AlmightyApkallu
Contributor
Just recently I took a trip to Florida and spent the better part of two weeks there. I spent time in the Panhandle, went down through Tampa (did not spend time there though) and stayed in Miami for awhile, spending time there and in the Keys. For my diving, I dived in Miami, doing the Neptune Reef (which was probably my favorite dive), Rainbow Reef, then dived in Key Largo doing the Benwood Wreck and French Reef. I also dived in the Panhandle, but sadly the only dive I did there was Vortex Springs...
I went to Florida with the intent on scouting possible places to move to and live in. I must say I really enjoyed and loved every bit of the state. Every part of it has so many things to love and enjoy... Yet, for some odd reason I fell in love with the Panhandle. I loved how it felt laid back, had a beach town feel but on the other hand felt lively and active. I loved how "vacation~y" it felt, like everything there was all about fun. I LOVED the beaches and I LOVED the "southern hospitality" feel I got. I just absolutely loved it so dang much... I noticed that Miami and Broward County felt a lot more like California and Orange county in California. Big huge expensive homes, millionaires, billionaires, rich and famous types, high fashion, rat racing, run-you-over-in-my-bently mentality. I liked how in the Panhandle there was a lot more of a "fishing village" feel, where as in the Miami area it was more of a "these canals are for us to pull our mega yachts up to our mega mansions" feel. Maybe I am wrong, but I didn't see as many blue collar marina's and boating areas, fishing village boardwalk type areas. Again, I still absolutely loved the place and really liked Lauderdale By The Sea, Pompano and Boca. I could very easily live in those areas, but still... I just can't stop thinking of the Panhandle.
I grew up in a beach town, not in Florida, but was used to hanging out at the beach, spending all my time near the beach, doing all my shopping near the beach and oh yeah, going to the beach! In the Panhandle I totally got that feel and loved it. I kept thinking "Man, I just want to buy a home here, settle down and spend my days here Kayaking, fishing and Diving-" Oh wait... That's where the problem lies.
I'm an adventurous person, I love adventure but I really love anything to do with the water. I love Fishing, particularly fly fishing, I love boating, I love kayaking, all of which I've heard can be done with great pleasure in any part of Florida, but then comes the diving... I am VERY in love with Scuba Diving. I've been told by countless people if you love diving, forget the panhandle and concentrate on SE Florida or the Keys. Of course, the Keys would be lovely but are more or less impossible to live in unless I either want to do the studio with 5 people thing and work at some bar or hotel my whole life or some how become independently wealthy, it's less realistic. This leaves the Panhandle and SE Florida.
Now we all know how great SE Florida is for diving, but unfortunately the Panhandle has a "rap" at least that I'VE heard (and believe me I've been trying to find anyone with a good opinion on it) of not being the greatest for diving. I was told there is only 3-4 springs in the Panhandle to dive. Morrison, Vortex and a couple of others. I was told my dive at Vortex would be boring yet... I LOVED it. I had so much fun diving there that I was laughing at the end of my second dive. It was so clear and there were so many fish to see and no, I didn't find it cold at all even though it was 62 outside and the water temp was 67 AND there was a light breeze. We're used to diving much colder and in our 5mm's felt perfectly toasty and comfy. The cold doesn't bother us, but we've been told that after diving the the springs a few times you get tired of it. That leaves the ocean.
From what I've researched and been told, there is only 3-4 shore dives in the Panhandle. Navarre, St. Andrew's Jetties and a couple of other's that aren't as good. I was planning to dive St. Andrew's or Navarre and didn't get the chance, but have been told that the conditions are usually more bad than good at them and that unless you get lucky the visibility is usually crap, especially in the summer? Again, this is just what I've been told or read. That leaves boat diving. I've been told pretty much all the boat diving is wrecks (which is fine by me) but that most of those wrecks are also crappy visibility and get rather boring. So that leaves me confused. I REALLY love the Panhandle, a lot and I'm not super picky, but I also don't want to move to a place where my diving is always mediocre and I get bored/frustrated with it rather quickly.
