Palm Beach County or Keys?

[DennisW]

I for one have dived both areas and love them both. They each have their own attributes and are fun dives. Thanks much for the trip report and the pictures.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

Dan,

You touch on what I see as a lot of different subjects… I agree and disagree with you at the same time. I’m going to try and explain myself as best as I can.

I think one of the best dives in PBC is a “baby dive.” Blue Heron Bridge has an amazing amount of tiny animal life. That’s not to say there isn’t other amazing life out there, but I’ve never been let down by BHB. It’s not technically challenging to dive at all, but it always feels like an adventure to me. I’ve had three experiences with large underwater animals that really stand out to me among all of the amazing dives,
-turtles off Boynton in PBC. The water was 65-68* and I paid over $80 for the dive. They were pretty darn cool.
-A bull shark that cruised by me on the Spiegle. I paid over $70 for the dive and it wasn’t that cold. It showed me that sharks aren’t dangerous like JAWS for real, very cool.
-a large eagle ray that came out of nowhere at BHB. Flew around me in a circle twice then disappeared. It was mind blowingly beautiful, an amazing interaction with nature for me. The water was in the 80’s, the dive was free, and it was the only experience I got atleast a somewhat decent picture of…won’t earn me any respect among photographers but it helps me remember how pumped up I was to experience that moment alone with such a beautiful and graceful animal.

I say all that because I disagree wholeheartedly with the idea of a “baby” and “adventure” classification. I get what you mean by the technical challenges and skill required for some dives, but I don’t think you need technical challenges in order for a dive to be absolutely amazing and the best adventure ever.

I’m not disagreeing with you that PBC has amazing dives. Some of my favourite boats run out of PBC. I can see where you might feel that PBC is not in the forefront of people’s minds when they discuss traveling here to dive. I’m sure that is frustrating. You have amazing dive sites, but people go to the places that advertise more. But I think that having more divers, wherever they dive, is great. And, I think that divers visiting Florida in any form are easier to get to visit PBC than divers who don’t visit Florida. Plus, you can show the economic boon that divers are to the Keys to get support for diving business in other areas.

I simply don’t see the point of saying some dives are better than others. A dive is an adventure to me if I see something new, or get to take great pictures, or get to introduce people to my favourite sites (some of which are “baby” dives). I thrive on the enjoyment of diving. When I’m trying to get someone to go on a dive with me, I tell them about how amazing it is, but I don’t see the sense in asking them to prove that their typical site is better. I tell them about why I love the site I’d like to take them to, and let my infectious enthusiasm get them enthused. It did backfire on me once, when the cave was much harder to get into than I had explained, and the viz was 5 feet instead of the 50 I’d told them to expect.

Here is my sales pitch for PBC: “You know how you typically fly in to FLL and drive two hours south to the Keys? Why don’t you drive an hour north to Boynton? You can dive off Boynton one day, go to Jupiter the next, then dive BHB before driving to Orlando for a day at the themeparks to finish offgassing before flying home. You’ll get to see more because a lot of the dives are drift dives, you don’t even have to swim back to an anchor line, the boat just picks you up, and you’ll see much more reef.”


You yourself pointed out that the masses of divers would probably do better in placid conditions. I’m sure you see the constant deluge of posts on this forum about the quality of dive training. I wonder why there aren’t more chain diving stores in Florida. Just think, if you owned a shop in Key West, Key Largo, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boynton and Jupiter. You’d be able to take people to most of the best diving. You could make deals with hotels and offer package deals to customers. Sure, they might find you originally because they were partying in Key West and take a class from you on a whim. But then when they visit again, if you impress them with your quality and value, you’ve got the chance to market your other locations. You can help them pick the best shop to dive out of based on their wants and qualifications.

I think something like that is what will drive people to branch out. I’m hesitant to visit a new dive op without a recommendation from a friend, but if it was a franchise, then I’d know to expect the same great service at the same price at every location. So, I’d visit every location!

I understand what you mean about challenges for divers who can take on those challenges. To me, my challenge is what I said above: see new things, take great pictures, and introduce people to the sites I love. But, that doesn’t stop me from also having technical challenges. I don’t expect to set world records for depth, but I’m looking forward to spending more time deeper than 150, perhaps make it a habit to visit 300’. One of my favourite dives involves navigating 4300’ back in a cave to close a circuit, typically involving double stages and a scooter and sometimes done solo. Of course, one of my other favourite dives is in 10 feet of water at Blue Heron Bridge. I enjoy taking people to both places, but it’s easier to find people to go to BHB.

