nolatom
Contributor
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'.
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'.