Clay-Doh

Thursday and Friday February 23rd and 24th

Planning another trip to Crystal River to swim with the Manatees. We've done this the past 2 years, and it is an incredible experience! Here's pictures from last year. We do it during the week because there are less people in the springs then on the weekend, and the vizibility is crystal clear. One year on a weekend it was less than 5 foot viz because of so many people stirring up the bottom kicking there feet around.

These are stills from the video footage I took. Yes it's really that beautiful!





The 3 sisters springs is 72 degree water year round, and very few places over 5' deep. All you need is a snorkle, mask, wetsuit, and booties. Because of the warm water in the springs, the manatees flock there during the winter months, and you will be surrounded by literally dozens and dozens of manatees at a time.

We will be renting pontoon boats for 2 days, each holds up to 12 people, and we are free to do as we please. We have the boats all day, and there's a restaurant on the bay we pull up to by dock that we'll go to eat lunch, or pack a lunch if you want.

Pontoon rental is $170 per day, plus we stock a few drink coolers with ice, and it comes out to $15 per person per day if we have 12 people on each boat, or up to $25 per person per day if only 7 people per boat.

There is a dive shop owned by the hotel, Plantation Inn, and you can rent any items you don't have. Wetsuits are $12 and mask fins and snorkel package is $13.

The Plantation Inn hotel is awesome, right on the canals, with the hot tub right out by the waters edge. Last year I was able to get a group discount for $90 per room. They told me they would do that again this year. I will check.
Here's an ariel view of the hotel and dive shop.




Some of us also rented an island house last year, with pool, Jacuzzi, tiki bar, grill, firepit, and canoes and kayak. I will be doing that again this year, but we need to get enough people interested so we can rent out both the top and bottom this time, since.....we almost got kicked out last year for disturbing the crybabys upstairs. I won't mention any names of who might have been a little rowdy. But a picture does speak a thousand words....


Most of us left the evening before, and stayed 3 night, which is whhat Jackie and I will be doing again.
As last time, we can carpool down there and make a great road trip out of it.This is an amazing experience, for kids too, or anyone who doesn't dive but would love to experience seeing all sorts of fish (bluegill, huge tarpon, etc.), and be able to interact with the manatees

If you are interested, let me know and I can give you the information needed for you to come along. We had 23 people last year and had a great time

Here's the video I got from last year. We went a little late in March, and there were not as many manatees as the year before, but they sure were playful and friendly.
MANATEE VIDEO

You'll regret missing this!!!

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Jason

Me and Chris are propbably purty good w/ it, just gotta check the calanders!!!

EODangler

That looks awesome! Are you open to people you don't even know coming along?

Evensplit

He counts on it

Clay-Doh

Of course EO, that's why I posted it on here. Last year had some people I hadn't had a pleasure to meet yet, and we all had a great time! And it really is cheap for such an awesome experience, and 2 full days out in our own boat. Would be great if you could come

I probably should have added for people to email me since I don 't get notifications on here when I get a message. bosscommercial@gmail.com

Jason, Chris texted me this morning and said he has a class on the 10th, which was the reminder I needed to get this posted up on both forums. Let me know for sure! I'll make another batch of jerky for the trip down again!

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Clay-Doh

You lost me Jim, I don't get it. I count on it?

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Evensplit

People that don't know you

rocklobster

Clay,

Go and have fun! We will be going the weekend after for those with kids or have Monday thru Friday jobs. That's March 2,3 &4. The hotel has been renovated and the cost is a little more than last year. We have already contacted them for our group and they are holding a block of rooms and two boats for us. If any of you can't break away during the week but still want to go, let me know and I'll get the group code to you.

Clay is right, it is an awesome experience and a great way to form fond family memories. Any and all are welcome. Just let us know!

Clay-Doh

Want to make a clarification. In my original post when I said went one weekend and the viz was terrible, it was a 3 day holiday weekend, and the place was packed solid with cattle boats unloading a dozen people at a time up into the springs. And instead of moving calmly and not kicking up the bottom with there fins (as they recomend before you head out), lots of people did. It was an unusually packed weekend.

Due to that, since my kids are grown and I don't have to take them out of school, and because my schedule is flexible, I prefer to go during the week.

However, even on that holiday weekend, if I wasn't able to go during the week, I would still go again with those conditions, because it is absolutely amazing to be able to interact with these animals.

I'm very good friends with Dalton and Michelle (DKdiver and Rocklobster), Dalton being my SCUBA instructor that certified me about 6 years ago in fact. I wasn't trying to discourage anyone from going on a weekend. We had already talked a couple months ago and she said she was going to organize a weekend trip for people who couldn't do a weekday, them having a son in school themselves.

If you can't do a weekday, don't by any means miss out on going on the weekend trip with them. The viz might not be quite as good, but you will have memories of a lifetime, and if you take your kids, they will too. And for the overall price you can't get more bang for your buck!

So it isn't a competition between us to get the largest group, we're both catering to different schedules and preferences. As long as at least a half dozen people go on either trip to split the boat rental cost, it works out good. Last year the trip I organized we had 23 people including Dalton and Michelle. The year before that on MLK weekend that MBT organized we had about the same number.

Either way though, try and make one or the other trip!

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Clay-Doh

Getting closer!

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