Advice for a Newb, Traveling Alone to Ft. Lauderdale

[ScubaSteve85]

I was exactly where you were this past March. I ended up doing a two tank dive with a DM I hired through Gold Coast Scuba that left out of pompano. It was a pretty good dive, but I honestly has so much more fun the following evening doing a night shore dive at Datura Avenue reef with an instabuddy I met on Criagslist. Compared to the boat dives, the super shallow reef at Datura (right by Lauderdale by the Sea pier) was teaming with stuff to see, including a sea turtle, octopus and nurse shark.

My recommendation would be to check out the gold coast scuba Meetup group and join them on one of their shore dives (which I think they do every morning). Try to find somebody that morning that is willing to come back with you at night and dive the same spot. You won't regret it.

EDIT: whoops, really should have read your last post before typing my reply. Lol

 

[Bison]

Glad to see you had a great experience and thanks for the report.

 

[iamrushman]

nice to see a plan come together...thanks for sharing.

 

[Dave Kay]

Hi Scubaboard!
I've been lurking about on the forum since I got OW certified in Jamaica in December but I'm now set to plan my next diving opportunity and I'd love some suggestions from the wise folks of this forum.

I am traveling there for work in May, and there is one day free for me to dive. I've never been to Ft. Lauderdale, I'll be traveling alone, and I've logged a mere 6 dives to my name. I'd love to do a 2 tank dive that day (no drift or wreck obviously). Ideally I am hoping to be able to hire somebody with experience diving and diving specifically in the area to be my buddy as well as guide me around. I also need to rent gear. Does anybody have suggestions for a dive op that might have a set up like that? To allow me to pay for the gear, the boat trip, a guide, and a buddy?

I am planning to get some more pool experience before I go to Florida, but as you might imaging it's pretty hard to get much more in the way of experience in the dead of winter here in Wisconsin. I found a bunch of sites online for places that will take you out to various places and rent gear, but I just don't think I have the experience to go buddy-less or have a random insta-buddy in a group.

Thanks in advance!!

best dive in florida is the blue heron bridge in riviera beach. Find Force Divers and get a guide to take you out at high tide, its a shallow beach dive and the closest muck diving you'll get till you hit asia. Very cool place. Jupiter dive shop has great dives. Otherwise head to the Keys, key Largo has the most shops.