Off a small dirt road in Williston, Florida you’ll find a place that in winter months, steam can be seen rising from a large hole in the ground. While this may seem a bit odd, this is actually a popular year-round inland dive spot known as Devils’ Den Prehistoric Spring.
Devils Den is an underground crystal-clear spring that stays 72 degrees year-round. Geologically its known as a Karst and it is estimated to be ten to seventy-thousand years old.
Karst caverns are underwater cave systems that have collapsed into themselves causing the holes to fill up with natural spring water from the system underneath. The water system is known as the Floridian Aquifer which is part of the Rainbow Springs Basin totaling about 700 square miles in Florida. Numerous cave diver groups have explored these cave systems, mapping them out and bringing up archeological finds such as a completely intact bear skeleton dating back almost 10,000 years!
But you don’t have to be a cave certified to dive this site. In fact, you only have to hold an open water certification. This is because the majority of the cave’s entrances are sealed off for safety, but you can still swim through rock formations that have fallen within the large portion of the cave to get a feel of what it would be like.
Diving Devils Den can seem a little intimidating at first. To get down to the dock you follow a very slim set of rock stairs that leads to a slippery slope and onto a dock. The dock itself is good, but getting there with all your gear on, especially for new divers, may take a little more effort than you’re used to. Once your down there, I suggest going in on the left side of the dock. There seems to be a little more room once you’re in the water to get situated and wait on your dive buddy. It’s a bit of a shock temperature wise when you first hit the water but give it a few minutes and you’ll acclimate quickly.
If you’re like me and get cold easily on dives, I’d suggest a Temperate Water Wetsuits 60-75 degrees“>5 mil wetsuit. I used a 3 mil and my sharkskin underneath and by the time we finished the second dive I still came out with blue lips. While we were there in late April, the air temperature was only about 70 degrees in the sun, making it harder to warm up while I was on the surface. Needless to say- the water is cold! I even talked to one diver that had warmers in her suit to help keep her warm and said it helped but still didn’t feel like enough!
Once you’re underwater a whole new world opens up. Rock formations with stalactites as well as fossil beds can be found all over the dive along with the various fish are in no shortage down here! But the best site to see is when you get to the bottom and look up. The light coming in from the opening above shines down and illuminates the water making everything light up with a shadowed foreground. It is a truly stunning site and as close as you will get in the U.S. to seeing what it’s like to dive in the cenotes in Mexico.
Devils Den is a fun place to both snorkel and scuba, making it a superb destination for underwater families, and while you can still enjoy the rest of the park without being a diver, in order to access the den you must be a diver or a snorkeler- and divers have priority from the time you cross the archway to go down the stairs. Which was something that we really liked as there were a lot more snorkelers than divers that day who all seemed to want to hang out along the walkway and on the dock.
Other Things You Want To Know About
You MUST have a dive buddy to dive this site and cannot dive in threes. This is for your safety.
Night dives are offered for this dive location and must be arranged well in advance. Don’t be surprised if they postpone the dive if there’s been a good rain, the rising water levels can be dangerous so it’s for your own safety.
You can rent a trailer or cabin and stay a weekend- or a month! They also have accommodations for R.V. and camping as well. In the summer months they will have food vendors outside so you can grab a quick bite in between dives. They also have above water activities such as a volley ball net and cornhole.
There is a full-service dive shop with equipment rental on site. If you need a full set of dive gear you can rent it for about $40 dollars, which includes your mask, snorkel, fins, booties, BCD, regulator, tank, wetsuit, weights, and a small dive torch. Renting by the piece can be a little more expensive so I suggest if you need more than one or two things, to rent a whole kit and piece out what you need.
I cannot express how wonderful the dive masters and employees there were. It was super hectic while we were there and yet they still took the time to answer all our questions and help us out along the way. If you show up and there is a long line to get checked in- don’t worry! They are a very efficient shop and the line goes quickly. Just make sure to have your cert card ready as well as your ID and once you fill out the waiver you are good to go!
Last but not least, if you are looking to maximize your diving time on this trip there is also another dive site only a few minutes away called Blue Grotto Dive Resort. They are separately owned, but you can find out more about this dive site here; or check out my personal experience here.
Need a warmer wet suit for this dive? Check out this link on all the best colder water wetsuits at Temperate Water Wetsuits 60-75 degrees“>House of Scuba!
Happy Wandering and Safe Diving!
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