Florida · about 10 km from Chiefland
Manatee Springs – Catfish Hotel
- Max depth34 m (112 ft)
- CertificationCavern
- SpecialDPV-suitable
Diving and fills
Dive here with
Fills nearby
- Fill stationGinnie 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)Route ↗
- Fill stationBlue Grotto Dive Resort (Williston)Air; nitrox (mentioned with the courses) — askRoute ↗
- Fill stationExtreme Exposure (High Springs)Air, nitrox (32 %, 50 %), O₂ (AL40) and trimix ('mix' in doubles); walk-in fills of your own tanks: askRoute ↗
What it looks like
Catfish Hotel Dive Manatee Springs Florida Cave dive from Friedman sink to catfish hotel at manatee springs Manatee Spring - Catfish Hotel - Cavern Diving - January 2019 Manatee Springs - Catfish Hotel Dive, Main Spring Dive/Snorkel
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Videos and posts
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Catfish Hotel Dive Manatee Springs Florida Cave dive from Friedman sink to catfish hotel at manatee springs Manatee Spring - Catfish Hotel - Cavern Diving - January 2019 Manatee Springs - Catfish Hotel Dive, Main Spring Dive/Snorkel
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Other people's footage, not advice: how someone else dives here says nothing about what suits your team. Dive within your training.
The dive
A sink across from the main spring, usually covered with duckweed.
Profile and sections
A sink across from the main spring, usually covered with duckweed. Below it are wide passages (often >15 m) with dark walls; visibility is usually mediocre because of particles and an orange bacterial mat that exhaust bubbles dislodge. Sue Sink (in the campground) is not an entry or exit.
Practical: Friedman Sink is full cave only, max 2 teams, with at least one team member who has dived it before. Limits: 18 OW/cavern divers at a time (36 per day); cave: 8 at Catfish, 4 at Friedman, 24 per day. No swimming at Catfish. Keep 15 m from manatees. There are ticks, rattlesnakes (Friedman trail) and alligators in the main spring.
- Depth and profile
- Catfish Hotel: daylight zone to ~-21 m (max ~-27 m) · cave passages avg ~-27 m, max ~-34 m · main spring max ~-9 m · Catfish → main spring traverse ~150 m · >6 km mapped; >2.3 km penetration via Friedman Sink
- Configuration
- All configurations; Friedman Sink has a tight entrance from -2 to -5.5 m.
- DPV: DPV-suitable (estimate)
- Scooters allowed (Dive Outpost); wide passages and >6 km of cave.
Who can dive where
- At least Cavern
- Configurations: Backmount / twinset / Sidemount / CCR / Small cylinders / no-mount (speleo sumps)
- Goes down to 34 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
State park (11650 NW 115th St, Chiefland). Register at the office before 15:00, certification visible on the dashboard; out of the water and checked out 1 hour before sunset. First come, first served (no reservations). Catfish Hotel is close to the parking and picnic area.
Around Manatee Springs – Catfish Hotel
Fills3 fill stations · nearest 47 km
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.
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.
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