Posted by ScubaStevesWife
Early Sunday morning, I headed up to Williston, Florida to visit Devil`s Den.
I usually avoid diving in springs at all costs. I like warm water. I like big fish. I hate wearing a wet suit. BUT for the first time in my life, I truly enjoyed this spring dive site, and of course there were "Who`s Your Buddy" stickers everywhere... a reminder of the get together I had missed.
We got an awesome spot right by the staircase, under a pavillion to set up. The temperature was already up to 92+ degrees while we were setting up our equipment.
There was a steady stream of divers emerging and submerging into the staircase down to Devil`s Den. While I was suiting up, I couldn`t wait to get down there- not because I was burning up and sweating while trying to peal on my 3mm, INSTEAD it was burning curiousity. I had walked around the grounds a bit after we checked in. I had stopped at the above ground look through to the divers below, AND I couldn`t believe how cool it all looked. I just wanted to get in that water, and see what was even farther down below.
The staircase into Devil`s Den is crazy. Having to haunch over so you don`t hit your head, and making sure the divers coming up have the right away-- you definitely have to watch your step.
The water was a nice 72 degrees. After getting geared up in the heat, it was soooo nice to finally be waist deep waiting for my buddies to join me for the dive.
Fortunately my husband has been to Devil`s Den hundreds of times with buddies and students, so he served as our guide.
Swim throughs, giant cat fish, itty-bitty fish, and pure excitement about what we were going to see next entertained me throughout both of our dives. I couldn`t believe how many divers were in the water, yet we never ran into them. I would see their flashlights above me, or around the corner, but there were so many places to swim around, we never ran into them.
Quite honestly, I usually get bored in springs. There`s usually just a chute to swim down into. Diver`s passing eachother by on the way back up to the top. At Devil`s Den, its like a giant circle. You go around and around, yet it looks different every lap. I could do swim throughs all day. You feel like a kid in a giant McDonald`s play place, climbing up into the loops of tubes and dodging obstacles.
I can`t wait to go back. Next time I won`t whine so much as a put on that wet suit.