Tampa Scuba Blog

Spanish Rocks Fun Dive This Saturday 10/18

2008-10-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

Saturday October 18th @ 9am. We will plan for a two tank dive. Since we are going to do pizza afterward at Solos, please bring a snack and plenty to drink. We'll say lunch should happen 'round about 1:30'ish.
Dive Spot: Spanish Rocks
Location: Bradenton Beach/Anna Maria Island, FL
Type of diving: Shore dive – good for beginners

From Tampa ST/Pete: I-75 south from Tampa to the Bradenton/State road 64 exit. Note, there is an A and B – take exit A it will head you toward the beach. Make a left on 75th street (there is a detour sign there), Turn right on Cortez/64 (yet another sign), Turn right at Gulf Drive and go north about 2 miles, at the light follow Gulf Drive to the left (if you continue forward it becomes another road). The beach access is on the left after you round the curve. It is a small sand lot between some houses and apartments. Just pull in and park. Gear up walk down the beach to the left about 50 yards (6 houses).

From Sarasota/Bradenton: Take 41 north to Cortez Rd. turn left (west) on Cortez until you cross the intercoastal waterway.Turn right at Gulf Drive and go north about 2 miles Follow Gulf Drive to the left at the traffic lightThe beach access is on the left after you round the curveBeach access is a small sand lot between some houses and apartments. That is where you want to be. It is a small sand lot between some houses and apartments. Just pull in and park. Gear up walk down the beach to the left about 50 yards (6 houses).The address for the house next to the sandlot where one should park is; 33 Gulf Drive, Anna Maria, FL.

Tampa Boat Show This Weekend

2008-09-04T09:06:00.000-07:00

September 5–7, 2008
Tampa Convention Center333 South Franklin St.Tampa, FL 33602

Show Hours
Friday 10am–8:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am–8:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 am–6:00 pm

Admission
Adults $9.00Junior Boaters (youth 13–15) $5.00Kids 12 and under FREE!

Tampa scuba divers can't get where they're going without a boat - so come on out and take a look at the best ways to cruise the Bay!

Paradise Springs Florida Dive 8.31

2008-09-03T13:41:00.000-07:00

*Early* Sunday morning, headed up to Paradise Springs for a couple of dives, Zardoz having convinced me it was worth waking up a full hour before I even have to get up for work, on the Sunday of a holiday weekend no less...

Arrived around 8:40 and were the second group of divers there.

*Side note - if you are AT ALL, EVER prone to being bitten by insects, you might want to consider spraying EVERYTHING with bug repellant. Meandering down the path to the entrance, we noticed a rather large population of mosquitos. However, not until we were actually geared up and walking down did they begin to attack in earnest, leaving an estimated 30+ bites in less than 2 minutes on any exposed skin.They actually continued to bite as I rushed through mask, fins and snorkel application, and ducked under as fast as possible. I swear they were screaming "No!!!!" and did not actually leave my skin until I was 2 feet under.

Besides the itching, first dive vis was spectacular, in the 100+ range I'm sure, as no one had yet applied the mixer. After cruising down to the 90 foot "beware of death" sign, we headed back up to the main cavern area at 45' or so. Temp hovered around 73/74.

Second dive, after some 10 other groups had shown up, including some families with children, vis dropped to perhaps 20'. This meant we spent more time looking minutely at fossils and such on the walls, which was still quite entertaining.Either way, excellent location, company and an amusing way to spend a day!

Contact info:
4040 SE 84th Lane Rd
Ocala, FL 34480
(352) 368-5746
Entry fee: $30
Tank rental: $8

Teen Dive Student Dies in Key Largo

2008-07-30T08:35:00.000-07:00

http://cbs4.com/local/teen.key.largo.2.781623.html

Every diver cringes at news like this; particularly when it's a brand-new diver under the supervision of an instructor.

A few notes on the safety of diving, however:
In 2005 (the most recent statistics available from DAN http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/report/2007DANDivingReport.pdf), DAN was notified of 167 divers who died worldwide.

Of these, 52% had been certified more than ten years.

What can we learn from these accidents?

NEVER dive alone
Make an effort to continually update your skills. No matter how long you've been diving, sitting in on another course or just asking your local shop for a review can be vital.
Even if you've been diving consistently but it's been a while since certification, you might want to consider buying (and reading!) the newest Open Water book from your agency. These books change frequently, and there are procedures that were recommended in my original 1990 book that are now absolutely NOT recommended.

