Florida Cave Diving with Pictures

*FLORIDA CAVES AND SPRINGS* Click here to go Back to previous page....
Safe Cave Diving is passion and an art. Cave Diving passion can be defined as a definiteness of purpose, knowledge of one's wants, and a burning desire to explore it. View some of Florida's caves and springs - home of the world's best cave diving *...Peacock State Park, Orange Grove, Cows Springs, Telford Springs, Little Rivers Springs, and Ginnies Springs.*
*PEACOCK STATE PARK*


PEACOCK State Park comprises of three cave systems: Peacock I, Peacock II (which is not accessible at the surface) and Peacock III. With a total of nine entrances and exits, Peacock is known as complex karst system. Six of the nine openings are easily accessible, however three of the openings are only used as emergency exits.	Olsen Sink	The average depth is about 60 feet + or - and extremely popular with instructors for training to practice skill proficiency since there is virtually no flow. Peacock at the Log
	Cross-over Tunnel
		Peacock Spring area remains the best place for the student to begin or continue cavern/cave diving training. The diversity in the systems, as well as depth, allows the instructor who is mandated by agency standards to take the student into different sites. Peacock systems vary from spring, siphon, in-line sink, and off-set sink. An example of an in-line sink-hole is Challenge which is a half-way point between Orange Grove and Peacock I. Due to the complexity of the system and distance involved, a traverse needs to be set up. This is done by an instructor or an experienced certified full cave diver. Cisteen sink is found to the west of Orange Grove and shares the same large depression. Entrance is very small, extremely silty, and covered with thick duck week. This is an emergency exit only.
Orange Grove Staircase at Peacock. It is the first sink hole you will encounter upon entering the park.	Orange Grove is one of two areas in the park where cavern diving is allowed. The open water portion of the basin reaches a depth of fifty to sixty feet. The cavern zone begins on the downstream side. The upstream entrance starts at seventy feet behind a few trees that have fallen into the sink underwater. This is a low profile tunnel with a deep silt bottom.	During warmer months "duckweed" can be seen just at the surface. Generally, the Orange Grove basin is clear in winter. Very popular with open water instructor/students.

COWS SPRINGS - privately owned by the NSS-CDS. Access is available to CDS members and their guests. Below is an Arial View -	View of clay embankment of Cows Spring... Waivers are obtained at the "Dive Outpost" or "Cave Excursions'" and must be signed prior to obtaining accessibility to a gated combination lock in order to dive Cows Spring .	COWS SPRINGS has two sides - the "downstream" and the "upstream". No open water divers are allowed Exiting Cows Spring
	Telford Cave System

Telford Spring System has three separate entrances. Telford is shallow for the most part hitting a maximum depth of 70 feet. Local swimmer and alike use the spring.		The entrance to Telford Spring is unique, located underneath a small natural bridge.
Bonnet Cave System Bonnet is considered part of Peacock Springs State Park. However, Bonnet Springs is a restricted access area. It is considered an advanced cave dive. You MUST be a Full Cave Certified Diver with proof of 100 cave dives; be guided by an instructor or diver who has dove Bonnet before. Only one dive team is allowed at a time. The Park ranger holds the combination to a locked gate in order to dive Bonnet. Care must be used in getting into the Bonnet head springs as the rocky shores tend to be very slippery at this location. There is little flow.
		The cave has a thick silty floor and is tight around a rock formation called the "Z" bend".
		LITTLE RIVERS STATE PARK
LITTLE RIVERS STATE PARK -is located near Branford, Fl. off the Suwannee River. The park experienced extensive renovations drawing swimmers, boaters and divers from all over the world.
Depending on the water levels, depths in most of Little Rivers averages 90 to 100 feet.		"Pull and glide " technique is used in most of Little Rivers Cave System because of its high flow. It is one of the most beautiful systems with its unusual phreatic configurations.
Decompressing in the Cavern Zone		Table Rock in Little Rivers Cave		Pull and Gliding in Little Rivers
		GINNIE SPRINGS CAMP GROUNDS		Divers always find it challenging exiting the chimney at Ginnies Springs. Exiting the Chimney
GINNIE SPRINGS MAP
		GINNIE SPRINGS - The system has 2 entrances, Devil's Eye and Devils Ear. Located on the Santa Fe River, is on a privately owned park .

				Ginnies Springs is a popular site for campers and divers. Although cave instruction is taught there, the high flow, and depth make it challenging for the students. A "Pull and Glide" technique is required in this cave system.