Magic Winter Trip: Ginnie Springs!
As a teenager and young adult I made a couple trips to Ginnie Springs in Florida to camp. This usually entailed a long weekend of partying, floating, and lots of hooligans. Now that I am older (and wiser), I was able to experience the true beauty of Ginnie Springs while diving and free diving with my friends and daughter. It’s pristine, crystal clear water provided a beautiful Florida experience. Florida Winters can be truly unpredictable. Fortunately the 2 nights and 2 days we were there it was 75 degree highs and 55 degree lows. IT WAS PERFECT.
Day 1: Kai and I arrived on Sunday evening the day after Christmas for our first camping trip together. We set up our tent at the campsite which was on the river and next to our own private spring. Jenna, Mia, Megan, and Vinny had arrived earlier that day and had just returned from a float down the river. If you have never floated a Florida River it is exactly what it sounds like. You pick a raft which is usually an inner-tube and float on a slow moving river. Drinking beer and enjoying time with friends along the way of course. After their return, Jenna, the trip planner and chef for the weekend, prepared veggie burgers for the group. I took over as fire master and finally got a solid fire after about an hour. Lots of wet wood! The evening was a beautiful evening to relax by the fire and look at the stars. We spent the evening visiting the nearby spring, talking around the campfire, and enjoying s’mores.
Day 2: Dive Day! After another fantastic breakfast meal prepared by Chef Jenna (Cheese grits and eggs!) we headed to the main Ginnie Spring to a dive site called “The Ballroom.” After gearing up, we headed to the spring and dunked in the cool water. During the summer it feels like an ice bath. But during the cooler months it feels pretty refreshing and less shockingly cold. After a few timid tries to see the cave, Blake, Jenna, and I headed into it to explore. Although it was pretty dark, I could see the draw of diving caves. I loved seeing the formations that these caves have when you enter them. Even more majestic, looking out of the cave seeing the bright sand, vibrant blues, and even beyond that, the green of the trees. It was gorgeous.
Afterwards, we loaded up the gear and decided where to go next. We decided on a float down the river so we packed some beers and headed down. Kai fell in but had a quick recovery. We enjoyed the sunset and made it back to the exit (also our campsite!) I rekindled the fire and Jenna cooked soup and sausage for the crew.
Day 3: Free diving was on the agenda for the last day. We decided to go to Little Devil, Devil’s Ear, and Devil’s Eye Springs. Kai jumped on top of me and off we went snorkeling to explore the Devil’s springs. There was a trench (Devil’s ear), small cave (Devil’s Eye), and a spring that met with the river (Little Devil). The trench was awesome to dive down into and practice breath hold. Little Devil spring met with the brown tanin river water and created a crazy visual. (See Below)
Devil’s Eye
Where the river meets the spring.
Kai loved snorkeling around the springs and even put on a mask to look around as well. Once she was too cold to swim anymore, we packed up and head home for the New year. It may be just sound like a simple story about a girl and her friends. It is so much more than that, I hope you can experience magic like that.
Reach out to me if you would like to schedule a Discover SCUBA Dive or Dive Ginnie Springs and I will plan a trip!