So in short, I support diving PBC, it has some of the world’s best sites. I also support diving Broward and Miami-Dade counties. I understand what you mean by wanting technical challenges, but for my own sanities sake (because it’s not always possible to increase those technical challenges, or to dive those challenging sites year round), I’ve learned to keep my focus on just enjoying diving. For that reason, I think classifying dives as “easy” or “adventurous” is not the best way to look at it, as they are not mutually exclusive. I’d rather classify on two scales, one is ease of diving, from buy-a-card to buy-life-insurance, and the other would be enjoyment of the dive, which could be from I-loved-it to I-FREAKING-LOVED-IT!!!!!!

 

[danvolker]

Dan,

You touch on what I see as a lot of different subjects… I agree and disagree with you at the same time. I’m going to try and explain myself as best as I can.

I think one of the best dives in PBC is a “baby dive.” Blue Heron Bridge has an amazing amount of tiny animal life. That’s not to say there isn’t other amazing life out there, but I’ve never been let down by BHB. It’s not technically challenging to dive at all, but it always feels like an adventure to me. I’ve had three experiences with large underwater animals that really stand out to me among all of the amazing dives,
-turtles off Boynton in PBC. The water was 65-68* and I paid over $80 for the dive. They were pretty darn cool.
-A bull shark that cruised by me on the Spiegle. I paid over $70 for the dive and it wasn’t that cold. It showed me that sharks aren’t dangerous like JAWS for real, very cool.
-a large eagle ray that came out of nowhere at BHB. Flew around me in a circle twice then disappeared. It was mind blowingly beautiful, an amazing interaction with nature for me. The water was in the 80’s, the dive was free, and it was the only experience I got atleast a somewhat decent picture of…won’t earn me any respect among photographers but it helps me remember how pumped up I was to experience that moment alone with such a beautiful and graceful animal.

I say all that because I disagree wholeheartedly with the idea of a “baby” and “adventure” classification. I get what you mean by the technical challenges and skill required for some dives, but I don’t think you need technical challenges in order for a dive to be absolutely amazing and the best adventure ever.

I’m not disagreeing with you that PBC has amazing dives. Some of my favourite boats run out of PBC. I can see where you might feel that PBC is not in the forefront of people’s minds when they discuss traveling here to dive. I’m sure that is frustrating. You have amazing dive sites, but people go to the places that advertise more. But I think that having more divers, wherever they dive, is great. And, I think that divers visiting Florida in any form are easier to get to visit PBC than divers who don’t visit Florida. Plus, you can show the economic boon that divers are to the Keys to get support for diving business in other areas.

I simply don’t see the point of saying some dives are better than others. A dive is an adventure to me if I see something new, or get to take great pictures, or get to introduce people to my favourite sites (some of which are “baby” dives). I thrive on the enjoyment of diving. When I’m trying to get someone to go on a dive with me, I tell them about how amazing it is, but I don’t see the sense in asking them to prove that their typical site is better. I tell them about why I love the site I’d like to take them to, and let my infectious enthusiasm get them enthused. It did backfire on me once, when the cave was much harder to get into than I had explained, and the viz was 5 feet instead of the 50 I’d told them to expect.

Here is my sales pitch for PBC: “You know how you typically fly in to FLL and drive two hours south to the Keys? Why don’t you drive an hour north to Boynton? You can dive off Boynton one day, go to Jupiter the next, then dive BHB before driving to Orlando for a day at the themeparks to finish offgassing before flying home. You’ll get to see more because a lot of the dives are drift dives, you don’t even have to swim back to an anchor line, the boat just picks you up, and you’ll see much more reef.”


You yourself pointed out that the masses of divers would probably do better in placid conditions. I’m sure you see the constant deluge of posts on this forum about the quality of dive training. I wonder why there aren’t more chain diving stores in Florida. Just think, if you owned a shop in Key West, Key Largo, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boynton and Jupiter. You’d be able to take people to most of the best diving. You could make deals with hotels and offer package deals to customers. Sure, they might find you originally because they were partying in Key West and take a class from you on a whim. But then when they visit again, if you impress them with your quality and value, you’ve got the chance to market your other locations. You can help them pick the best shop to dive out of based on their wants and qualifications.