That's why I made this thread, not just for advice but for OPINIONS from the locals. How do y'all feel about your diving? What is your opinion? How often do you dive? Do you get bored? How often do you make it all the way down to SE Florida and the Keys? I just want to know what the locals think, how they feel and how they live with being a diver on the Emerald Coast.
Thank you much!
I went to Florida with the intent on scouting possible places to move to and live in. I must say I really enjoyed and loved every bit of the state. Every part of it has so many things to love and enjoy... Yet, for some odd reason I fell in love with the Panhandle. I loved how it felt laid back, had a beach town feel but on the other hand felt lively and active. I loved how "vacation~y" it felt, like everything there was all about fun. I LOVED the beaches and I LOVED the "southern hospitality" feel I got. I just absolutely loved it so dang much... I noticed that Miami and Broward County felt a lot more like California and Orange county in California. Big huge expensive homes, millionaires, billionaires, rich and famous types, high fashion, rat racing, run-you-over-in-my-bently mentality. I liked how in the Panhandle there was a lot more of a "fishing village" feel, where as in the Miami area it was more of a "these canals are for us to pull our mega yachts up to our mega mansions" feel. Maybe I am wrong, but I didn't see as many blue collar marina's and boating areas, fishing village boardwalk type areas. Again, I still absolutely loved the place and really liked Lauderdale By The Sea, Pompano and Boca. I could very easily live in those areas, but still... I just can't stop thinking of the Panhandle.
I grew up in a beach town, not in Florida, but was used to hanging out at the beach, spending all my time near the beach, doing all my shopping near the beach and oh yeah, going to the beach! In the Panhandle I totally got that feel and loved it. I kept thinking "Man, I just want to buy a home here, settle down and spend my days here Kayaking, fishing and Diving-" Oh wait... That's where the problem lies.
I'm an adventurous person, I love adventure but I really love anything to do with the water. I love Fishing, particularly fly fishing, I love boating, I love kayaking, all of which I've heard can be done with great pleasure in any part of Florida, but then comes the diving... I am VERY in love with Scuba Diving. I've been told by countless people if you love diving, forget the panhandle and concentrate on SE Florida or the Keys. Of course, the Keys would be lovely but are more or less impossible to live in unless I either want to do the studio with 5 people thing and work at some bar or hotel my whole life or some how become independently wealthy, it's less realistic. This leaves the Panhandle and SE Florida.
Now we all know how great SE Florida is for diving, but unfortunately the Panhandle has a "rap" at least that I'VE heard (and believe me I've been trying to find anyone with a good opinion on it) of not being the greatest for diving. I was told there is only 3-4 springs in the Panhandle to dive. Morrison, Vortex and a couple of others. I was told my dive at Vortex would be boring yet... I LOVED it. I had so much fun diving there that I was laughing at the end of my second dive. It was so clear and there were so many fish to see and no, I didn't find it cold at all even though it was 62 outside and the water temp was 67 AND there was a light breeze. We're used to diving much colder and in our 5mm's felt perfectly toasty and comfy. The cold doesn't bother us, but we've been told that after diving the the springs a few times you get tired of it. That leaves the ocean.
From what I've researched and been told, there is only 3-4 shore dives in the Panhandle. Navarre, St. Andrew's Jetties and a couple of other's that aren't as good. I was planning to dive St. Andrew's or Navarre and didn't get the chance, but have been told that the conditions are usually more bad than good at them and that unless you get lucky the visibility is usually crap, especially in the summer? Again, this is just what I've been told or read. That leaves boat diving. I've been told pretty much all the boat diving is wrecks (which is fine by me) but that most of those wrecks are also crappy visibility and get rather boring. So that leaves me confused. I REALLY love the Panhandle, a lot and I'm not super picky, but I also don't want to move to a place where my diving is always mediocre and I get bored/frustrated with it rather quickly.
That's why I made this thread, not just for advice but for OPINIONS from the locals. How do y'all feel about your diving? What is your opinion? How often do you dive? Do you get bored? How often do you make it all the way down to SE Florida and the Keys? I just want to know what the locals think, how they feel and how they live with being a diver on the Emerald Coast.
Thank you much!
