Between New Orleans and Florida Keys

[Deefstes]

Not sure if this belongs in some or other sub forum but I'm trying my luck. Just looking for some general travel advice (including but not limited to SCUBA).

Seems I fund a very nice conference to attend (www.ctst.com) in May 2009, giving me a fair amount of time to prepare my travel plans and do some homework. What I have in mind is to attend the conference and then either drive or fly to Florida where I'd like to spend time at Disney World, Everglades and Florida Keys, definitely hoping to dive the Keys.

So the question I'd like to ask is "tell me everything please"
But seriously, I have been to Florida before and have seen Orlando (incl Disney World), Miami, Everglades and the Keys before (this time I'll be taking my wife). However, as for New Orleans and the rest I only know what I've read and I'm not even sure I'm that widely read. On New Orleans itself I'm sure I can find all the tourist info I need but what about the parts in between?

How much is there to be seen driving from New Orleans to Florida or would it be better to save time and fly? In other words, does the coastal areas of Mississippi and Alabama have touristy things on offer? How about SCUBA opportunities?

Then, as for SCUBA in the Keys, what do I need to know? Where are the good places, who are the good charters etc? I've had a quick google around and found myself drowning in information. The number of hits I found was so vast I had to do a deco stop before switching off the computer

I know, these are very broad questions but feel free to fire away with any tips you may feel is worth while.

 

[scubasaint]

As fas as diving goes, Pensacola is about a 3 hour drive East of N.O. and has the Oriskany which is a great dive. If you were to drive to the Keys from there however, it would be a very long drive. You could do the Oriskany and then fly from Pensacola to Miami, or if you are planning to go to Orlando, driving from Pensacola to Orlando is manageable. Then the drive from Orlando down to the Keys wouldn't be too bad.

 

[stu_in_fl]

you can use something like mapquest.com to see the distances/times involved in driving between the places.
Sorry, don't know much about New Orleans (have some hazy memory of Bourbon Street but that's about it), nor the Florida panhandle.

If I were doing it I'd probably fly from New Orleans to Orlando and then drive from there - doing the Orlando thing, Everglades, maybe Miami, Key Largo (diving) then Key West (relaxation - beach, sunsets and Duval St)

 

[Dr Dive]

Hi Deefstes,

New Orleans is a great place for conventions/food/drink/entertainment; not diving. Try Mother's, downtown, for great local cuisine.

Diving is an overnight stay away in any direction. If you want to rig dive (very advanced) you need to go down to the coast the night before and be ready to dive in the morning. Logistics are mildly challenging and there ain't no Holiday Inn Express to stay at. If you want to move east, Pensacola is really the first viable port of call, and is a 4 1/2 hour drive away. You need to arrive the day/afternoon before, to pick up tanks and gear (if needed) and get settled in to your hotel/motel. If time is short, you can make arrangements to have someone pick up your stuff for you and deliver it to the boat, but an additional fee is usually involved.

Pensacola has over 100 charted dive sites to choose from and is the closest point of approach of clear blue water on the Florida Gulf Coast. There are variety of operators to choose from, and you can choose from smaller, customized charters, or larger, more traditional, big (er) boat charters. The operators are good across the board. We have the Oriskany, wrecks, natural bottom and battleships and more to choose from.

From Pensacola east, Destin is another hour plus beyond Pensacola. There are a number of sites to choose from, though the best sites are further offshore, and you should be sure of where you are going when you sign up.

Panama City is 2 1/2 plus hours east of Pensacola. It has good sites as well, along with some shore diving sites (jetties, etc) that broaden the selection somewhat.

From there, you are looking at a long drive to anything, however, if you've done the Central/South Florida Keys part of the state, the Panhandle has much to offer. There is a lot of diving within a half day to a days drive and it is very affordable, given the current economic climate. Lodging and food is much more affordable and it's a great family atmosphere.

I'm biased toward Pensacola, because I'm an operator and resident of the area. I don't discount the other areas. We all have our own unique offerings for the discerning consumer. Check us all out and contact the operator that appeals to you.

Capt. Jim
www.drdive.com
drdive@drdive.com

 

[diver 85]

Fly............

 

[scubasaint]

The drive from New Orleans to Pensacola is only 3 1/2 hours which includes a stop or 2. If you really book it, you can make it there in 3 hours which I have done.

