New diver

[nolatom]

also, along the lower eastern coast of Florida (Jupiter and points south) the typical boat dive is a "drift" dive in that south-to-north Gulf Stream-influenced flow, where you all jump in close to each other, a divemaster goes with you towing a surface buoy (so he/she is easy to spot in a crowd, holding that bouy line). The boat follows that buoy, so whenever you surface you are fairly close to the boat, who comes and picks you up.

Others may differ, but I think drift dives are a good place for new divers--you float with the current, and don't have to do much navigating and remembering landmarks, and you don't have to fight a current to get back back to a boat anchor line, so it's more relaxed and your air lasts longer. And while you'll have a buddy, it's more of a "group" dive, and if you stay close to the DM (to whom you have mentioned you're a new diver), DM will probably be looking out for you. It may be that your chat with DM will result in you buddying with DM.

Also, drift dives along the ledges (which also typically run south-north) are cool, sort of like orbiting the moon at very low altitude.

The only thing that you might be a small challenge is having to ascend without a line to hang onto, so bleed air out of your BC before you think you have to, so you dont ascend too fast. But watch your depth gauge, and ascend with a more experienced buddy and you'll catch on fast as to how to do a 'free ascent'.

 

[wspalding]

Thank you so much! That helps a lot!

Narcosis is a really nice charter operating out of Riviera Beach. As for the diving, you'll find dives are deeper in Jupiter, but you get to see bigger stuff like sharks and Goliath Groupers, farther south you'll find shallow reefs that can be quite pretty. Head down towards Delray and you'll find some interesting ledges.

 

[Christina McDaniel]

Narcosis is a really nice charter operating out of Riviera Beach. As for the diving, you'll find dives are deeper in Jupiter, but you get to see bigger stuff like sharks and Goliath Groupers, farther south you'll find shallow reefs that can be quite pretty. Head down towards Delray and you'll find some interesting ledges.

Thank you very much, now with Naui they recommend us to dive no deeper than 60 ft, would I need to be an advanced diver to dive with a group going to a wreck? I assume most of them are over 60 ft deep.. Thanks!

 

[wspalding]

Thank you very much, now with Naui they recommend us to dive no deeper than 60 ft, would I need to be an advanced diver to dive with a group going to a wreck? I assume most of them are over 60 ft deep.. Thanks!

To be honest, no one is going to prevent you from diving the wrecks along Palm Beach area, you really just need to be aware of your own limits. My son at 13 was diving Jupiter reefs with an OW cert which generally took him to 75-80 ft. I believe the majority of the artificial reefs won't be any deeper than that. I just recommend that you dive with someone with experience who can keep an eye on you.

 

[nolatom]

Wreck diving along the Fla coast where we are all talking about, means you have to "stop" at the wrecks rather than just drifitng with whatever the current is (usually flowing to the north). So wear gloves, it's easier and uses less energy/air if you can hold yourself in place with a finger or hand on the wreck instead of swimming all the time just hold your place against the current. And you can "pull and glide" to move against it with less energy than finning. Don't grab anything soft or beautiful (just steel or barnacles generally okay) and don't grab the anemones ;-)

Easy to duck out of the current by putting some of the wreck's steel between you and the current. the boat will typically tie in to the wreck with their line, on which you descend and ascend, so the current isn't that big a concern as long as you are on that line.

The reason I mentioned drift diving over the reefs as a good introduction for a newbie, is you just ride with the current, as also does your boat. No need to find your way "back" to a tie-in or mooring line.

But you'll have to free-ascend, and wait for the boat to maneuver to you with engines. This may seem sketchy or scary if you've never done it before, with props turning and all, but it isn't--they know what they're doing.