Free Hotel Room in Orlando, but lengthy drive to each dive site...

[scubadada]

@Barnaby'sDad

If you don't want to stay overnight, I might consider driving for diving on a couple of the days you are in Florida, perhaps with a rest day in between. With Jupiter Dive Center, you could quite reliably get in 4 dives per day. However, you might think about doing the 3 tanker on Friday the 21st. The first dive is on Deep Ledge, a deeper drift with an opportunity to dive with many Bull Sharks. I see you have the AOW and nitrox that are required.

Enjoy your visit

 

[diversteve]

could do this once - Epcot Seas Adventures – DiveQuest

 

[uncfnp]

So lets see a possible itinerary...

Wake up early Thursday the 20th and head down to WPB to catch the roughly 11 am slack high tide at BHB (be ready to enter the water by 10). I would recommend stopping at Force-e to pick up an al80 with air to dive the bridge. You can also rent your dive flag there if you don’t have one. Out of the water by noon, probably a little sooner, drop off the rental, grab some fast food and eat that on the way to Jupiter Dive Center and dive their 2 tank afternoon dive with your tanks. I think they can also fill your tanks for the Friday 3 tank trip plus rent you a third tank.

Then for Saturday the options for a four tank day are wide open. One advantage to sticking with JDC is I think they could fill your tanks for you between the morning and afternoon dives. Plus now you already know their routine.

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

So lets see a possible itinerary...

Wake up early Thursday the 20th and head down to WPB to catch the roughly 11 am slack high tide at BHB (be ready to enter the water by 10). I would recommend stopping at Force-e to pick up an al80 with air to dive the bridge. You can also rent your dive flag there if you don’t have one. Out of the water by noon, probably a little sooner, drop off the rental, grab some fast food and eat that on the way to Jupiter Dive Center and dive their 2 tank afternoon dive with your tanks. I think they can also fill your tanks for the Friday 3 tank trip plus rent you a third tank.

Then for Saturday the options for a four tank day are wide open. One advantage to sticking with JDC is I think they could fill your tanks for you between the morning and afternoon dives. Plus now you already know their routine.

I'll have to put in more thought on hitting BHB (tide wise). I meant to hit BHB the last time I was down, but I just ran out of time. I've already got a dive flag, so I'm good to go there.

I agree on sticking with one place. If I make it down there in June I will likely do that.

 

[scubadada]

@Barnaby'sDad

JDC has a large, very active, fill station on site. If you decide to do the 3 tanker, the Deep Ledge dive requires a leaner mix for the depth than their other dives. They rent AL80, steel 100s, probably larger cylinders

 

[Barnaby'sDad]

@Barnaby'sDad

JDC has a large, very active, fill station on site. If you decide to do the 3 tanker, the Deep Ledge dive requires a leaner mix for the depth than their other dives. They rent AL80, steel 100s, probably larger cylinders

Good deal. That area is great, as far as having a variety of rental tanks on-hand. On the Nitrox mix, I figured that some of those dives would be looking at a leaner O2 mix. I did a couple dives out of Pompano Beach with 30% my last trip down.

 

[uncfnp]

I'll have to put in more thought on hitting BHB (tide wise). I meant to hit BHB the last time I was down, but I just ran out of time. I've already got a dive flag, so I'm good to go there.

I agree on sticking with one place. If I make it down there in June I will likely do that.

If you have never dove the bridge, in my opinion, it is worth missing a 2 tank morning trip.

 

[scubadada]

If you have never dove the bridge, in my opinion, it is worth missing a 2 tank morning trip.

It can certainly be just as long

 

[Johnoly]

Would you do it? ..

I live in Orlando and drive day trips to Jupiter almost every week given the weather. From the 'Tourist District' you can easily make it Door2Dock in 2 hours. With JDC on their fridays that means you are out the door at 6am to arrive at 8:15 with potty break / coffee stop for a 9am departure. Return to the dock at 2:15, onsite rinse tanks, while you wait>banked nitrox fills and Steel Tank rentals for that 3rd tank. Back on the road at 3pm and arrive to the tourist district by 5:30 ready for happy hour with the happy girlfriend (who you brought back fresh LionFish filets to be restaurant prepared that night).

If you choose to Jupiter & Overnite-it,,ask in advance for JDC to set you up with their secret La Quinta Inn hotel rates that they have to get on the phone to talk to the manager ahead of time(manual override-you won't find it online). About 1 mile from JDC. I paid $69 and included full hot breakfast buffet and can walk to stores and dinner eats. Then do the 2 tanker in the morning and or add in the 2 tanker afternoon boat also.

June is one of the best kept secrets in Jupiter with great weather, glassy conditions and viz so good you can regularly see the reef 80 feet below while standing on the boat's platform. Water temps will be 79. There will still be a handful of sharks and Goliaths, but reef photos with the great viz are so easy.

I'm 99% positive I'm diving June 22nd because that's the Jupiter Pointe lionfish tournament (Stay away from my secret spots!!) . So I'll be on the water too and getting fills at JDC since we have a commercial hunting boat.

Whether you pick there and back, or overnite doing 5-7 tanks total, Jupiter is your best choice from the O-town tourist district.

P.S. High tides at BHB during that time are right at mid day so that kinda whacks out combining a boat and beach tide cause you can't enjoy both at the same time.

 

[KathyV]

If her business conference runs from June 19 to June 23, why not join her for a day or two in Orlando at the end of her trip and then both of you can drive down to southern Florida for a few days and fly home from Miami or perhaps Fort Lauderdale/West Palm. She's going to be busy anyway and there's not much of interest to you around Orlando.

That will lose the advantage of the free hotel nights, but you can shop around for a decent place to stay at a reasonable price and it may allow you to save money (and precious vacation time) in other ways. The dive op you pick may be able to suggest a reasonable hotel option.

It will cover the price of airfare for her, and it should reduce the ground transportation costs and avoid spending so much of your limited time on the road. It might also shave a day or two off the pet-sitting fees at the start of the trip since you will still be home.

If you head down on the weekend at the end of her trip, it might even save a couple of vacation days for you.

If your girlfriend is a non-diver, there are lots of things of interest in southern Florida during the day, she might enjoy some relaxing beach time or a spa day and you can both figure out how to spend time together and still manage some good diving.

Just my opinion.