Paradise Springs

[Serota]

I had a visitor from "up north" who isn't overhead-certified, but wanted to see some Florida springs and caverns, so I took him to Paradise Springs yesterday and found it to be a very enjoyable dive. Much like Blue Grotto and Ginnie Ballroom, they have run a large rope from the OW to the cave entrance, but in my opinion it is a nicer dive. The charge is $30 with nice facilites, easy entrance to the water etc.. Also, the gotto containing the spring opening is very pretty.

We were the first (and only by noon) divers and the visability was outstanding - the entrance was quite visible from the sign at 99'. We observed one blind, albino crayfish, which was exciting for my aquatic biologist friend. I peered into the cave entrance and it looked both intriguing and very silty. The cavern walls are, unfortunately, somewhat "beat-up" by morons trying to extract fossils, but still generally appealing. It is a HUGE cavern and along with the clear water, very impressive to someone not used to seeing such things.

Comments?

[ARY]

...
Comments?

Did you show your friend dinozaur lizzard bones sticking from the wall at approx 65' ?

[CaptainSpeleo]

The cave entrance behind the sign drops to over 140' and curves to the right and then dead-ends. Unless a diver is certified for the overhead environment and for advanced depth, this area should be avoided because it can silt out very easily and reduce visibility to almost zero. There is a large room to the right of the sign that can be explored, but you lose visual sight of daylight when you enter it, so you are technically cave diving at this point.

My very first dive there was in May 1988 when it was called Archway Sink. Soon after that, Jim Paradiso(the brother of Ed Paradiso who owns Blue Grotto) bought the property and commercialized it and renamed it Paradise Springs. Jim sold the property several years later to its current owner.

[Limestone Cowboy]

...
Comments?

Did you show your friend dinozaur lizzard bones sticking from the wall at approx 65' ?

Joke, right?

[metaldector]

Didn't you have to watch a short video before entering the spring? It's discussed in the orientation video? It's there and it's huge! Located under the stairway. Next time for you, huh!

[Serota]

Yes, we watched a short video, but I don't remember anything being metioned at 65', but it did say to look for a "whale" bone behind a log right below the steps, which would be about 20'. Also mentioned some rib bones near the statue they have in the little room oposite the actual cavern - I couldn't find them. There is also an area of smoke blackened ceiling where the therory is that as some point in the distant past, someone made a fire there.

[Angie Reim]

Likewise I was not joking about the warm vent. I just realized after re-reading the dive report that the author would not have been able to find it. Any of you guys noticed it on your dives at depths +110'? I was wondering if it was worthwhile to return for another looksee...

The first go I was on a checkout training dive and had to follow an exacting dive/deco schedule. I had no time to fool around and was focused on the Normoxic cert.

Angie

[Limestone Cowboy]

I haven't dove there since the mid 90's. Whale bones, dugong ribs, sure. Dinosaur bones, not possible. That limestone is ~30-50 million years old, and the dinosaurs were snuffed out about 65 million years ago.

[Serota]

Likewise I was not joking about the warm vent. I just realized after re-reading the dive report that the author would not have been able to find it.

What did you post about a warm vent? I don't see it in this thread, anyway please elaborate.

[Angie Reim]

Yeah I did and then thought better of it when the posts seemed to be changing character and I realized that you all hadn't dove far enough into the sink to find it. I shouldn't of deleted it.

I found a warm vent during normoxic training. Registered about 82F which felt like a 'tropical heat wave' after the 74F remainder of sink. 74F, not 68-72F which might explain why Paradise Spring is a few degrees warmer than others in the area. I don't know the source so it may be seasonal. My memory tells me it was at 120ish feet and well into the cave zone. It was quite a silty area and not the good kind of silt. The kind of white clay silt that hangs around in the water column for hours or more. It's not a casual dive.

I've been intriqued by it but not yet enough to make the side trip or again spend the $30 entry fee. That's why I was asking if the rest of it was worth the extra trip.

I don't know anything more about it. I did not have time to investigate further because I was 'on the clock' sticking with the dive plan for class.