I typically will drive up the evening before and stay at a cheap, but decent little hotel which sets me back $90. Try Weekly Rate Hotel Rooms - Suburban Extended Stay Hotels and let them know you are a diver for this rate.

Some of the operators will be able to rent you tanks and any equipment you will need, and some are 6-pack charters that run independently from the dive shops. I have used Blue Water Adventures and Capt. Dave, Capt. Ron, and Viking Divers and Capt Tim. Of these 3, Viking Divers was the most convenient as we just met them at the marina the morning of the dives and they had our tanks, and if needed, any rental equipment. The other operators I mentioned required me to go to a dive shop that morning to pick up my tanks. Other than that, I enjoyed those trips as well. As mentioned earlier though, there are many good diver operators to choose from in the area, and the best thing to do is google Pensacola dive charters and research based on your needs and preferences.

In New Orleans, there are hundreds and hundreds of great restaurants to choose from. I highly recommend Jacquimo's, Irene's Cuisine, Muriels and Delmonico (one of Emeril's restaurants), but like I said, there are so many restaurants that it is hard to go wrong.

Hope this helps. Feel free to PM me if you have any other N.O. questions.

 

[jimdiverman]

The drive from New Orleans to Pensacola is only 3 1/2 hours which includes a stop or 2. If you really book it, you can make it there in 3 hours which I have done.

In New Orleans, there are hundreds and hundreds of great restaurants to choose from. I highly recommend Jacquimo's, Irene's Cuisine, Muriels and Delmonico (one of Emeril's restaurants), but like I said, there are so many restaurants that it is hard to go wrong.

Hope this helps. Feel free to PM me if you have any other N.O. questions.

I make the drive very frequently. You can make Pensacola in 3 hours from New Orleans without stopping. Personally, I am usually going on to Marianna to dive the caves on the Mill Pond, another 2-1/2 hours. Forget about driving around Florida if you want to dive in the keys, unless you will be making stops along the way and plan to spend 3 days to get there. Seriously, even from Orlando, it is a long drive to Key West considering there is one road from Miami to Key West, and it is slow going. There are lots of wreck dives on the east coast of Florida, however, and lots of dive ops to take you out. Out of Key Largo, you have a lot of nice wrecks, and also some nice reefs, including John Pennekamp state park just to do some snorkeling.

As far as restaurants in New Orleans, they are all good, or they would be out of business. Some of my local favorites are the Gumbo Shop (great N.O. lunch, usually crowded, located one block north of Le Petit Theatre at the northwest corner of Jackson Square), Redfish Grille (Bourbon Street at Canal), Cafe Maspero's (cheap lunch, usually crowded, Decatur Street one block west of Jackson Square), Deanies Seafood in Bucktown (huge seafood platters, crowded after 6pm most nights, Lake Avenue at Old Hammond Highway) and Parran's on Veterans in Metairie (fantastic fried oysters and seafood muffaletta, get there by 11:30am) for lunch. I don't know if you have a car or not in New Orleans. The list of good restaurants is endless.

 

[DandyDon]

Do you realize that you're talking about over a 1,000 mile drive from New Orleans to Key West? 639 to Orlando, 296 more to Key Largo, 100 more to Key West. Yeah, after several days of New Orleans, I'd fly to Orlando - then a week or more in Florida...

You can probly get better local advice on the two areas in the respective geological forums. Not much to see between that I am aware, not much diving other than Pensacola maybe.

 

[Deefstes]

Thanks for all the great advice guys. We're pretty much noob divers still so I don't think we'll do the Oriskany just yet. Seems the better idea would then be to fly from New Orleans to Orlando or Miami and drive around the southern parts of Florida and do all our diving there.

Hope this helps. Feel free to PM me if you have any other N.O. questions.

Thanks scubasaint. It's a tad early still but closer to the time I'll start bombarding you with questions.

 

[ONESPEED]

Fly, I have made the drive from fort Lauderdale to New Orleans many times and it is BOOORRRIIINNNGGGGGGGG.

As for your question regarding a good dive op in the keys, you will find none better and more accomodating than Conch Republic in Tavernier. If you do a search on them here you will find many excellent reviews. CONCH REPUBLIC DIVERS VOTED #1 DIVE SHOP IN FLORIDA KEYS..2006 & 2007