I think something like that is what will drive people to branch out. I’m hesitant to visit a new dive op without a recommendation from a friend, but if it was a franchise, then I’d know to expect the same great service at the same price at every location. So, I’d visit every location!

I understand what you mean about challenges for divers who can take on those challenges. To me, my challenge is what I said above: see new things, take great pictures, and introduce people to the sites I love. But, that doesn’t stop me from also having technical challenges. I don’t expect to set world records for depth, but I’m looking forward to spending more time deeper than 150, perhaps make it a habit to visit 300’. One of my favourite dives involves navigating 4300’ back in a cave to close a circuit, typically involving double stages and a scooter and sometimes done solo. Of course, one of my other favourite dives is in 10 feet of water at Blue Heron Bridge. I enjoy taking people to both places, but it’s easier to find people to go to BHB.

So in short, I support diving PBC, it has some of the world’s best sites. I also support diving Broward and Miami-Dade counties. I understand what you mean by wanting technical challenges, but for my own sanities sake (because it’s not always possible to increase those technical challenges, or to dive those challenging sites year round), I’ve learned to keep my focus on just enjoying diving. For that reason, I think classifying dives as “easy” or “adventurous” is not the best way to look at it, as they are not mutually exclusive. I’d rather classify on two scales, one is ease of diving, from buy-a-card to buy-life-insurance, and the other would be enjoyment of the dive, which could be from I-loved-it to I-FREAKING-LOVED-IT!!!!!!

Jah Jah,
The Blue Heron Bridge Marine Park dive is my wife's favorite dive.....she does it around 2 to 3 times per week. I "get" that this is an adventure dive....because you can find fantastic creatures hard to find at most dive sites.

When I talk about the kind of Adventure Dive I really like, it is not that I want to have a huge challenge that requires technical training, and that allows me to use it....this I do not even consider.
It is getting to a spot where the holy grail of marine life is there..in awesome volumes. To me, this would be big marine life, with great diversity. It could begin with a solid wall of amberjacks, then include many dozens of gag groupers and snappers and hundreds of these medium sized predators, and then all the other life that fills in where the big life is plentiful. And of course, I want the goliaths, the turtles, and the bull sharks or tiger sharks, just naturally being there because of the large fish populations.
I have enjoyed diving in many exotic places all over the world, and one thing all these places have in common, is that if you want what i just described, you are going to be looking for a dive site with big structures and lots of current. The challenge is incidental to the real objective. The real objective is getting into the middle of all these fish in this prehistoric concentration
I am just saying, for me to think there is any shot of finding the dive I want, with all the packed in marine life, and big animals, I need to be looking for a place with big currents and big structures.

I get pissed about dive magazines NEVER covering this kind of place, because open water certified divers that can't survive in a swimming pool alone, could not enjoy this kind of location--and because they write stories for those who will pay enough. Fortunately, Palm Beach has plenty of baby dives, or non-challenging dives....but to me, the real difference, is that Palm Beach has the Big Adventure dives also..and hopefully I have clarified what I mean by this.

 

[ams511]

I get pissed about dive magazines NEVER covering this kind of place,

Why Dan? To be honest I would much rather dive a place with less divers than with more.

 

[danvolker]

Why Dan? To be honest I would much rather dive a place with less divers than with more.

I suppose that is a valid point...though most of the places I am referring to, are quite large, and there would be little chance of divers ever being in any concentration in these places. And this is not for ALL divers, just the ones that are LOOKING FOR this kind of Adventure. Maybe the 10% that would really like this. But this 10% gets lied to by the big print magazines.

 

[fisheyeview]

I suppose that is a valid point...though most of the places I am referring to, are quite large, and there would be little chance of divers ever being in any concentration in these places. And this is not for ALL divers, just the ones that are LOOKING FOR this kind of Adventure. Maybe the 10% that would really like this. But this 10% gets lied to by the big print magazines.

