Florida Divers! Year End Summary

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I wanted to ask you folks for some advice about relocating to Florida when I retire. I'd like to dive a couple times a week as long as my body cooperates. I was thinking about trying to get a part time job at a dive shop to supplement my retirement savings, meet a circle of friends, and hopefully be able to fill my tanks for free. I'm hoping I can get at least my dive master done so I have something to offer the shop.

With that said, I have no idea where to start in looking for a location to buy a place. Clearly, I want to be near dive sites. There's a lot of places I doubt I can afford to live on a retirement income. I also don't have any desire to be near typical spring break destinations and the craziness that goes with that.

Any recommendations on locations I can look at based on my goals- decent dive sites, dive shops for possible part time jobs, "relatively" affordable, not a typical tourist insane asylum etc. I have a few years until retirement but would like to start looking for a place now, possibly turn it into an air bnb and then move in when ready.

Thanks so much for any thoughts.
I have wintered in Pompano Beach for a number of years, and I agree with those who say anywhere from Palm Beach south to Fort Lauderdale is your best choice. (The Spring Break issue is more in Miami and has nothing to do with the old literal idea of college students going there on break--most of the people in those raucous and violent crowds have probably never seen a college campus.)

I can offer some information about why other areas are not as good.
  • The panhandle area pretty much closes down for ocean diving in the winter. It is a very different climate from south Florida, and most locals think it is too cold for diving. I have physically been in that area for 11 days over a number of years during the winter in the hope of diving the Oriskany, but no trips were ever running, and most operations were shut down for annual maintenance.
  • A relative who has also been coming down in the winter for years and was thinking of moving to Florida spent time each year for a while in different parts of the state, and she felt anything north of the middle of the state was just too cold then.
  • She felt the gulf side in the south was too crowded and expensive. She is not a diver, but the diving is not all that great on that side. As someone said, if you choose to live there, you may want to commute to the east side for the diving.
As for your idea of becoming a divemaster, I don't know if you have dived in that area before, but if not, you may want to watch the DMs at work there for a while, especially on the wreck dives. It is not a job I would want in retirement.
 
Jupiter to Ft Lauderdale :) Maybe you meant that.
You're right. I did. I was literally thinking that, but my fingers had other ideas.
 
Dives: 315

235 BHB
12 Bonaire
62 LBTS
2 Dania Beach Erojacks
4 Boynton

Total hours:306

Additionally another 90 hours snorkeling

I always do a REEF fish survey on every dive. Plus I did 116 fish surveys while snorkeling. So a total of 431 REEF fish surveys this year with 328 species being recorded. Since the majority of time was spent at BHB I will do a further breakdown of species highlights on the BHB Troll Thread tomorrow or the next day.

As with 2020 I spent very little time on boats, almost all shore diving.
Wow!!! 235 BHB! You must live within walking distance. Half the time I do not go because I know I will need to leave early to get a parking spot and sit in the car for two hours waiting to enter the water.

What did you do for the other 50 days of the year?.😄
 
I'm already booked with JDC for their Lemon Drip trip on Sat afternoon Jan 29th. :bounce:
I actually had this on my calendar to possibly join you. But,,,,It's 10 Foot on your side and 10 Foot on our side !!...At a chilly 30 degrees, I think I'm just gonna watch the Rolex 24 in Daytona on TV.

10_and_10.jpg
 
I actually had this on my calendar to possibly join you. But,,,,It's 10 Foot on your side and 10 Foot on our side !!...At a chilly 30 degrees, I think I'm just gonna watch the Rolex 24 in Daytona on TV.

View attachment 703712

I rescheduled my plans earlier in the week. Not a good weekend for diving!
 
I rescheduled my plans earlier in the week. Not a good weekend for diving!
Hi J & J,

Glad I didn't choose to come down

Of course, we have gotten a few inches of snow today and will get some more tonight and tomorrow. Sat high of 19, low of 11, Sun a little warmer, high of 26 with another low of 11. Just a little cooler than in SE FL :)

Take care, get out the down jackets
 
Hi J & J,

Glad I didn't choose to come down

Of course, we have gotten a few inches of snow today and will get some more tonight and tomorrow. Sat high of 19, low of 11, Sun a little warmer, high of 26 with another low of 11. Just a little cooler than in SE FL :)

Take care, get out the down jackets

I'll have to dig out my sweat pants!
 
I'll have to dig out my sweat pants!
Atleast you own pants, LOL!!

Meetings, weddings, & funerals are all in shorts
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/
https://xf2.scubaboard.com/community/forums/cave-diving.45/

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