Florida · about 38 km from Live Oak
Hardee Spring (Rossetter Spring)
Info · exploration
Information only: an exploration project of Karst Underwater Research (KUR). The State of Florida bought the land in 2019 and the Florida Forest Service manages it as part of Twin Rivers State Forest; we found no public arrangement for divers.
- Max depth30 m (98 ft)
- CertificationFull cave
- SpecialExperienced divers
Diving and fills
Dive here with
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Fills nearby
- Amigos Dive Center (Fort White)Air to 4,500 psi (~310 bar), nitrox 21–40 %, medical O₂ (also for rebreathers), custom trimix (continuous blender), argon
- Ginnie Springs dive shopAir (high-volume) and nitrox 32 %; no trimix listed. Prices 2026, excluding tax: air $9, doubles air $14, nitrox single cylinder $15, nitrox $0.15 per cubic foot (for top-offs and doubles)
- Extreme Exposure (High Springs)Air, nitrox (32 %, 50 %), O₂ (AL40) and trimix ('mix' in doubles); walk-in fills of your own tanks: ask
Now at Hardee Spring (Rossetter Spring)
The dive
The water is tannic with a lot of river intrusion: 'good' visibility is 3 to 4.5 m, typically half that.
Profile and sections
The water is tannic with a lot of river intrusion: 'good' visibility is 3 to 4.5 m, typically half that. According to KUR its daily outflow is comparable to better-known springs such as Devil's Eye; the end of the line lies tantalisingly close to the Agate Sink cave, but a connection has not been found yet.
The land had belonged to the Hardee family since the 1930s; in 2019 the State of Florida bought it to protect the spring, which lies in the recharge area of Madison Blue Spring. Fredericks, Sapp and Hires mapped the cave in 2009; KUR has been updating that survey and exploring further since.
Practical: information only; paddlers on the Withlacoochee often stop here.
- Depth and profile
- Down to -30 m · ~1.1 km surveyed
- Configuration
- No configuration rules published.
- DPV: unknown
- No scooter rules published.
Who can dive where
- At least Full cave
- Configurations: Backmount / twinset / Sidemount / CCR / Small cylinders / no-mount (speleo sumps)
- Configuration unknown — research beforehand
- Goes down to 30 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
On the Withlacoochee in Hamilton County, ~18 km northeast of Madison. The spring flows from a small cave at the foot of a ~7.5 m bank, into a round pool ~4.5 m across and ~1.4 m deep.
Around Hardee Spring (Rossetter Spring)
Fills3 fill stations · nearest 86 km
Amigos Dive Center (Fort White)
5472 SW Elim Church Rd, Fort White, FL 32038
Air to 4,500 psi (~310 bar), nitrox 21–40 %, medical O₂ (also for rebreathers), custom trimix (continuous blender), argon
During shop hours (times not listed) — ask
Walk-ins welcome. O₂-clean equipment required for O₂. Dive centre in 'cave country' since 2006.
Ginnie Springs dive shop
Ginnie Springs Outdoors (in the park), near High Springs, FL
Air (high-volume) and nitrox 32 %; no trimix listed. Prices 2026, excluding tax: air $9, doubles air $14, nitrox single cylinder $15, nitrox $0.15 per cubic foot (for top-offs and doubles)
Park hours: Mon–Thu 8:00–17:00, Fri–Sat 8:00–19:00, Sun 8:00–18:00. Last fill between 15:00 and 17:00, depending on the fill technician's availability
Rents cylinders (incl. nitrox steel 85), BCs, regulators, suits and lights. Personal compressors are banned in the park.
Extreme Exposure (High Springs)
18481 High Springs Main Street, High Springs, FL 32643
Air, nitrox (32 %, 50 %), O₂ (AL40) and trimix ('mix' in doubles); walk-in fills of your own tanks: ask
Daily 8:00–18:00
Tech and cave shop since 1995. Rents singles, stages and doubles (steel/alu, air, nitrox or mix), regulators, backplate/wing, lights and scooters; training.
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