Advice needed from Northern Floridians
- Thread starter McGeorge
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scubadobadoo
Contributor
I highly suggest you buy Ned Deloach's DIVING GUIDE TO UNDERWATER FLORIDA. It will answer all your questions about diving in Florida and then some. Really one of the best dive guide books I have ever purchased. Anyone living and diving in Florida should own it. The Bible of Florida diving.
So, a quick answer is yes you can dive year round and you will be using anything ranging from a 3mm full in summer and a 7mil in winter. Northern Florida can get chilly above and below water in the winter. I went to college in Tallahasse and remember winters as cold as 20 degrees and colder. Ocean water temps as low as the mid to low 60's in the winter. That's when the many springs become a great option. 72 year round and clear and calm. BTW, Jacksonville has okay diving in the summer but can be rough and cold in the winter at times. Jacksonville, some will argue, is really more southern Georgia than Florida in feel. It certainly isn't as nice and easy as southern Florida diving. Get the book mentioned above. You won't regret it! Good luck with your move! I went to a blues festival a few years back in Jacksonville and had a blast!
So, a quick answer is yes you can dive year round and you will be using anything ranging from a 3mm full in summer and a 7mil in winter. Northern Florida can get chilly above and below water in the winter. I went to college in Tallahasse and remember winters as cold as 20 degrees and colder. Ocean water temps as low as the mid to low 60's in the winter. That's when the many springs become a great option. 72 year round and clear and calm. BTW, Jacksonville has okay diving in the summer but can be rough and cold in the winter at times. Jacksonville, some will argue, is really more southern Georgia than Florida in feel. It certainly isn't as nice and easy as southern Florida diving. Get the book mentioned above. You won't regret it! Good luck with your move! I went to a blues festival a few years back in Jacksonville and had a blast!
Go dry or at least 5-7mm during the winter, 3-5mm in the summer. Head further south to dive and you might be able to use a 3mm in the spring/fall and skin in the summer. The boat trips out of Jax arent that short either. You have options on cave country only a couple of hours drive away or head down I-95 to the SE in 4-5 hours for some great drift, beach and wreck diving.
Reel Crazy14
Contributor
I just replied to someone elses post about jax, take a look.
http://www.scubaboard.com/t88247-.html
Jax diving can be really good some days but bad other days. I have my own boat so I can go out 30-40 miles no prob where the really good diving is. There, I've been on dives that can hang with or beat any other s.fl dive.
http://www.scubaboard.com/t88247-.html
Jax diving can be really good some days but bad other days. I have my own boat so I can go out 30-40 miles no prob where the really good diving is. There, I've been on dives that can hang with or beat any other s.fl dive.
H2Andy
Contributor
you CAN dive the ocean year-round, but it's going to be tough. you will need a minimum of 7 mil from October to March, but you can get away with 3 mil from
April to September.
if you have your own boat, you're set. if not, you'll have to go through Atlantic Pro
Divers or ScubaCove, the only two shops who put a boat in the water with regularity.
both of them say that they go year-round, if there is interest, but i've never put
this to the test.
also, don't forget that there are quite a few springs within 3 hours drive of Jacksonville, and if you want to explore cavern and cave diving, this is an awesome
place to be based out of.
April to September.
if you have your own boat, you're set. if not, you'll have to go through Atlantic Pro
Divers or ScubaCove, the only two shops who put a boat in the water with regularity.
both of them say that they go year-round, if there is interest, but i've never put
this to the test.
also, don't forget that there are quite a few springs within 3 hours drive of Jacksonville, and if you want to explore cavern and cave diving, this is an awesome
place to be based out of.
diver doh
Contributor
McGeorge:I am relocating to Jacksonville Florida.How thick a wetsuit is required to dive there and also can you dive all year round.
When you get here, let me know......
There are a couple of other options available regarding ocean diving.
I have been diving springs and heading south for salt water dives. There are many people that I work with that have boats and are getting ready to start diving the salt again.
And I may be dumb enuff to buy my own hole in the water to throw money at....
Jeff
100days-a-year
Contributor
Sorry for the late reply I was actually diving in Jacksonville :11ztongue .WTs stay above 68 in depths you'd actually dive in from mid-March till late December.Forget the wetsuits in summer unless there is a thermocline(normally short-lived in July til August)The temps bottom out around 58 in those same depths in Late Jan and Feb.During the winter it's not unusual to dive in 70 degree water just 20 miles out.Vis is variable year round.Inshore normally sux.Offshore can get clear enough to read the registration numbers on a boat from the bottom in 140'There are at least 300 published artificial reefsites here as well as many natural wrecks and airplanes.Ned's book has just a snapshot of the diving here but is pretty accurate.Since 1980s here and dive 100 to 200 dives a year in Jax,St.Augustine,Amelia Island area.Tons of life here including the opportunity to see big animals the rest of Fla dreams about.Sharks including White,Tiger,Mako are seen in the winter(hopefully not too close up).Big rays and mantas.Whales winter and calve here.Big edible fish and bugs too.
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