Cave diving in United States

Most cave diving in the United States happens in north and north-central Florida, where springs and sinkholes open into water-filled caves in the limestone of the Floridan aquifer. The Wakulla-Leon Sinks system south of Tallahassee is the longest mapped underwater cave in the country, and parks near Live Oak, Branford, High Springs and Chiefland are visited by cave divers year-round. Outside Florida, documented sites are few; Jacob's Well in Texas is mapped by a volunteer exploration project but closed to recreational scuba diving.

How access works

There is no national permit. Access is set entrance by entrance by whoever owns the land: Florida State Parks (registration, proof of certification, no solo diving, dives finished an hour before sunset), county parks, privately owned spring parks such as Ginnie Springs (registration, waiver and day fees), state wildlife management areas such as Chassahowitzka (an FWC scuba registration), properties owned by the NSS Cave Diving Section (members only, with experience requirements), and federal land where exploration runs under permit. Some caves are closed to recreational divers altogether.

A general summary; each site page gives its own dated access information.