Supply-chain problems have affected all of us. Blue Grotto, in particular, suffered from the lack of a critical component.
Earlier this year, the hydraulic ram that opens and closes the gate failed. When we went to order a replacement, we discovered we couldn’t get one, nor could we find a viable substitute. This forced us to leave the gate open, day and night, for several months.
In early November we were finally able to get the gate back in operation. This allowed us to keep the gate closed during anything other than our normal operating hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Caught off guard
During the time we were unable to close the gate, some instructors got in the habit of arriving with students before we open at 8:00 am. Now that we are able to keep the gate closed until 8:00, anyone arriving early causes problems. Why?
- The road in front of the Grotto is extremely narrow. Two normal-size vehicles can just squeeze by side-by-side. If one of these vehicles is a truck, bus or RV, this is not possible.
- When people arrive before the gate opens, they end up parking in the road, forcing people who live in the area to go around them. This makes it difficult for our neighbors to get to and from their homes.
- Additionally, anyone stopping or standing in the road is in violation of Florida Statute 316.2045, obstructing traffic. The Levy Country Sheriff’s Department has yet to ticket anyone for this, but they could — especially if one of our neighbors decided to report violators.
- Even though our staff arrives just prior to 8:00, they need time to get things turned on and in place, just as with any dive store. They can’t open the doors and begin checking in divers as soon as they arrive.
- When cars are piled up by the gate, it can actually make it difficult for our staff to arrive and open the gate.
So, as you can see, instructors and students arriving here before 8:00 am can cause very real problems.
What you should be doing instead
You and your students need to time your travel so that you arrive at the Grotto no sooner than 8:00 am. If you see that you are going to be early, stop by Winn Dixie or McDonald’s and pick up coffee, drinks or snacks. Then time your arrival to coincide with when we have the gate open.
The right way to be an early bird
We understand that the reason some instructors arrive here early is that they want to get in the water as quickly as possible. There are steps you can take that will help ensure this. These include:
- Reserve a pavilion as far in advance as possible.
- Have your students and divers visit the Blue Grotto website, watch the orientation video and download the waiver.
- Next, have your people complete and digitally sign the waiver in Acrobat. Then have them email you the completed and signed waivers.
- Print out each person’s waiver and bring it with you.
This way, when you arrive at the Grotto, you can park at your reserved pavilion, bring your signed waivers to the office and check everyone in as a group. Nothing will get you in the water faster.