Short breakdown video explaining how to go scuba diving at Manatee Springs State Park in Florida. There are two separate dive sites, each a freshwater springs maintaining about 72 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. It’s always best to dive the deepest dive first, so Catfish Hotel (also known as Catfish Sink) is the first choice. It’s important to bring full head coverage if you don’t want to be covered in duckweed, and ease out to the middle gently to avoid silting up the bottom. It’s also recommended to go at high noon on a sunny day for that appealing visual effect (and less crowds). Avoid the cave unless certified and trained on cave diving, and use caution on the approach as the cave actually sucks water in. Max depth is about 60’, but most of the dive is much shallower. You can purge an octo / safe 2nd to clear the duckweed on the surface during your safety stop. No need to worry about getting all the weeds off, because you can simply walk over to manatee springs for nice clean rinse! It’s a shallower dive with high flow, and while much smaller it’s perfect for cleaning off and checking out the little wildlife around the edges. Go off-season and during the week and you might see schools is spawning bass, sunfish, mudfish / bowfin, catfish, turtles, otters and even gators. The park has great facilities and plenty of covered pavilions. It’s $6 per vehicle to enter with a sign-in sheet at the front. As the video states, it hits capacity quickly and then closes for the day regardless of who leaves. So go during the week, or get there super early on a weekend if that’s your only option. Be sure to check out the nearby dive sites as well!
