tmcdaniel once bubbled... :stupid:Has anyone done a dive from Vista Park, Fort Lauderdale? I hear it's one of the better locations to get wet.
Yes, Vista Park is a good shore dive, and very convenient. Parking fills up, so get there before 8am on weekends or be prepared to wait. Don't back in... there are no signs but it will net you a ticket anyway.
We've done it twice and I've solo'd there as well - it's a nice, safe solo dive. The first reef is just as shown in the guide book: a wide table, unlike the first reef to the north where it splits into three zones separated by sand and/or rubble.
If you don't suck air, you can kick out to the second reef from the park - don't dawdle, however, because it's a little farther out than up around Palm Avenue. I used 1,000 going out, 1,000 there, and 1,000 coming in... nice easy pace and that gives me about 40 minutes on the reef with a 2 hour bottom time.
The caves are right out there, someplace... some of the most beautiful SE Florida shore diving we've seen yet (other than the Keys, I expect).
Don't panic if you run out on the way in - it's a fairly easy kick on the surface though the occasional current might take you a bit off course. Plan and don't run out lol.
I prefer the first reef to the north, around Commercial, to Vista Park's first reef, but will continue to explore the whole thing happily - there's always something to see including turtles, nurse sharks, reef squid, octopus, and of course all the aquarium fish!
