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Shore entry

Rainbow Spring North

Florida, United StatesDirections
Open Water suggestedSteady 1-2 knot river current (one-way drift); heavy boat, tuber and paddler traffic in summer2–8 m (5–25 ft) depthShore entry

Rainbow Spring North at a glance

Rainbow Spring North is a shore dive site in Florida, United States with depths of 1.5–7.6 m (5–25 ft). Typically most favorable Jul · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see Longnose gar, Otter, and Bluegill. Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Next window today· 14:00–19:00 · moderate · sunset 18:48

Wind forecast for this hour · 9:00 · run 8 h ago
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Tap a factor for its source and model point

Site hazards: Steady 1-2 knot river current (one-way drift); heavy boat, tuber and paddler traffic in summer

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Lightest wind: Sun
Mon14:00–19:00 moderate

15 kn wind (15 kn wind)

Tue8:00–10:00 favorable, 10:00–19:00 moderate

13 kn wind (13 kn wind)

Wed8:00–19:00 moderate

12 kn wind (12 kn wind)

Thu8:00–13:00 moderate, 13:00–15:00 favorable, 15:00–19:00 moderate

12 kn wind (12 kn wind)

Fri8:00–11:00 moderate, 11:00–19:00 favorable

11 kn wind (11 kn wind)

Sat10:00–12:00 moderate, 12:00–18:00 favorable, 18:00–19:00 moderate

12 kn wind (12 kn wind)

Sun8:00–19:00 favorable

8 kn wind (8 kn wind)

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

Every forecast dive window each day, site-local time, from wind forecasts. Numbers under each bar are daylight averages.

First light 7:14 · Sunrise 7:38 · Sunset 18:48 · some windows run past sunset

Source: Open-Meteo wind · updated 26 Oct, 01:27 GMT-4

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Compare this weekend’s windows near Rainbow Spring North

Forecast · NOAA tide model

Tide & slack timing

Loading tide predictions

Recent diver reports

Dated firsthand observations from divers — not current conditions.

No diver reports for this site yet. — one dated observation helps every diver after you.

Dived here today — did the forecast match?

What Divers Say

Known for: Longnose gar, Bluegill, Redear sunfish
Best time: Year-round at 72°F with 100 ft+ visibility; weekday mornings outside summer tubing season are calmest; entire river is idle-speed/no-wake.

Based on community reviews and site data. Conditions vary — always verify before diving.

Best months, historically

What conditions have historically been typical at this site, month by month — not a forecast.

  1. January, 82% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 10 knots
  2. February, 85% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 9 knots
  3. March, 82% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 10 knots
  4. April, 88% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 10 knots
  5. May, 96% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 9 knots
  6. June, 93% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 10 knots
  7. July, 99% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 7 knots, historically most favorable
  8. August, 92% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 9 knots
  9. September, 93% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 9 knots
  10. October, 92% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 10 knots
  11. November, 96% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 8 knots
  12. December, 90% of days have historically been favorable, wind has typically been 9 knots

July has typically had the largest share of favorable days here. Conditions vary year to year — this is historical context, not a forecast.

Based on 3 years of archive data. Bar height shows the share of days each month whose conditions have historically scored favorably.

Marine life seen at this site

Species noted at this site — not a promise of what you’ll encounter.

Species seen here

Rough labels: “Commonly seen” usually means two or more recorded sightings near this site in public dive logs (GBIF), “Occasionally seen” one; “Seasonal” and “Rarely seen” come from dive-guide research. Not a measured rate.

Fills & rentals nearby

No dive shops mapped within 25 km (16 mi). Know one? Add it to the map.

Data updated July 2026

Site details

The Rainbow River is one of Florida's classic drift dives: a crystal-clear, sand-and-eelgrass river fed by the first-magnitude Rainbow Springs group, flowing at a steady walking pace over limestone vents and fossil beds at 10-25 ft. Diving is prohibited in the Rainbow Springs State Park headspring; divers stage from KP Hole County Park, ride the water taxi upstream and drift effortlessly back to the dock. Constant 72°F water, 100 ft+ visibility and abundant fish, turtles and bubbling sand boils make it a superb beginner drift.

driftshore

Steady 1-2 knot river current (one-way drift); heavy boat, tuber and paddler traffic in summer — dive flag legally required and strictly enforced; shallow depths make buoyancy control around boats important; no diving allowed in the state park headspring area; eelgrass entanglement minimal but present.

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