If you're someone who's considering diving, please don't let an occasional accident deter you. Diving is a sport than can be customized to your comfort level in terms of risk, complexity, etc. I know divers who are always after the next big thrill and always trying to prove how deep they can go, and I also know divers who are completely happy with shallow dives when accompanied by a divemaster or other professional. It's all a matter of choice, and whatever you're looking for, diving can accommodate you.

Dive Free at Hudson Grotto this Weekend

2008-07-01T06:52:00.000-07:00

Scuba West (www.scubawest.net) is hosting a picnic and free diving this weekend, July 4th from 8am to 4pm. Instead of the regular entry fee, bring a dish to share!

Pirate Coast Dive Festival June 14 and 15 in Sarasota

2008-06-15T08:30:00.000-07:00

Being automatically attracted to anything that includes "dive" in the title, I decided to head on down to the festival on Siesta Key yesterday. Though it was a tad hard to find (I hope they plan on having signs posted to assist next year), I thought it was well worth the drive.

A combination of dive shops, local clubs, the Sarasota Parrothead Club (as far as I can tell, another word for Alcoholics-R-Us), and a smattering of save-our-reefs groups rounded out the show. A live band, food booths, and several alcohol stands added an air of festivity.

Ultra-friendly divers abounded, and my favorite booths included a dive shop in Sarasota that's focusing on all-women dive classes, and the reef burial company (they put your ashes into an artificial reef - what better way to spend eternity?).

Veteran's Reef

2008-04-27T19:15:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I was a bit concerned...I have been told repeatedly that "there's no ocean diving" in Tampa, so when a friend offered the chance to hitch a ride on his boat, I had no idea what to expect.

Veteran's Reef is a collection of sunken vehicles, including barges and a plane, that collectively provide habitat and shelter for a variety of fish and other marine animals.

Website: http://www.veteransreef.org.

More Info:
Latitude 28º 2.868'
Longitude 83º 0.768'
Maximum Depth 45 feet (most of this site is around 30 feet down)
Built 8/4/1999

Review:
Massive schools of bait fish and Goliath groupers characterized this heart-pounding dive. Every time I turned around, there was another huge grouper just disappearing into a hole in the barge. One of the barges has collapsed, and coral/plant life is relatively limited, but the prolific fish make this a worthwhile dive. This is a shallow dive with fairly obvious "landmarks", making this a dive suitable for beginners as well as interesting for more advanced divers.

Lake Denton

2008-04-16T14:33:00.000-07:00

We headed out to Lake Denton this Sunday in an attempt to finish a few class skills. Though I am assured that this is NOT always the case, visibility was awful, in the neighborhood of 1-2 feet on average. I had to pull my gauges right up to my face in order to see anything.

Otherwise, though, gorgeous lake, and I am told that if you head a bit further left of the welcome building, there's a sandy/grassy area that maintains better visibility and won't be so stirred up by classes.

Pertinent details:

Website/Directions: http://www.highlandscvb.com/do/moreinfo.php?ZID23=96867&page=parks&ClassID=25

Entrance fee for divers is $10, with the instructor/divemaster free. Park carefully out of the way of traffic and be sure not to block anyone's driveway. You'll want to bring a tarp to place gear on, as it's either dirt or sand between the lake and the parking area.

De Leon Springs

2008-04-13T23:38:00.000-07:00

Overall: Absolutely beautiful area, with a restaurant and boat rides available in the park. Diving is severely limited, and only allowed if you're accompanied by an instructor or dive operation with a yearly permit.

Website/Directions: http://www.floridastateparks.org/deleonsprings/

We headed out to De Leon Springs to do a few skills in the "swimming hole", which is subdivided from the rest of the river. The water is ultra-clear, but the current from the 19 million gallon daily flow spring can be a bit strong. All in all, a lovely place to do a class, provided your students can deal with the flow.

New Tampa Scuba Diving Blog

2008-04-12T17:01:00.000-07:00

I know it's sparse right now, but over the next few weeks I'll be adding local dive site reviews, tips, and answering any questions I get about scuba diving in general, as well as questions that come up during my local Tampa diving classes. Please feel free to email me with any comments or requests!