Boat Dive from Gulf Shores/Orange Beach

[rdharbis1]

We, my wife and I, are going to be in Gulf Shores the weekend after Thanksgiving and we want to go diving on that Saturday morning (we will be travelling on Friday and Sunday). My wife has just been certified this summer so this will be her first 'real' dive (We have done a couple of short quarry dives since) and my first 'real' boat dive (I went on a boat dive in St. Thomas but it was a Cruise Line excursion).

Who do we see and where do we go?

Are we too inexperienced to go on a boat? We are very comfortable diving, so I hope not.

Thanks...

 

[philmottrek99and02]

We, my wife and I, are going to be in Gulf Shores the weekend after Thanksgiving and we want to go diving on that Saturday morning (we will be travelling on Friday and Sunday). My wife has just been certified this summer so this will be her first 'real' dive (We have done a couple of short quarry dives since) and my first 'real' boat dive (I went on a boat dive in St. Thomas but it was a Cruise Line excursion).

Who do we see and where do we go?

Are we too inexperienced to go on a boat? We are very comfortable diving, so I hope not.

Thanks...

I would plan a shore dive to the Whiskey Wreck. I have also been to the Destin jetties. Now the hard part; many boat operators may not be operating at typical summer hours the week after Thanksgiving. It was my experience from a trip to Seaside the week after last Thanksgiving, that NO ONE was in town. From my stand, that was a wonderful time to go.
Howard

 

[rdharbis1]

I was thinking it would be a good time to go, since no one would be in town, but I was hoping that the business people might hang around. I hadn't thought that they wouldn't be around.
I am vaguely aware of the Whiskey Wreck and the Jetties. I really wanted to get the experience of a boat dive on the 'off-season'. The Whiskey Wreck search is a backup.

Randy

 

[mike_s]

Randy,

Since Carlotta just got certified, I would reccomend checking with Gary at Gulf Diver to see if he's got a shallow water trip scheduled for that weekend. He runs a 6-pack out of Orange Beach and a smaller boat might be more likely to schedule a trip out then as this isn't the "prime dive season" down there.

To find out what/when trips he's doing, send a PM to algulfdiver or check out www.gulfdiver.net. From his online calendar, it looks like he's got dives planned for that weekend, but I'd check with him to make sure.

Down Under has a nice boat also, but I'm betting that with their larger boat they'll need more people to do a trip.

With either boat, you'll want to make sure she starts out with a shallower dive and not one of the offshore wrecks until she's built up some experience.

The Whiskey Wreck would be a good shore dive to start with as long as you have calm shore conditions. I just know that she'll want to take it easy her first ocean dive until she's comforable in a new environment. PM'ing SupRBugMan would be an excellent way to start lining up a guided tour of this dive site. He dives this site often and chances are he might be diving it around the same time you will be there. The wreck sits about 100 to 150 yards offshore, so it's a good swim. It's in Gulf Shores almost directly offshore from Bahama Bobs bar/resturant.

The only other shore dive there is the pass. It's a high boat traffic area. I'd hold off on that until she's got a few other dives under her belt as the sound of boat motors going overhead might not sit well.

Off topic, but let me know if you want to grab lunch sometime this week or next.

-Mike

 

[tom wicker]

We, my wife and I, are going to be in Gulf Shores the weekend after Thanksgiving and we want to go diving on that Saturday morning (we will be travelling on Friday and Sunday). My wife has just been certified this summer so this will be her first 'real' dive (We have done a couple of short quarry dives since) and my first 'real' boat dive (I went on a boat dive in St. Thomas but it was a Cruise Line excursion).

Who do we see and where do we go?

Are we too inexperienced to go on a boat? We are very comfortable diving, so I hope not.

Thanks...

Hello Rdharbis

We have about four dive charter boats here around the Orange Beach area. Each has their own benefits to divers. Down Under is a larger operation well equipt for the diver their boats carry a larger amount of divers per dive. Some like this and some don’t. I know most of them and they are some awesome people, Brain stands out the most.

