Best place in Florida to live?

[thomas.crowe]

Hi everyone!

I'm about to start planning to make a move back to my home state of Florida (finally). I'm very fortunate in that I have a job that will allow me to live basically anywhere (as long as I can commute to a reasonable sized airport on the occasions that I need to). One of the main reasons that I'm wanting to move to Florida is that I want to be closer to places that I can do my hobbies.

As a diver, if you could pick anywhere in FL to live, where would it be?

I should probably tell you a bit about the type of diving that I like to do and my experience. Currently I'm PADI certified Rescue Diver since ~1992, I have PADI EAN/Nitrox. I've completed the academic portions of the TDI Advanced Nitrox and Decompression Procedures courses - so I'm leaning more towards technical diving, than purely rec stuff. I prefer wrecks over reefs, and will be getting full-cave as well as Trimix certifications. So what do you all think, where would be the best place? There are other factors going into my decision too, such as proximity to a dropzone (I'm also an avid skydiver), cost of living, housing available, etc. But, by a large margin, the 2 biggest criteria are proximity to good diving that I enjoy, and to a active turbine dropzone.

Thanks;
Thomas

 

[tbone1004]

I'd go Panama City or Pensacola for that, though the wreck diving on the coast of NC is infinitely better than Florida. Keys aren't terribly bad either and FLL/MIA have good artificial reef diving so they're "wrecks", but the best wreck diving in the US is Great Lakes and/or NC.....

 

[Zieg]

I wouldn't call Panama City or Pensacola part of Florida. This area is really considered Lower Alabama. Think about Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, West Palm Beach for the airports. Besides, you have a much better and larger selection for diving down south.

 

[100days-a-year]

Not so much,I dive extensively and commercially from the Keys to NC.

Best wrecks in salt are in Fl by far.Many more and more charters and two coasts worth ,NC does have a few more natural wrecks but vis and weather are more variable.

Best spearfishing is SC.

Best deep wrecks are in S.Fl.

Best reef is obviously the Keys.

Caves are in Florida

But as the Topic was where OP fits ...I say off I4 between Daytona to Tampa.Easy access to both coasts,Keys,the Orlando and surrounding area skydive scene and cave country.Buy Mike Barnette's books and start checking off wrecks as you dive them.

 

[Wookie]

Then, I would say Naples/Ft. Myers area. Easy access to the keys by ferry or a 4 hour drive barring traffic, great diving and real wrecks both recreational as well as trimix, lots of spearing anywhere in the gulf, with more red snapper days for spearing. I don't bother pulling the trigger if it isn't a red or mutton. Ft. Myers has jet service to bigger airports, and Tampa is only an hour away. Ft. Myers is redneck enough to enjoy a Budwieser, and cosmopolitan enough that you don't have to.

 

[sportxlh]

I live in northern Palm Beach county and enjoy it. The weekday traffic is not as bad as the southern end of the county, or as bad as Broward and Miami/Dade counties. The recreational diving is also very good and there are a lot of operators in West Palm Beach and Jupiter. The dive shop I use is about 10 minutes from the entrance to my neighborhood so I can roll out of bed and simply head to the dive shop for a morning dive on Saturday and then be back home to get yard work done (that sucks), watch college football (that doesn't suck) or spend time with my wife and/or friends (especially doesn't suck). There's not as much Tech diving right here (that I hear about) but there are a few places nearby and the deep ledge in Jupiter can be dove as a deco dive which I've done.

Early Saturday morning, the traffic isn't bad anywhere is S. Florida, so if you get a hankering for deep wrecks, you can drive down to Pompano or Miami or the upper keys from Jupiter/WPB.

With all that said, if I had to to it all over and my job allowed me to work anywhere, I'd probably move to Lauderdale by the Sea because of the shore diving and the proximity to the Keys on the south and Jupiter on the north and access to nearby great dive boats in Pompano. In LBTS, there are folks that live in the condos along the beach that suit up for a quick dive after work: what a great lifestyle. But it sounds as if 'shallowish' shore diving really doesn't interest you.


If the freshwater caves and caverns really interest you, you shouldn't locate anywhere south of I-4.

 

[thomas.crowe]

Thank you, very much, to everyone for their input. This is some good information!

 

[luscioman]

I know of sky diving in Homestead and in Sebastian. If you choose Homestead you have the Keys and Miami to be close for diving. Also considering the prices of Miami I would say Homestead is cheap. If you go to Sebastian you have Orlando an hour away and Jupiter and hour away.

 

[sheeper]

I live in the Vero Beach area. Great location if you hate traffic, crowds and crime. It is a quiet, small town kind of place that happens to be within striking distance of some simply freaking awesome diving. We have some nice beach diving, 45 minutes aways from the big creature diving and wreck diving of Jupiter, 60 minutes aways from the reefs and wrecks of Palm Beach and 3 hours away from cave county or Keys diving. the Orlando airport is an easy 90 minute drive for me, but I prefer Melbourne with all of its 6 gates and only 30 minutes away.
not to mention great home values!

 

[scubafool]

I got certified with a couple of people who were involved with the skydive scene close to me in Deland. There is a bit of diving to be had off of Daytona, most of what I am aware of is usually spearing. Caves can be had within 2 hours, Jupiter is about 3 hours, Miami area just over 4. The Keys are a bit too far to be a good day trip.