3 Days in Florida First week in March what should I do?

[sheeper]

+1 for Blue Heron Bridge. it's almost always fun....and an easy shore dive.
then stop at the Blue Heron Bridge Scuba shop right in the park. Little Deeper is docked right there.
North of that, in Stuart is Stuart Scuba (sister shop of Blue Heron). They also run a boat out of Jupiter with just about the most experienced captain and crew in the area.
you can also check in with us at the Vero Beach Scuba Club on Facebook or here on SB. We're always diving in the area and you are welcome to join us!

feel free to PM me with any questions.

 

[jeditdog]

thanks for the suggestions. I'm looking closer at both Jupiter & Boynton. I like the idea of a shore dive, but since it will just be me I'll probably have to get on charters for my dives.

I'll call the suggested dive shops.

I'm hoping the weather holds. I've had a lot of opportunities to do springs in the past but not as many ocean opportunities.

 

[uncfnp]

If you give us more info on your dive history and preferences we might be able to be a little more specific in our recommendations.

Are you at all familiar with BHB? If not let me tell you just a little bit about it. It is a wonderful muck dive, done at slack high tide. You can see all sorts of critters without going over 20 feet deep. There are no waves to deal with and there are usually plenty of other divers so you will never truly be "solo" even if you show up alone. In fact, you can quite likely find an "instabuddy" willing to let you tag along. There are even maps of the site with borders marked. In fact the only way to really get into trouble is if you miss the markers and head into the channel.

To avoid this and get the most out of the dive many new to BHB divers will hire a guide. There is at least one SB'er that does private guides there and several dive shops that can set you up as well including Force-e that is just a few blocks from the bridge. They also rent any gear you may need including a tank, weights and dive flag. There is even a new dive shop at the bridge that can assist you.

Seriously, don't go the the WPB area and miss an opportunity to dive the bridge just because you are diving single.

 

[sportxlh]

Like others said BHB is usually a good dive. Even if ocean conditions get nasty BHB normally will be a good alternative: occasionally the water gets silted up with suspended particulate, but not often. Because the site is actually in the intracoastal waterway near the mouth of the inlet, you won't get much wave action from the ocean but at slack high tide you get all the normally nice ocean water and the acceptable to great visibility. You can hire a guide at Force-E or Pura Vida dive shops (maybe at the on site shop too??) If you don't want to solo it. Scubajenny is also a guide you can hire.

 

[jeditdog]

no I'm not familiar with Blue Heron Bridge but it sounds awesome. I'm going to give some of the shops there a call.

I'm comfortable with shore diving and I like the ideas about hiring a guide.

I appreciate all the suggestions and am stoked give them a try in about 2 weeks.

 

[jeditdog]

as for my dive history. I'm a rescue diver, but have only had occasional chances to dive the last 10 years... about every other year.

 

[jeditdog]

are night dives common in these areas this time of year? Any dive shops that run night diver charters?

 

[uncfnp]

For dive trip options around the WPB area I would recommend you call Force-e at Riviera. This is the dive shop near BHB. They book for many different dive op's and can discuss availability and options and help you select the best dives for your experience and preferences. They can also tell you if there are any planned night dives in the area.

I checked JASA's site and they have a Saturday night dive on the calendar but nothing Friday night. Diving Palm Beach | Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures

If you want the best chance of sharks and don't mind 80 to 100 foot or so dive, check the operators out of Jupiter, several listed above. If you want a good chance of sharks but more reef and more 60 to 80 or so, go with a dive operator out of WPB.

 

[jimw]

jeditdog and others, divedivadm here on SB is a private guide at Blue Heron Bridge. Face book page is Blue Heron Bridge Dive Guide.

 

[tekkydiver]

Thanks NetDoc. Boynton is normally good in March?

You are going to be looking at water temps 71-75 degrees. Other conditions such as viz, wave heights, air temps, etc... are a roll of the dice. Water management is releasing fresh water from Stuart, South to Pompano, and soon in to Florida Bay, none of that helps conditions.