Best Place to Live - For a Diver.....

[Scubaguy62]

I moved to the So. Fla area 11 yrs ago, and started diving 4 yrs ago. I've got to say that I'm glad to be living here in the Ft. Lauderdale area. I can hop on a puddle jumper, and 55 mins later, be where I can experience walls, wrecks and reefs; after a 2 1/2 hrs flight, I can experience the currents of Cozumel in about 1 hr after arrival; in 2 - 3 hrs. I can be in Belize, or Roatan; in less than 4 hrs (with one connection) I can be in Little Cayman diving bloody bay wall...need I go on? Oh yes, after a 3 - 4 hr drive I can do the springs, and if I want to dive for shark teeth, that's about a 2 hr drive. Oh yes, if the bank account is on reserve, there's always the beach and the reefs of Lauderdale by-the-Sea, Pompano Beach and Hollywood. I think I'll stop now

 

[netmage]

Are you kidding?!?
You're gonna leave Chicago, which at least has Lake Michigan, and move to a landlocked part of Florida?

To get decent wrecks & visibity we have to head up to Milwaukee, ~2 hours if traffic is light. I suppose I need to figure out the wreck/cave balance. One would put me in Orlando (50%/50% 2-4 hour drive everytime), the other in Ft. Lauderdale (100% wreck, long weekend road trip to the caves...)...

 

[100days-a-year]

Cocoa to Ft Pierce on the East side or Naples to Stienhatchee on the West side.Get within 10 miles of the coast.Why move to FLa with 8000 miles of coastline to have to drive an hour or more each way to enjoy it.The further north the closer to cave country.More wrecks on the East side.Too far south and the cost of living goes up.I love from Canaveral to Fernandina on the East side but the diving is deeper and more weather dependant.Tons of wrecks,only 2 hours to cave country and I work about 20-25 hrs a week and can afford a pretty decent lifestyle.Have a tidal creek in my backyard and the Atlantic is 3 miles away.The Intercoastal Waterway is about a mile away.Great resturants,sports,culture(hard to believe),people are friendly and in 1/2 hour trip from my house I can have my boat launched and be gearing up for my first dive or drive the boat another hour and be in the waters warmed by the Gulf Stream.

 

[lowedaph]

Its your prerogative, but I think it would be a shame to come down here and be so far away from the water. Much of coastal Florida is pretty affordable. Even waterfront property is comparatively inexpensive in some places.

 

[CBulla]

Bah - dive fresh water when you want to look at rocks, crawfish, catfish, strings and other peoples neoprene butts in front of you.. Open saltwater reefs, ledges, and wrecks are the way to go!

 

[mike_s]

One thing good about moving to Florida, no state income tax. (something to think about).

 

[Far_X]

One thing good about moving to Florida, no state income tax. (something to think about).

Surely, man, you jest!!! Heck, why did I agree with work to stay an extra year in NY? Let's be moving now!!! There doesn't seem to be much on the coast between Tallahassee and Clearwater - how come? That would be the place where I would want to move - close to the caves and on the warmer side. I was looking at a small scale map!!

 

[Marvel]

I'm with Down4Fun- Lauderdale area is fantastic for diving- especially where I live in Lauderdale By The Sea. (D4F- are you also on the beach where you're at?) Yes, it's a bit of a hike to cave country but we've got some of the best beach diving around, wrecks galore & just a couple of three hours from the Keys & Venice Beach (west coast). SE Florida is a bit more expensive than othe parts of the state, though.

 

[mike_s]

Surely, man, you jest!!! Heck, why did I agree with work to stay an extra year in NY? Let's be moving now!!!

Yep. No income tax in Florida!!!

Quote: (From http://www.govspot.com/know/incometax.htm)
Seven states have no state income tax: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. Two others, New Hampshire and Tennessee, tax only dividend and interest income



Of your above choices, Alaska has more coastline to dive, but required ice diving skills for part of the year. Of course Texas has ocean diving, but my vote would be for Florida.

 

[down4fun]

Marvel-I unfortunately am not right on the beach. But, I am less than a mile form it. Oakland and Dixie Hwy. Maybe by next year I'll be right on the beach...that would be so sweet.