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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 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.

Wind model · graded 14h 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

Best: Fri
Fri8:00–20:00
Sat8:00–20:00
Sun8:00–20:00
Mon8:00–17:00
Tue8:00–19:00
Wed8:00–20:00
Thu8:00–20:00

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

First light 6:48 · Sunrise 7:12 · Sunset 19:39

Source: Open-Meteo wind · graded 14h ago

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Forecast · NOAA tide model

Tide & slack timing

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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. Jan82% 10 kn
  2. Feb85% 9 kn
  3. Mar82% 10 kn
  4. Apr88% 10 kn
  5. May96% 9 kn
  6. Jun93% 10 kn
  7. Jul99% 7 kn
  8. Aug92% 9 kn
  9. Sep93% 9 kn
  10. Oct92% 10 kn
  11. Nov96% 8 kn
  12. Dec90% 9 kn

July hastypically 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

Fills & rentals nearby

No dive shops mapped within 25 km. 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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