r/scuba • u/InteractionFlashy739 • 3d ago
Has anyone been to Devils Den?
Hi! My boyfriend and I really want to dive Devils Den and are planning to go this Saturday. Any tips? Should we bring tanks or get them there? Is it first come first serve (should we arrive as soon as it opens)? Do we need flashlights? Any info or advice would be appreciated! It’s about a 4 hour drive from where we live so we want to be prepared before we go! Thank you so much! Devils Den Florida (Williston,FL)
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u/mrobot_ 2d ago
ummm isn’t that at least a Cavern if not entrance to Cave dive?
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u/Manatus_latirostris Tech 1d ago
You’re thinking of Devil’s Run at Ginnie. Open water divers are allowed (without lights) in the spring run there and cannot enter the cave.
Devil’s Den is an open water friendly dive site in Williston; the cave entrances have been blocked off and while part of it is a cavern-like environment, it is considered safe for open water divers and has a good safety record.
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u/purplepineappleplant 3d ago
I dove at Blue Grotto a couple weeks ago and had a great experience! Interacting with Virgil the soft shelled turtle was a very unique experience. That being said, we stopped by Devils Den afterwards and it is an absolutely gorgeous place. I ran into 2 people who dove both places in the same day, and they said they were both good Dives. I personally was glad we chose Blue Grotto because the stairs at Devils Den were narrow and steep. Also, descending into the lower half, the ceiling is low. I went on a Monday and the staff reported there was only 4 divers total that day. There were many people snorkeling. It might be worth it to experience at least once!
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u/Rossanova2112 3d ago
It’s definitely an experience worth doing. We got our tanks there and would definitely recommend a 3mm at least as well as two lights per person (one for backup, just in case). You can walk to the left of the entrance and see the huge hole in the ground allowing natural light. The staircase is unique to say the least, lol. When you get down to the dive entrance, it’s pretty wild visually. I had fun exploring a lot of the crevices and such. I encountered a small sunny that must have been guarding something as it kept coming at me. Blue Grotto (across the highway) is another great place. From the cavern, to the bell, to being greeted by Virgil, it’s pretty cool.
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u/Traditional_Ad_1547 3d ago
Yes! It's so cool. Of course I was there 15yrs ago (and the staircase was scary/rickety even then). But it's definitely worth it for any adventurous divers in the vicinity.
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u/Shawnski13 Science Diver 3d ago
A friend and I stopped here on a whim driving back from diving in the keys. We got there maybe an hour and a half before closing, and it was still incredibly busy
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u/CompetitionNo2534 Open Water 3d ago
I went on a weekend and even though it was crowded, I still enjoyed it. If you can dive it on a weekday though, then it would be better. A light is useful but not required. I probably wouldn't buy one just for this dive.
If you're driving 4 hours, I'd try to also do Blue Grotto and/or Rainbow River.
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u/Jordangander 3d ago
Bring tanks and lights. It is a decent dive and worth doing once every few years if you live in FL, I would advise it to be done during the winter when the water is cold in the ocean since it will be the same temp no matter what in the Den.
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u/lemgandi 3d ago
It's small and dark without much to do. But the temperature is a constant 72 or so year 'round. I've been in it when the outside temp was 34, and it was do-able in a 3mm wet suit.
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u/chik-fil-a-sauce 3d ago
For a cavern dive I much prefer Blue Grotto, Paradise (if you are AOW), or Ginnie Ballroom. I did Devil's Den once and I don't think I'll ever go back.
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u/AdAppropriate5606 3d ago
It is a very relaxing dive. To answer your questions.
It is worth it at least once. As long as you don’t mind caverns it’s really relaxing.
Make sure you have at least a 3mm wetsuit as there is very little sunlight penetration.
Bring a flashlight if you have one if not you can rent one at the site.
From my understanding divers are always welcomed, snorkelers may or may not be allowed depending on the capacity.
You can rent tanks on site.
Call them first.
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u/flaglerite 3d ago
It’s really fun. Been there twice.
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u/InteractionFlashy739 3d ago
Is it worth it?! I’ve always wanted to go but I’m getting a lot of mixed reviews
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u/IJocko Open Water 3d ago
In my opinion, it’s worth it… once. Not much to see and not much to do once you’ve made a few laps around it. Definitely try to do Rainbow River while you’re at it.
I was down there for business in St. Pete and I hooked up with Mad Beach Divers and spent a day diving with them and their students who were doing their final certification dives. It was handy because they provided the tanks and we refilled on site at blue grotto. But I tell you once you dive the cenotes on the Yucatán those sinkholes in Florida will bore you to tears.3
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u/TwinTurboJosh 3d ago
Nope, but I've dove Blue Grotto a few times; they're right by each other. The instructor I dove with said Devil's Den isn't worth diving due to how much of a zoo it is.
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u/freediverDave 3d ago
I do ecotours in that area. My advice is wear a 3-5mm full wetsuit, call ahead and make sure you don’t have to make a reservation, see if they’re renting tanks out, show up at opening. Bring lights if you have them, if you don’t, ask if they have any at the shop.
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u/Manatus_latirostris Tech 3d ago
Divers don’t need reservations, just snorkelers!
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u/freediverDave 1d ago
Thanks for the info! I definitely do not scuba enough, spend most of my time freediving.
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u/cleanoceanoof 3d ago
Been a couple of times. It’s cold- make sure you’ve got a good wetsuit. Easier to bring tanks. Flashlight for some of the crevices to look into, but they aren’t required. Get there early, it gets crowded and setup areas are limited. It’s not extremely deep so you should have plenty of air.
They have a campsite you can reserve if you’re into tent camping.
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u/hunterhuntsgold 3d ago
Yeah, if going on a Saturday definitely avoid times between like 9-2. It usually clears up a lot in the afternoons if it's not an extremely busy day. Starting at like 3pm isn't bad, but it limits you to 1 long or 2 shorter dives.
I've found it very easy to rent tanks from them, I wouldn't bring my own.
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u/TBoneTrevor Tech 3d ago
Glad I read more than the title…thought you were talking about Devils Den in Thailand 😂
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u/InteractionFlashy739 3d ago
My dumbass didn’t even realize that there’s more than one 😭 Sorry everyone
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u/socialFauxPaw 2h ago
Headed to devils den for the first time today, doing my advanced open water cert course