Florida
Buford Spring (Chassahowitzka WMA)
- Max depth50 m (164 ft)
- CertificationFull cave
- Water temperature≈ 22–24 °C (72–75 °F)estimated, no reports yet
- SpecialExperienced divers
Diving and fills
Dive here with
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Fills nearby
- Blue Grotto Dive Resort (Williston)Air; nitrox (mentioned with the courses) — ask
The dive
A sink the sun falls through, with heavy silt on the overhangs and a small spring run to Little Gator Siphon. Local sources call it the 'second-largest divable cavern in Florida after Wakulla'.
1 earlier accident or incident has been reported at this cave. Read what happened ↓
Profile and sections
A sink the sun falls through, with heavy silt on the overhangs and a small spring run to Little Gator Siphon. Local sources call it the 'second-largest divable cavern in Florida after Wakulla'. Visibility follows the rain: nearly unlimited in dry spells, zero after a downpour and often greenish.
Practical: the best light is between 11:00 and 14:00. In summer most divers stay away because of rain, insects and alligators. It is a hunting area: check the FWC hunt calendar and wear orange.
- Depth and profile
- Large sunlit sink with overhangs and ledges · more than -46 m (about 165 ft)
- Configuration
- All configurations; deep and silty, so CCR or trimix for those going to the bottom.
- Gas
- Trimix from 45 m (148 ft)
Who can dive where
- At least Full cave
- Configurations: Backmount / twinset / Sidemount / CCR / Small cylinders / no-mount (speleo sumps)
- Goes down to 50 m (trimix or deco may be needed)
- Experienced divers only
This is how the planner decides who in your team may dive this cave. Rules your own trip adds (organizer, a mail, the AI) show with your trip.
How to get there
Chassahowitzka Wildlife Management Area (FWC), about 10 km north of Eagle's Nest; use the main entrance if the north gate at the Sportsmans Club is closed. Since 2019 a boardwalk leads from the car park to the spring. The same rules as Eagle's Nest: beforehand the free FWC SCUBA Diving Registration per diver and per dive, plus a daily-use permit ($3 pp / $6 per vehicle) or WMA annual pass (~$26.50). 18+ only.
Around Buford Spring (Chassahowitzka WMA)
Fills1 fill station · 84 km
Blue Grotto Dive Resort (Williston)
3852 NE 172nd Ct, Williston, FL 32696
Air; nitrox (mentioned with the courses) — ask
Daily 8:00–16:00 (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Easter)
Fill station and full rentals at the Blue Grotto; mainly for divers diving there.
Other sites3 within 28 km
News
All (1)
Accidents and incidents
What happened at this cave before, with the sources. No names are given; read it as a lesson for your own planning.
- In June 2022 two divers died here during a cave dive.
Access and rules change: check what applies locally right before your trip. Source: GDELT Project and the news feeds of diving magazines. Search for more news ↗ Searched automatically, last on 5 Nov 2026.
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