Dan, I think you answered the question of why the magazines publish the types of articles they do. If 10% of the divers are like you looking for adventure, then that mens that 90% are looking for teh tropical get away dives. SInce that is what most divers are looking for, that is where the advertising money is going to be. These magazines are in business to make money. It makes sence that they would play to the bigest audience that spends the money. There is nothing wrong with that.

There is also nothing wrong with those divers that are looking for adventure. I believe that as that small portion of the 90% that grow in their diving and want something different will find other sources of information.

Many years ago when I first got certified I was in love with diving in Key Largo. I did my certification dives on the Benwood & French reef. After I got quite a few dives under my belt I went to diving the deep wrecks off teh west coast of Florida. I got into hunting. Then it wsa the wrecks of east Florida and the keys. I still ike the wrecks occationally, but now I prefer a nice relaxing shallow dive where I can take my time taking pictures. I have been known to spend an entire dive following one tropical fish around the reef.

I have done my wreck penetrations, deeeeep dives off te walls in Cozumel, more than my share of planned deco dives.

I guess what I am saying is that people likes sometimes change. There is enough room in teh big ocean for all of us. Just not at the same time at teh bridge when I m there.

 

[sportxlh]

I love both (PBC and the Keys) along with Pompano too. Just got back from a weekend in the Dry Tortugas with MV Spree a few weeks ago and love that as well.

Each of these Florida locations is a bit different, but all worth diving. In the last 90 days I've dove the Spiegle Grove, Vandenberg, 10 dives in the Dry Tortugas such as Cooper's Reef and Batcaves, several shallow reefs in Key Largo such as Pickles reef and Hens and Chickens, Mizpah, South Double Ledges, Breakers, Juno Ledge, Lee's Ledge, Scarface, Mike's Reef, Area 51, Blue Heron Bridge, Rodeo 25, Pompano Caves, Grouper Bend, The Nursery and Epcot Dive Quest. On a number of these locations, I did multiple dives. Each had is own unique aspect to enjoy: anything from nudibranches, to Goliath Grouper, to turtles, to sharks, to beautiful 'topography, to green, spotted and goldentail eels, to eagle rays, to southern rays, to yellow rays, to jaw fish, to conch congregating, to basket stars, to brittle stars, to squid, to octopus and of course lots and lots of tropical fish. Anyway, these sites stretch from west of Key West to Jupiter and there was not a single site that was not worth doing: I'd happily dive each one again.

While the bulk of my diving is in Palm Beach county since that is where I live, I enjoy getting down to Pompano, Boynton and the Keys as often as I can. (though with two life time dives at Disney, I'm close to being max'ed out there!).

Folks, enjoy all the diving in Florida!!!! it's all good!!!!

 

[DennisS]

Maybe it's just me - but I had to smile when I read Reck Diver's post. I took it as totally tongue-in-cheek.

I read it as the same tone we use when people from out of state ask where's the best lobstering for mini season. Don't stop here, go to the keys

 

[arris]

I have hundred dives over 30 years, both in PBC and the Keys. Both areas offer excellent sites and quality dive boats. I stopped using cattle boats many years ago, will not dive in Key Largo but enjoy the less crowed Keys. I have seen bigger marine life in Jupiter and Blue Heron areas and greater varieties in the Keys. South Florida has a lot to offer to the sport

 

[Amazz]

Hands down, my favorite is Jupiter/Juno. Maybe it's because I dive there so much and know the reefs so well. I find the same critters in the same places week after week. I go to the same little cave and get a kick out of seeing the same group of striped cleaner shrimp. Lately the tiny spanish hogs have been all over cleaning inside the grunts' mouths. It's great drifting by a school of grunts and see 20 of them with their mouths wide open waiting for a cleaning. I love the diversity here. I can see bull sharks out deep and lemon sharks year round. Spring and early summer bring frequent hammerhead sightings in the 100 foot plus sites. I have also been very lucky to see a few tiger sharks the last couple of years. I won't even get started talking about one of my favorite sites, Tunnels, where reef sharks and large goliaths are 99 percent guaranteed. I also like traveling to the Keys once in a while to do something different. I like the deeper 80-110 foot sites outside of the protected areas. I was picking off big lionfish in 100 ft. in Marathon last summer and turned to see a hammerhead hovering there watching me. But Jupiter is in my heart for diving.