Hey All:

It's come to my attention through my line of work and talking to some people on here that there isnt alot of information about all the places to dive in the immediate area. Some of these are weekend trips, versus day trips, but I'll do my best to sort it out. Anyone feel free to add info to any of the sites I mention.

DAY TRIPS:
- Lake Lanier: This is probably one of the closest for all of us. Easy access off 400. Theres two good spots on the lake: West Bank Park or Lower Overlook. Lower Overlook is just past West Bank, immediately after you drive over the dam. Visibility can range from 10-20Ft so its a great place to practice your nav techniques. Water temp under the thermo can be a bit chilly-- 5mm suit min recommended. Bring a line cutter and a dive float with you-- the rangers will give you a ticket!

- Lake Allatoona: Dove it twice, vowed never to do it again. You can't see diddly squat

- Dive Haven: Located north of cartersville, its an easy drive to a quarry. Get there early in the day before the visibility is shot by open water students! Also, its located next to a chicken coop, so when the winds change mid afternoon it can get a bit, er, ripe?! Depths down to 150ft so you need to be careful, but they've sunk a few things for divers to look at and play with. Water temps in the 70s above 30ft, below mid 60s. Need to pay ~$20 entrance fee, but they have a compressor to do fills on site.

- Pelham (AL blue water), AL: 2.5-3hr drive from ATL, but well worth it. Large quarry with something for every diver. Great vis can be found most days (depends on weather) and they've sunk plenty of things for divers to look at and play in. Full shop with rental, fills, and EANx on site. ~$25 entrance fee but nice facilities makes for a nice relaxed day of diving! (Just remember about the time zone change)

- Lake Jocasse, SC. Lake Jocasse is located on the GA/SC border, roughly 2 hrs away. Big lake and you'll need a charter to take you out so it runs a bit more, but the lake has something for every diver.

- Florida Springs: You could, in theroy make a day trip to any of the springs, but they are better suited for a weekend trip. Good ones of note: Vortex Springs, Rainbow River, Blue Ghrotto, Devils Den, Ginnie Springs.

KM

I have yet to go to Dive Haven. Is it worth it? What all do they have sunk? I know it is closer to Atlanta but I don't want to waste my time if it would be better to go to Blue Water

I've gone tubeing at Ginnie Springs, lol.

Dive haven is perfectly fine for certified divers, but I would NEVER take an OW student there. Its not bad diving by any means, you just can't expect a pelham from it. www.divehavenga.com i believe.

Dive haven is great for something so close. You can see a lot and it is pretty warm above 30 feet. Once you get below 30, you definately feel the cold. They do some fun things there too. I enjoy the people wh run the place

The Easley's, who run DH, are great folks. They've been long time shoppers here and always are great when we run up there. But I agree, you need a good suit to dive there.

I dont advocate OW students going there because it can be a bit stressful with the ability to almost "drop off" into the deep parts without knowing better. I fear there will be a DCS case coming out of there anyday.

tibey island and st. simons island are good sw diving area.

Vortex Spring is amazing....!

Best SW diving in a weekend trip is Boca Raton, west palm beach area

As far as the springs go, I love Vortex, Blue Grotto and Devil's Den. Very neat sites.

http://www.devilsden.com/
http://www.divebluegrotto.com/
http://www.vortexspring.com/

Rainbow River is a neat river drift dive, too. Look close along the banks for gators. My group never saw one but the other two groups I went with did. I got pretty chilly on this one. When you're drifting down you can go past several springs...brr..

As far as the springs go, I love Vortex, Blue Grotto and Devil's Den. Very neat sites.

http://www.devilsden.com/
http://www.divebluegrotto.com/
http://www.vortexspring.com/

Rainbow River is a neat river drift dive, too. Look close along the banks for gators. My group never saw one but the other two groups I went with did. I got pretty chilly on this one. When you're drifting down you can go past several springs...brr..


I guess I should mention that Rainbow River isn't really THAT cold, but at the time I went my wetsuit was a little oversized for me, which is why I got chilly. I think it's around the same temps as the other springs in the area.

I got certified on Lake Lanier. The dive shop I went to used Federal Park in the north-central part of the lake. Just north of AquaLand marina.

Make sure you bring a line cutter!! A couple of weeks ago while diving to retrieve the $1000 anchor I lost on Memorial Day, I got tangled in fishing line at about 42' depth. Not fun!!!

Found the anchor thanks to a 300lb lifting magnet I was dragging on the bottom. Took about 90 mins to find it.

Line cutter is also good in case you have an idiot on the boat trying to pull you out of the water.... by pulling up the float you are dragging. That guy got a few choice words from me when i got to the surface.....

Ya a knife in lake lanier is really needed!!! But some cool diving around the islands.

I have five retention ponds in the subdivision I am building.....can get you a vip pass :D

well that sounds like more fun than......um.......

heard lanier is exceptionally clear right now due to droughts--anyone know the temps? , or is it too late now?

Temps are pretty cold but if you dry suit it you should be fine!

I dove lanier last january and it was FREEZING (42 degrees)

i'm not ready to hop in 42 degree water yet. I'm not quite that hardcore! I've heard that lanier wasa diving spot, so you guys have actually dove it before?? How does it rank compared to these quarries around here? I've been to the dive haven, for the drive saved, isn't an awful quarry, also been to pelham al and athens tn. several times. How would you guys rank lanier to them?

I've been to Dive Haven a couple times... a great place for refresher dives. As mentioned above there's a chicken coop just above the quarry so there's a bit of stench sometimes and it attributes to the algae in the quarry. Its COLD below the thermocline. The staff there has always been extreemly helpful.

Is it Jocassee or Keowee that has the Nuclear Powerplant? I haven't been up to ride the outputs in a couple years... it's the perfect place for a 3mil dive in Jan/Feb :)

keowee is where the warm water is.

where is that at??

yes, butWHERE is it?

Yeah Lake Keowee is where the hothole is. Great dive. It is right next to Lake Jocassee up in SC. A few shops will run out there on the weekends with pontoon boats (I know Bill from off the wall does for a fact, as well as bermuda triangle). They usually only ask you to chip in for gas as they are usually doing checkouts for open water students. It's fun riding the outputs, and it's nice wearing a 3 mil in december. The only thing is, you know when you get out of the stream, as it is cold!

Also a few other divespots semi-close are Dive Land in Gadsen, AL (Nice quarry, nice and natural. I like this better than ABWA. There is also Loch Low Minn up in Tennessee that is a nice quarry.

I like Cave Diving so my springs selection is a tad bit different.

I like the Devil's System at Ginnie, Cow Springs, Telford Springs, Peacock Springs, Madison Blue, Jackson Blue, and Morrison Springs (Great Cavern dive). Vortex is a fun dive too, The cave is nice and huge. Of course don't cave dive without training. I hate it when I see open water divers (not hard to spot, vest BC's, snorkels, and split fins, heh) down at 110' at the stop sign.

Matt