Manatee Trip - $349 diver ppdo, $299 ppdo Snorkeler

Purpose: Open Water, Advanced Open Water and Specialty Certifications. Offered during the winter months.

Our annual Manatee trip runs Friday evening until Sunday afternoon. Divers generally leave Atlanta after work or school on Friday and check into the hotel later that night. We are up bright and early on Saturday morning snorkeling with the Manatees by 7 or so. After we've spent some time interacting directly with these fascinating creatures we will hop into scuba gear and make a dive on Crystal River. This will be the first certification dive for our students. (Non-divers will be welcome to continue snorkeling with the manatees. They don't pack up and go home just because we're diving).

After a lunch break, it's time to go diving on Rainbow River. Divers working on their Open Water certification will do their second training dive. The rest of the group will do a nice lazy hour long drift dive down Rainbow River. Rainbow River is a fascinating outting, the water is generally so clear it's almost invisible! You can stand on the boat and see the plants and fish on the bottom. After a full day diving we'll meet as a group for supper and have a great time! This is a tremendous and unique day for snorkelers and divers alike. We probably won't have another opportunity this season to meet the migratory manatees, and Rainbow River has to be seen to be belived.

Sunday we move to Blue Grotto. Our open water students will finish their last two certification dives and have time for one more fun dive before heading back to Atlanta. Blue Grotto will allow our certified divers the opportunity to practice in a safe cavern environment, and reach depths (if their skills allow) of as much as 100 feet. Talk to each other in the underwater 'diving bell', see 'peace' rock, and explore underground Florida in this amazing example of spring fed Florida caverns.

The trip price includes: Hotel (per person, double occupancy), Spring entry fees, boat fees, tanks, air fills and weights. Snorkeler price ONLY includes wetsuit rental.

Divers pay for all meals, transportation to Crystal River, FL. and any miscellaneous souveniers, like canned manatee.