Blue Grotto’s primary goal is to ensure the safety and enjoyment of our guests. To do this, we:
- Make visitors aware of any risks and hazards inherent in diving the Grotto that go beyond those normally associated with scuba diving.
- Do nothing to entice visitors to go places or do things that would take them beyond the limits of their training, experience and certification.
We are constantly looking for ways to do better. As a result, we recently made some changes to the Grotto you should be aware of.
An important difference
Anyone who dives in Florida’s freshwater springs should know the difference between caverns and caves. These terms sound similar but represent two very different things.
- The major cave and technical diver training organizations define cavern diving as anything taking place in a natural overhead environment within sight of daylight.
- Anything beyond sight of daylight is what these organizations define as cave diving.
Why is this distinction important?
- Experts consider cavern diving to be an extension of normal recreational diving. You can cavern dive while wearing standard, single-tank sport diving equipment. You can always see your way out and, in the most dire circumstance, stand a good chance of being able to make a controlled emergency swimming ascent.
- Cave diving on the other hand is a very advanced form of technical diving. It entails substantial risk due to the possibility of becoming lost and running out of air before finding your way out. Cave diving requires highly specialized training and equipment. Without these, it is among the most dangerous of all underwater activities.
What, then, is Blue Grotto?
- Above 60 feet, divers can still see daylight. This falls within the definition of a cavern dive — something divers can do with standard sport diving equipment.
- Below 60 feet, you lose sight of daylight and, according to the major cave and technical diver training agencies, are now in a cave. This, again, requires highly specialized training and equipment.
Important changes
In light of this, we recently made two important changes:
- There are no longer any guidelines leading directly from the cavern entrance to depths below 60 feet.
- At the point where divers would otherwise lose sight of daylight, we have placed NSS-CDS “Grim Reaper” warning signs. These caution those who lack the necessary training and equipment to go no further.
Questions welcomed
If you have questions about these changes to the Grotto, feel free to ask us. We are more than happy to answer them.