If I was to choose in my own personal opinion and have a better chance of getting to pick the dive site I would Give Gary a call at Gulf divers. He runs a six pack boat and dose often make runs out to three mile barge which is in just over thirty feet of water and close to this same spot is the dredge about the same in depth. If you and your wife sets up a dive with him give me a yell and I’ll help fill in a couple more of the spots to make it happen for you. I have a buddy that needs to get some boat time in

Keep in touch with us when you head this way there is always some locals looking for some buddies for a beach dive

 

[tom wicker]

Mike that map is pretty cool, to bad we don't have a sticky post where this sort of information can be kept for quick access There is a couple more decent shore dives here also but I got to live down here with the bug so I'll keep quite or he'll have my head

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

The only other shore dive there is the pass. It's a high boat traffic area. I'd hold off on that until she's got a few other dives under her belt as the sound of boat motors going overhead might not sit well.

Off topic, but let me know if you want to grab lunch sometime this week or next.

-Mike

Cool map, the beach house infront of Bahama Bob's has been whiped clean off the planet though.

There are way more shore dives than the Whiskey and the Jetties. There are the remains of several piers including AL Gulf State Pier and several other wrecks. Although, not all of these places will become common knowledge

There is a couple more decent shore dives here also but I got to live down here with the bug so I'll keep quite or he'll have my head

Damn skippy!!! LOL

 

[rdharbis1]

Since Carlotta just got certified, I would reccomend checking with Gary at Gulf Diver to see if he's got a shallow water trip scheduled for that weekend

Mike, I have contacted Gulf Diver and they are full-up on Saturday. Since we are staying through Sunday, I guess we could try to get in on a Sunday trip. Be an inconvenience with the motel check-out and all.

Off topic, but let me know if you want to grab lunch sometime this week or next.

I can go anytime except this Friday. Pick a time and place.

Keep in touch with us when you head this way there is always some locals looking for some buddies for a beach dive

Tom, Thanks and I will let you know what we get to do. Maybe a shore dive with you guys showing us the ropes would be the better plan. BugMan responded with the same information you guys have posted. I looks like we should have no excuse at all for getting wet somewhere, somehow while we are down.

I haven't written Down Under off yet. I found out that they are closed on Monday and Tuesday so I guess I will hear from them today. I jut didn't think that the dive shops would be so busy this time of year, but what do I know!

Thanks for all of your help and responses.

 

[mike_s]

I can't take credit for that map.... It's an image that's on Down Under's web site.

Tom, there is a sticky thread where you can put dive sites in Deep Dixie Divers.
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=74169

We could put the map and a write up on what are ideal conditions, best tide time to dive, places to park, what to use as shore reference, etc... I'd be glad to do it, but I think that some of the folks from that area (Bugman, etc) are more qualified to write it up than I am though since they know the dive site.

One of these days I've thought it would be fun to write a "Diving Guide to Alabama" booklet and distribute it freely via PDF file. It would be great to include this and compile all the cool dive sites in the state. maybe one of these days.....

For Randy, As for diving with Down Under, they are a good other option to use depending on their dive site choice for your wife. They have a really nice new boat. (A Newton 46 Dive Special). They did a really good job with saftey and diver head count when I went out with them. They use a BC DAN tag and diveboard for each diver plus head count plus roll call. Their boat offered a lot of room on it even with 20 divers. They dock their boat in Orange Beach (closer to pass) but their shop is on the main highway into Gulfshores on the right.

 

[rdharbis1]

If you and your wife sets up a dive with him give me a yell and I’ll help fill in a couple more of the spots to make it happen for you. I have a buddy that needs to get some boat time in

Tom, Shane with DU called this morning and if they can find 8 to go, they will go out. We are two and there are possibly 4 others who was in my wife's cert class that has expressed interest. 8-10 on a boat the size mike_s says this is would be really nice.

Randy