dives

Go Ahead. Be Stupid. Become a Statistic.
It’s not as though you have anything to lose.

What is the only good thing about fatal car crashes? They are generally over quickly. Divers who perish in underwater caves, on the other hand, aren’t as fortunate. They have several agonizing minutes to ponder the consequences of their stupidity — usually reflecting on why it was they failed to get the training, equipment and experience that could have easily prevented their deaths.

Cave diving is dangerous. Divers who wander into underwater caves without the proper training and equipment don’t get hurt. They get dead. It’s that simple.

Fortunately, the nine dive sites covered in this section are widely considered safe and appropriate for recreational divers (assuming you follow the rules). They either provide divers with the opportunity to make a direct, uninterrupted ascent to the surface or, lacking this, allow divers to maintain a visual reference the entrance and seldom put them further than 130 feet from air.

There are a number of sites in north-central Florida, however, that don’t meet this criteria. These underwater caves have been the site of hundreds (yes, hundreds) of gruesome diver fatalities. How can you avoid becoming one of them?

• Stick to sites such as the ones covered here, which are considered appropriate for recreational divers.

• Learn and follow the rules at each of the sites you visit. At sites such as Devil’s Eye and Catfish Hotel, this will mean not taking a light with you unless you are a certified Cavern or Cave Diver.

• At any sites that are not covered here, assume there is a no-lights rule in effect and follow it. This will help prevent you from accidentally wandering into an underwater cave.

• Keep an eye on your pressure gauge. When it hits 2,000 psi, it’s time to start heading back for open water.

There is more than enough to see and do at these nine sites to satisfy most divers’ curiosity about diving in overhead environments. If you simply must go further, don’t take chances. Get trained.