High Springs, Florida, United States

Ginnie Springs

Ginnie Springs is a private spring complex on the Santa Fe River about 25 miles northwest of Gainesville, Florida, and one of the iconic dive destinations in the eastern United States. The main spring vent is a clear pool, 4 metres deep, that flows into a karst amphitheatre called the Ginnie Ballroom: a large open chamber 16 metres deep accessible to open-water divers without cavern certification, with a permanent steel grate that blocks deeper penetration. The site sits on the access point to the Devil's system (Devil's Eye, Devil's Ear, Little Devil), one of Florida's most extensive cave systems, but those are reserved for full-cave-trained divers. Visibility in the open pool is famously gin-clear, frequently exceeding 60 metres. Water is a constant 22 C year-round. Manatees occasionally come up the river in winter. The site offers easy shore entries from a sand beach and stair, and it is one of the busiest training spots in the south.