Alternatives to boat dives in WPB

[FrankF]

I'm going to be down in the WPB area for the weekend and had planned on getting out and doing some drift dives. The forecast right now is for 4-6 on Fri and Sat, so I want to make some plans in the event that we are blown out. Are there any good shore dives to do in the Jupiter, WPB, Fort Lauderdale area? Are there any springs around that are worth diving if you don't have a cave cert? Thanks for your advice.

Frank

 

[MY01SHADOW]

I'm going to be down in the WPB area for the weekend and had planned on getting out and doing some drift dives. The forecast right now is for 4-6 on Fri and Sat, so I want to make some plans in the event that we are blown out. Are there any good shore dives to do in the Jupiter, WPB, Fort Lauderdale area? Are there any springs around that are worth diving if you don't have a cave cert? Thanks for your advice.

Frank

Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is a great shore dive. About 250 yards from shore is the first reef line 15' to 25'

 

[simbrooks]

LBTS is about an hour down the road from WPB. Most dive boats will go out in 4ft seas, 6 might be pushing it. However if the conditions are too bad for the dive boat, the shore conditions are going to be just as bad, so not much chance of rescuing the dives. The nearest springs are in Orlando/Ocala, which is about 3-4 hours drive up from WPB (to the springs, not Orlando itself which is only 2.5 hours). Dont need a cave cert for them, one is Blue Spring State Park - no lights rule $10 entry, the others around Ocala are Devils Den, Paradise Springs and Blue Grotto (preference in that order) which are $30 a pop, you dont need a cave cert, just dont do anything stupid

 

[KBeck]

Your only real options when blown out around here are:
1. Ft. Laud. shore diving, which simbrooks correctly estimated as being just as impossible.
2. Diving under the Blue Heron Bridge--it was closed indefinitely after the hurricanes, but rumor has it that people are diving it again recently. Subject to amenable tide times: (In bold)
02/05/2005 Sat 04:59AM LST 2.6 H 11:02AM LST 0.1 L 05:01PM LST 2.5 H 11:27PM LST -0.7 L
02/06/2005 Sun 06:00AM LST 2.7 H 12:02PM LST 0.0 L 06:05PM LST 2.6 H
Unfortunately not looking good this weekend, unless you enjoy a dawn or dusk dive.
3. Drink heavily.

Unfortunately, that's one of the things about South Florida; winter months are just as often blown out as not.

 

[FrankF]

LBTS is about an hour down the road from WPB. Most dive boats will go out in 4ft seas, 6 might be pushing it. However if the conditions are too bad for the dive boat, the shore conditions are going to be just as bad, so not much chance of rescuing the dives.

Yeah, 4-6 is in that grey area. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I agree with you about the (coastal) shore dives being just as bad in those conditions. Are there any good dives in sheltered water like an inlet or somewhere on the intracoastal? Vis isn't really that important as long as there is some type of marine life or structure to occupy us.

As far as the springs you mentioned, how do they compare to Ginnie? I was there last year and I wasn't overwhelmed. I really need to take intro next time I go down there...

 

[FrankF]

Your only real options when blown out around here are:
1. Ft. Laud. shore diving, which simbrooks correctly estimated as being just as impossible.
2. Diving under the Blue Heron Bridge--it was closed indefinitely after the hurricanes, but rumor has it that people are diving it again recently. Subject to amenable tide times: (In bold)
02/05/2005 Sat 04:59AM LST 2.6 H 11:02AM LST 0.1 L 05:01PM LST 2.5 H 11:27PM LST -0.7 L
02/06/2005 Sun 06:00AM LST 2.7 H 12:02PM LST 0.0 L 06:05PM LST 2.6 H
Unfortunately not looking good this weekend, unless you enjoy a dawn or dusk dive.
3. Drink heavily.

Unfortunately, that's one of the things about South Florida; winter months are just as often blown out as not.

Krista,

We are on the same page...this is from the email I sent my buddy:

"Forecast deteriorated to 4-6 inshore on Fri and Sat. That’s really grey area conditions so I put out a post to see if there are any good shore dives/spring dives we could do in the event that we get blown out. You can follow it here if you want:

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?p=945576#post945576

If there’s nothing going my vote is that we find a another type of dive (as in dive bar) and try to stay drunk the entire weekend!"

Let me know if you want to join us!

 

[simbrooks]

Springs - i would say the viz isnt as good as Ginnie (which is usually gin clear) at any of those sites, the next best would be Blue Spring (high upward flow), the rest are hit and miss as OW divers go in kicking up the silt. There are plenty of fossils to see at Paradise if you take the time, worth a dive or two, Devils Den i would say you can get two decent dives out of, one clockwise and one counter, plenty of swim throughs and little bits that are cave like. The viz is often worst at Devils Den with all sorts of classes going through there, but i found plenty to amuse myself with in the giant bowl for 40-50 mins each direction before i had done the loop. Dont go to Blue Grotto unless you want to get bored or do a load of training, there is very little to see or do there unless you entertain yourself with a task.

Krista gave you an idea of what seems to be around the bridges, really not local to that area to know much about what to do if the boat is blown out - we usually hit the bar or BBQ

 

[KBeck]

Krista,

We are on the same page...this is from the email I sent my buddy:

"Forecast deteriorated to 4-6 inshore on Fri and Sat. That’s really grey area conditions so I put out a post to see if there are any good shore dives/spring dives we could do in the event that we get blown out.

If there’s nothing going my vote is that we find a another type of dive (as in dive bar) and try to stay drunk the entire weekend!"

Let me know if you want to join us!

Sounds like you're visiting friends in the area? You might make reservations for a boat; if the weather doesn't cooperate you might still head up to the springs.

When are you arriving in town?

 

[FrankF]

Yeah, I booked Friday and Saturday on the Temptation out of Jupiter--I Dove with Capt. Paul last year and had a great time. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

My buddy and I are getting in tomorrow night. and we're staying with (non-diving) friends in Hypoluxo. If you're up for diving and/or drinking at some point this weekend just send me a PM.

Frank

 

[deepstops]

If you don't mind a bit of a roller coaster ride, the most "hardcore" boat is Parrot Island Scuba in Pompano Beach http://www.parrotislandscuba.com
He's running trips while others sit at the dock. It's a bigger boat and takes the seas better than average.

I don't want anyone to think he runs when it's not safe but I don't get a lot of flexibility in my dive schedule and consider him the one most likely to get me on the wrecks or reefs.