Any good beach diving on the East Ala./West Fla. Gulf coast?

[BORG]

I will be down in Gulfport, MS. on the 1st weekend in April, about 2 weeks from now to take care of some family business.

I will be heading back to Atlanta that Sunday. Any decent beach dives in the Gulf with reasonably clear water near the East Ala./ West Fla. border that I can catch on the way back just to get wet and burn a little air?

I have dove in Panama City all of my life and it will be Spring Break time and I don't want get anywhere near that place then.
Parking lot city!!!!

Any information will be very helpful, THANKS!

 

[Dive-aholic]

Even if it wasn't spring break, you don't want to get anywhere near it right now anyway. They're dredging the channel and visibility is poor. The only clear water I know of is in the fresh water springs. Lots of it in the panhandle, though.

 

[BORG]

I called a dive shop in Gulf Shores, Ala. yesterday. They have a wreck 150 yds. off the beach in 15-25 ft. of water called the Whiskey wreck. It's a old rum runners vessel that is about 200 ft. long. You don't get wrecks that close in Panama City Beach that's for sure. That would be a fairly fun and easy dive if water conditions are decent on that day.
I'll call them before I leave and see how it looks.
The worst beach water I've ever seen in Florida or anywhere is in Pelican Bend near Port St. Joe, Florida back in August. I could not see my hand in front of my face in some places.
I know it was pollution. I should have worn a haz mat. suit instead of a shorty. Needless tto say, one "dive in that junk and I packed my gear to head back to Atlanta. So much for "truthful" booking agents at the rental house there.
I've seen water in the PCB that would rival the Bahamas on some occasions.
If it's not clear, I've always got my local mud hole the famous Lake Lanier north of ATL, which by now still has near arctic temps from this winter's chill.

It's been a long cold winter in Atlanta and my "gills" are getting dried out.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I've seen the water around Port St. Joe crystal clear. As with anywhere else in the Gulf, including Panama City Beach, and Gulf Shores; its gonna vary from day to day. Its foolish to assume the water will be the same everytime in any given location.

 

[BORG]

The stuff in Pelican Bend was heavy duty long term pollution, not seaweed like I've seen on many occasions in PCB, that had been there for a long time.
And only a "fool" would want to get near that stuff again. This was dead fish, dirty water.
Cape San Blas, 10 miles west on the coast was better, but not the same as Panama City water, 40 miles away.
Since you live in south Alabama, near the coast, how has the water been lately, vis wise near Gulf Shores?

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I'm not saying what you saw was seaweed. Seaweed isn't pollution and I'm not going to mistake the two.

I've seen quantities of dead fish and cloudy water along all the Gulf Coast, LOL. Weather effects it, red tide has a big impact at times, etc. It comes and goes, maybe your particular stretch of beach has it all the time, no idea, but I wouldn't judge it that way because of one trip.

All last week we(locally) had high surf, even some overhead surf. It's calmed down quite a bit this weekend, but it'll take a few days to settle before visibility improves. When it does improve, I'm not sure if it'd be up to your version of "reasonably clear" since I don't know what that entails.

Visibility now will have nothing to do with visibility on the first weekend of April, or even the last weekend of March, or likely even three days from now Welcome to the Gulf.

 

[Piro]

Well, im in Gulf Shores atm, and if your looking to avoid parking lot city equivalents, then u probably dont want to come here.....

Spring Breakers out the wahzoo. So, up to you entirely.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

But hey... atleast the surf is down

 

[Piro]

ya but the idea of slightly pudgy and over weight high school girls in butt floss bikini's is gross. I hate to be judgemental, but its the truth... And i aint no pencil stick waist either so.

But Gulf Shores has been great, minus the fact that we were unable to find my grandparents cat, so they will remain in their RV park for at least another week trying to find him or at least locate him.

If u do come down to Gulf Shores, bring some bug repellent from like China where they dont have a maximum % of DEET allowed in the spray, mosquitoes bigger thn me down here.

 

[divinginn]

borg,try vortex springs,the water will be very clear for sure,their fish are alive and the eels are friendly.