Florida
King Spring (Tarpon Spring, Kings Bay)
- Max depth20 m (66 ft)
- CertificationOpen water / no overhead
Diving and fills
Dive here with
No dive centre guides here yet. Do you dive here with guests? Add your centre for free →
Fills nearby
- Blue Grotto Dive Resort (Williston)Air; nitrox (mentioned with the courses) — ask
- Extreme Exposure (High Springs)Air, nitrox (32 %, 50 %), O₂ (AL40) and trimix ('mix' in doubles); walk-in fills of your own tanks: ask
- Cave Country Dive Shop (High Springs)Air, nitrox 32 % and 50 %, O₂, helium; trimix 21/35, 18/45, 10/70 and custom; CCR O₂ fills
The dive
An underwater spring in an alcove on the south side of Banana Island, in the middle of Kings Bay. At the back lies a cavern where you can look around in the half-light, and hundreds of fish often gather around its two exits.
Profile and sections
An underwater spring in an alcove on the south side of Banana Island, in the middle of Kings Bay. At the back lies a cavern where you can look around in the half-light, and hundreds of fish often gather around its two exits. Manatees are a common sight. When bay water mixes with the spring water, visibility drops.
The spring is also called Tarpon Spring or Crystal Spring and is the best-known dive and snorkel spot in Kings Bay.
Practical: in winter most manatees are here and the bay's sanctuary rules apply. Expect crowds of snorkel boats.
- Depth and profile
- Spring bowl about 60 m across, to about -20 m (65 ft, floridacaves); about -4.6 m over the vent (Florida Springs)
- Configuration
- All configurations (estimate).
- DPV: Not DPV-suitable (estimate)
- Small spring bowl with a cavern; a scooter makes no sense.
Who can dive where
- At least Open water / no overhead
- Configurations: Backmount / twinset / Sidemount / CCR / Small cylinders / no-mount (speleo sumps)
- Goes down to 20 m (trimix or deco may be needed)
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
By water only: by boat, canoe or kayak from one of the many ramps around Kings Bay in Crystal River to the south side of Banana Island. Diving at King Spring is allowed year-round; from 15 November to 31 March the manatee sanctuaries in the bay are closed and diving is only allowed inside the 'keyhole' marked by buoys (US Fish & Wildlife Service).
Around King Spring (Tarpon Spring, Kings Bay)
Fills3 fill stations · nearest 57 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.
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.
Cave Country Dive Shop (High Springs)
19808 N US Hwy 441, High Springs, FL 32643
Air, nitrox 32 % and 50 %, O₂, helium; trimix 21/35, 18/45, 10/70 and custom; CCR O₂ fills
Daily 7:00–19:00
Prices per cu ft online (e.g. 18/45 $2.04, 10/70 $3.15, O₂ $0.50; CCR O₂ min. $6). Rentals: backmount/sidemount doubles $14/day, trimix bailout cylinder $16, SUEX scooter $85/day, Shearwater computers. Cave courses from cavern to full cave and CCR cave (TDI, IANTD, NSS-CDS) by the owner's BJL Diving, and guided cave and spring dives, also with scooter, CCR, trimix and stages.
Going to Florida with your team?
Marcel finds the sites that match your team's certifications.
Plan a trip