Unwarranted Cost Increase at Florida Springs

I've been on the road, reading all the posts but unable to post myself. So this is what I gather, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong. It now costs $4 to park your car in Peacock Springs State Park, and $15 to dive. A $60 Annual Pass covers the $4 parking fee for a year. So one would have to go fifteen times to break even.

My current pass was bought last June, and expires this Wednesday. I paid $40 for it (the old price) and used it at Peacock twice, once last summer and once this past spring. So I actually paid $20 each time I dived. But I don't care - I buy an annual pass every year because I'm a cave diver and cave divers hold Florida State Park Annual Passes.

But I'd be a fool to buy one now, unless they decide the pass will cover diving.

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Originally Posted by metaldector

I have attached a letter from Larry Fooks ...

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I ran the attachment through Google docs for those that were having trouble reading it:

From: Fooks, Larry Sent: Monday, June 21, 2010 1:41 PM
To: Dist. 3 Park Managers; Jones, Daniel R.; Tindell, Tony; Forgione, Donald; Cutts, Wiliiam; Givens, Ezell; Subic, Valinda; Rice, Paul; Jones, Kevin; Wilhelm, Robert; Mitchell, Matthew M.; Cross, Patricia; Bard, Alice; Allman, Bill; Chamberlin, Joan; Copeland, Amy; Curtis, Cindy; Davis Johnson; DePue, Jason; Dillard, Jennifer; Johnson, Charlene R.; Vl/ebb, Kathy; Maxwell, Clifton; Staub, John; Williams, Graham E.; Clark, Mitch L.; Conyers, Amy; Dorrier, Christine; Gavagni, Dylan; Giblin, Mark; Herman, Joshua; Lakich, John; Leonard, Cristy; Paolini, Renee; Paulos, Wesley; Payne, Rachel; Rand, Philip; Reynolds, Roger
Subject: Springs Diving » Fee Consistency

All, Below is information regarding consistency in our collection of fees from visitors who desire to participate in Springs Diving (SCUBA). Cilf l\/laxwell, Donald Forgione, Willy Cults and Robert Wilhelm worked out the clarification below last week. While this directly apply to all of you, please review and advise your staff as appropriate.
Larry

Good afternoon,
There seems lo be some inconsistency across the state in how spring diving fees are applied and collected. Below is the approved fee schedule, and the only approved fees for diving. Please note that Individual or Family Annual Entrance passes do not cover dive fees. Please be prepared to refund Individual or Family Annual passes (and retrieve the pass) if divers have been incorrectly allowed to use the Individual or Family Annual entrance pass as a dive fee. We are expected to follow the below guidelines until such time as the fee schedule changes. If you have any questions or concerns, please give me a call.

Thank you for your attention.
-C

Springs Diving fee is $15.00, per person and includes the daily admission fee. This is available only at select parks and may include cavern/ cave diving.

The Individual or Family Annual Entrance Passes do not include the dive fee. Reminder: The Family Annual Entrance Pass is good for up to 8 people (6 years and older) in a group except at Homosassa Springs and WeekÃ# Wachee Springs where itis good for up to 2 people 6 years and older. The group does not have to be in the same vehicle and they do not have to be related they are only required to enter the park together at the same time.

Annual Springs* Diving Instructor Pass fee is $200.00 per year, and is good for all diving parks, for up to 2 instructors and includes the daily admission fee for diving visits only. (Each student must pay their own entrance and diving fee). Entry is permitted for the named Annual Springs Diving Instructor Pass holder and/ or employees/ assistants and is good only at selected parks and may include cavern/cave diving.

The Department of Environmental Protection values your feedback as e customer. DEP Secretary Michael W. Sole is committed to continuously assessing and improving the level and quality of services provided to you. Please take a few minutes to comment on the quality of service you received, click on this link to the DEP Customer Survey, Thank you in advance for completing the Survey.

So according to Shirley's post, I was wrong about the $4 entrance fee, and an Annual Pass would be completely worthless if all you do with it is dive Peacock.

I sent emails to my State Representative and State Senator tonight and to my surprise the State Representative responded immediately and said "This doesn't look right." He will look into it and see what he can do to resolve the situation. For those of you reading, you need to write. Action now will certainly help build a towards some sort of resolution.

It's easy if that's the way the state is going to handle it don't buy any passes til your going to diving just pay the daily rate. No need to give'm anymore money up front than you have to. It's a sad thing when some one looking to brown nose from there office.
They don't realize the impact it'll have on the local business's because divers will not dive as often.

I would rather see the prices increase on the annual pass and have diving open 24hrs.

my 2 cent
jerome

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Originally Posted by Slüdge

So according to Shirley's post, I was wrong about the $4 entrance fee, and an Annual Pass would be completely worthless if all you do with it is dive Peacock.

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Or you could but an instructor pass and after 13.3333333333 dives you break even.

What a load.

Diver's do more and impact parks less than any other users. They are one of the key supports of the local economy.

The other way to think of this is that for $7 more you get hot showers, real bathrooms and much longer hours of operation. Ginnie certainly looks attractive considering this.

E-mails out to my elected officials ASAP.

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Originally Posted by OneBrightGator

The other way to think of this is that for $7 more you get hot showers, real bathrooms and much longer hours of operation. Ginnie certainly looks attractive considering this.

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Not to mention solo and scootering.

Wow! As an out of state diving couple this is a real- oucher when it comes to diving in Florida. We try to come down once a month from October to May.

If this fee is for real, not only will it no longer make sense for us to buy an annual pass but due to the increase in fees we will likely shift our diving from the state parks to places like Cow, Ginnie, and Little River (at least as long as it stays a free county park).

In the past we have had my folks bring down their RV to Manatee to camp for a week while we dove. Spent the non-diving time renting a kayak, getting ice cream or a burger at the snack bar there- you add $32 a day to the cost of the trip and real quickly it is more cost effective for us to dive & stay elsewhere.

With all the oil spill mess keeping people from traveling to the beaches of Florida, you would think the state would be bending over backwards to get as many tourists anyway they could- I think this policy change will have the reverse effect.

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Originally Posted by sskasser

Please be prepared to refund Individual or Family Annual passes (and retrieve the pass) if divers have been incorrectly allowed to use the Individual or Family Annual entrance pass as a dive fee.

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Any good crow recipes out there?