Troy/Peacock/Blue Springs PTR

[SPLzero]

This weekend was mine and Megan's 2 year anniversary. I got her new fins and a BC, and I also got the same fins and my own BC. We wanted to do a shore dive out of Bradenton but the weather and visibility was not in our favor. To try out our new equipment and to celebrate not killing each other for 2 years we decided a road trip was in order.

The first place we drove to was Troy Springs. The drive was easy and we did not have any trouble finding the park. We bought our state park pass there (yay!) so we can go diving more often. The weather was still pretty gloomy and it was a little bit chilly. We saw a lot of little turtles, which Megan loved, but it was still pretty dark since the sun was not out. I snorkeled over to look at the wreck after our dive, but I could not see it well due to the weather.

After Troy Springs we drove over to Peacock Springs. There was one other car there but no one in sight. We were a little worried about the green film that seemed to cover the water so we drove back to a dive shop we saw on the way, hoping to get a little information about the spring. We were told the green would move out of our way (yeah we figured better to ask, we had never seen a film like that!) and she told us all about the caves and how we shouldn't go near them.

Back to the springs with us, visibility was actually very good and the green did indeed move. By the end of our dive our bubbles had moved all the green to the edge. There was not much to look at, only a few fish, but we just swam around getting used to our new equipment.

When we were done we stopped at the Dive Outpost again to get a tank refill so we could dive again Sunday. Megan enjoyed petting the dogs and Cathy was surprised when she saw that Megan had a Dayo tank. We had a cookie, which were very delicious, and headed to Daytona to stay in my parent's beach side condo.

Sunday, after we packed everything up from the condo, we made our way to Blue Springs! When we first got in the water there was a manatee heading down the river. Megan is still mad she has not even seen one manatee. Swimming down to the hole we passed by TJ and Denise and a few other divers were beneath us. When we got down into the hole we swam to the sign and just practiced buoyancy and looked around and that was about it. Our drift dive down the river was very nice, there were many different fish in schools to look at. When we were done we also met 2 guys who said they dive with Dayo as well.

That was it for our adventurous diving anniversary weekend. We have dinner at Outback Steakhouse tonight and then we can stop pretending to like each other!


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Megan showing off her new wetsuit

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Our new BC's

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Troy

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All donned up

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We were the ONLY divers

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Walk way to Troy Springs

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Troy

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Troy

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Troy

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Troys Deck

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Megan and I at Troy

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Crazy dirt road from Troy to Peacock

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Yay Peacock!!

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You want us to dive in that?!?

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Megan enjoying a yummy cookie.

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They tried to sell us the dog its a good thing Megan's already got one

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The view from the condo

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Sunrise over the Atlantic ocean.

[Stu S.]

Glad you had a good time. What viz did you have at Troy Springs?

Thanks / Stu

[denise]

Nice trip report!!!!

That was Orange Grove covered in duckweed......its actually useful to divers, as it forms a layer over the surface of the water, blocking out the sun, and preventing algae blooms from developing that mess up the visibility.

Some people even eat it!!!!!!!!!! :102:

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/chrisswamp1.jpg

http://www.scubadiver.cc/fishid/chrisswamp2.jpg

[Cleavitt]

Some people even eat it!!!!!!!!!! :102:


Of course people eat the duckweed. It's delicious!

SPLzero, it looks like you had a good time. How was the viz in Orange Grove?

[SPLzero]

Im new to diving so I really wasn't paying much attention. to viz but Id say that Orange grove was VERY clear. we could see from one side to the other perfect.

Troy its hard to tell since it was overcast but it was maybe 40+ feet if that sounds right.

[Cleavitt]

... Id say that Orange grove was VERY clear. we could see from one side to the other perfect.

Awesome. Orange Grove is one of my favorite dives. Last time I was there the viz was 10 feet at best in the basin. I could barely see the sharp sticks that TJ and Denise were trying to impale me with.