Bad weather coming. Where can our family salvage our dive trip to Key Largo?

[thenewN2O]

My family of six divers is going is traveling to Key Largo tomorrow. We centered our vacation around diving but it looks like there will be a low probability that the weather will favor diving.

Our partriarch is suggesting taking a ferry from Miami to Nassau with the idea that there are dive sites sheltered from the winds throughout the carribean. Is this wishful thinking or is that viable?

 

[diversteve]

There's a Ft. Lauderdale to Grand Bahama Ferry: Ferry Express - Home

I'm not aware of a Miami to Nassau ferry. Doesn't mean there isn't one though. If he's thinking of Discovery - I think that shut down 3-4 years ago.

I'm sure you've checked the Nassau weather - one issue there is there's basically two dive operators, Stuart Cove's or Bahama Divers. Cove's is on the south side and BD on the north so you might call both to see what they expect for next week. There's no shore diving on Nassau either. I think Explore Scuba shut down also this year, their website explorescuba.com is for sale and last Facebook page update was last Feb. The Custom Aquatics folks also retired - that was the other charter option.

It's maybe cheaper to fly BahamasAir. The BahamasAir flight from MIA-NAS is $225 R/T tomorrow, returning 12/26. I used those dates since I didn't know yours. They're all late afternoon/evening flights if you're flying/driving in. Also an early morning return flight so you're back at MIA b4 8am to fly out.

hth,

 

[They call me Tater]

I'm not up on the specific weather except to tell you that unless seas are high and/or lightening they will still dive in KL. Good luck.

 

[wgw04024]

I've been on the vandenberg in 6-10's. Quite the ride...

 

[Wookie]

I've been on the vandenberg in 6-10's. Quite the ride...

And that's about the forecast for the Spiegal Grove for Sunday. Monday looks marginal too. If it were me, I'd detour to Crystal River and go hang with the Manatees. That's worth 2 days even if you weren't headed to Key Largo. By then the seas will have laid down and will make the rest of your dive week grand. Have a great time.

 

[OceanEyes]

It's been several years since my last foray to photograph manatees there, but I've dived/snorkeled at Homosassa, very close to Crystal River. They receive much less boat/diver traffic than CR. Most often I've arranged for my own professional photo permits, but in the past I made arrangements with American Pro Diving Center.

Swim with manatees tour in Crystal River FL

 

[seeker242]

There is no ferry from Miami to Nassau. The only ferries I know of that still run are Ft Lauderdale to Freeport. But once in Freeport, you can hop a ferry to several different islands.

 

[MSPDiver]

Not sure what the weather is like in wpb or ft. Lauderdale. If tides are right you maybe able to do blue heron bridge a couple times. Wpb an lauderdale diving is only 1 to 3 miles off shore. Makes for a much shorter boat ride in open seas. Also closer to key largo if weather changes. I would do that and if that is wash out and rest of the week looks doable in key largo double up everyday in key largo. If you plan righteous you can do 5 dives everyday although this may cause you to have to hop from operator to operator. Conch Republic does 3 stop pm trips to include night/twighlight this time of year.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

the bridge (BHB) is the go to place when the ocean is angry. high tides this week are afternoon. Tides for Port of Palm Beach (Lake Worth), florida - TIDES.net
you want to dive in the slack high tide, though I heard that vis is about 5ft. right now. Good for macro, not so good if you don't know where you're going.