Best short trip option? Caribbean vs Jupiter?

[Johnoly]

..(could do 2nd or 3rd week of Jan depending on weather), do you think I'd be able to get my 3 trips in (in 3 or 4 days) ..

I live in Orlando and drive down 2hrs each way & back the same day. I'll gamble time & $50 vehicle gas to get blown out. But I gotta be honest, the middle 2 weeks of January for what ever reason mother nature has,,,you may get 1 day of 2ft or less waves and less than 12mph northeast winds diving mid week. But like @scubadada said,,,if you can handle 5 footers,,there's boats that will run the inlet with as few as 4-5 paying divers. Diver's here watch Windfinder to see what conditions 'may be' for the next 7-10 days Windfinder.com - Wind and weather forecast Lake Worth Pier

For me,,vacation dives are different from my weekly dives, I just want to smile and relax on vacation where my only decision is what restaurant to eat dinner at that night.

P.S. I dove JUP today and it was awesome as you can see the glass flat behind me & 77 bottom degrees. We're now blownout these next 7-10 days. I always clean up the ocean,,beer cans, fishing line and even the smallest lionfish gets no mercy.

 

[nolatom]

Re West Palm, if you choose it and get to figuring which week to go, do look at the tide charts for Port of Palm Beach. If the Blue Heron 'Bridge (aka Phil Foster Park) is going to be your ace in the hole for a day when it's too rough to go out to sea, you'll want/need a slack-water high tide for your dive there. So a high tide that's in the middle of the day is really helpful, and that's when the lifeguards are there, and the local dive shops are open (so you can rent a flag). Also, weekdays will have more parking spaces closer to your beach entry. It can get crowded on a nice weekend, since it's a sheltered beach and everyone likes it.

 

[Amanwithaphone]

Thanks for all the good advice. I decided to book a short trip to LC. I'll have about 10 additional days split between Orlando and Miami, so will try to make a day trip to Jupiter if weather allows and see some lemons!

 

[KathyV]

Thanks for all the good advice. I decided to book a short trip to LC. I'll have about 10 additional days split between Orlando and Miami, so will try to make a day trip to Jupiter if weather allows and see some lemons!

Sounds great, I hope you get good weather both in Florida and Cayman! Where are staying on LC? Please give us a report on all your adventures after you return.

 

[Amanwithaphone]

Sounds great, I hope you get good weather both in Florida and Cayman! Where are staying on LC? Please give us a report on all your adventures after you return.

Thanks much. Will stay @ lc beach resort. Will be glad to report back!

 

[KathyV]

Thanks much. Will stay @ lc beach resort. Will be glad to report back!

That's great, were they still offering the 25th anniversary special or did you get a different package?

FREE Diving & FREE Nitrox

 

[Amanwithaphone]

That's great, were they still offering the 25th anniversary special or did you get a different package?

FREE Diving & FREE Nitrox

That particular package had a 5 night min, and I'm only staying 4. I paid approx 1300 for 4 nights, 8 dives, nitrox, 12 alcoholic drinks, and all their standard inclusions (meals etc). Seemed good to me (particularly single occupancy).

 

[KathyV]

That particular package had a 5 night min, and I'm only staying 4. I paid approx 1300 for 4 nights, 8 dives, nitrox, 12 alcoholic drinks, and all their standard inclusions (meals etc). Seemed good to me (particularly single occupancy).

That does sound good, especially during the busier season!

 

[KathyV]

Thanks much. Will stay @ lc beach resort. Will be glad to report back!

I am especially interested in your airport experiences at GCM. The airport has been under a major expansion program for a long time and it is nearing completion. We saw quite a few improvements during our recent trip but there are still some snags.

When we traveled between Brac and GC recently the process for in-transit travelers was not good but I think that it is just a temporary situation and I am hopeful that a better process will be implemented as the construction work nears completion.

Right now, when you are traveling on to the Cayman sister islands from GC, you have to exit immigration and customs, go outside and take your bags across the street, turn, and drag/roll your bags down to the ticketing hall, cross the street again, go inside, check your bags, and then go through security in order to access the departure hall to board your next plane and continue with your trip - and do the reverse process when you return from Brac.

It's not the worst airport experience in the world but it is not the best either, so I really hope that the process will get better for in-transit travelers in the near future.

 

[kelemvor]

I am especially interested in your airport experiences at GCM. The airport has been under a major expansion program for a long time and it is nearing completion. We saw quite a few improvements during our recent trip but there are still some snags.

When we traveled between Brac and GC recently the process for in-transit travelers was not good but I think that it is just a temporary situation and I am hopeful that a better process will be implemented as the construction work nears completion.

Right now, when you are traveling on to the Cayman sister islands from GC, you have to exit immigration and customs, go outside and take your bags across the street, turn, and drag/roll your bags down to the ticketing hall, cross the street again, go inside, check your bags, and then go through security in order to access the departure hall to board your next plane and continue with your trip - and do the reverse process when you return from Brac.

It's not the worst airport experience in the world but it is not the best either, so I really hope that the process will get better for in-transit travelers in the near future.

I'd seen you mention airport growing pains in other threads. I didn't realize it was quite that bad. I haven't booked yet, but unless someone comes back and reports a change I think I'll be staying on GC instead of brac. I don't (and my wife REALLY won't) want to be hoofing all our stuff around the streets for a plane change . We travel pretty heavy so that situation would be really bad for us.