aquacat8
Contributor
What are you tips and tricks for staying and diving in Florida on the cheap? Cheapest places to stay? Favorite shore dives? I have the time, and I can drive down, but sheesh the hotels, the boats... help a girl out!
Cheapskate drive&dive in South Florida?
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sportxlh
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The cheapest trips I've done to the Keys was when I tent camped, I've done that a dozen times. Don't know what they are like since the Hurricane but Currey Hammock, Bahia Honda and Long Key are state parks with camping sites that are next to the beach. Avoid John Pennekamp's camping area since it is completely geared towards RV's. The diving will be with charters. Or stay in a cheap hotel in Florida City and drive 30 minutes to Key Largo each day to dive.
Rainbow Reef has dive and hotel packages that are pretty good deals by Keys standards
For beach diving, try Lauderdale by the Sea. It has easy beach dives and there are some cheaper non-branded hotels. The Windjammer hotel is on the beach at Datura Ave, which is one of the main beach entry sites, it is diver friendly.
Blue Heron Bridge is a good beach dive site in WPB. I used to dive it when I lived there. Hotels aren't cheap in the area, but I've heard the Super 8 North Palm Beach isn't too bad.
In places like Jupiter, you can advance pay for multiple dives and get a discount on a per dive basis. I used to do this with Jupiter Dive Center. Got the cost of a trip down to the $50 range. If you stay in Ft Pierce or Stuart, you can usually find a less expensive hotel. You can also camp at MacArthur State Park.
Avoid times of the year when you expect to see snow birds or families vacationing. Hotels are usually cheapest in the shoulder seasons when snow birds are gone and school is back in session. Late Sept and Oct are usually good times to hit Florida. Unless you get a hurricane, weather and marine conditions are generally really nice and hotels are cheaper and restaurants are not crowded.
Try Air BnB too. I've stayed in the Keys for pretty cheap in the past
Since I moved away from Florida, I've discovered it's not cheap to dive when you don't live near the beach
Rainbow Reef has dive and hotel packages that are pretty good deals by Keys standards
For beach diving, try Lauderdale by the Sea. It has easy beach dives and there are some cheaper non-branded hotels. The Windjammer hotel is on the beach at Datura Ave, which is one of the main beach entry sites, it is diver friendly.
Blue Heron Bridge is a good beach dive site in WPB. I used to dive it when I lived there. Hotels aren't cheap in the area, but I've heard the Super 8 North Palm Beach isn't too bad.
In places like Jupiter, you can advance pay for multiple dives and get a discount on a per dive basis. I used to do this with Jupiter Dive Center. Got the cost of a trip down to the $50 range. If you stay in Ft Pierce or Stuart, you can usually find a less expensive hotel. You can also camp at MacArthur State Park.
Avoid times of the year when you expect to see snow birds or families vacationing. Hotels are usually cheapest in the shoulder seasons when snow birds are gone and school is back in session. Late Sept and Oct are usually good times to hit Florida. Unless you get a hurricane, weather and marine conditions are generally really nice and hotels are cheaper and restaurants are not crowded.
Try Air BnB too. I've stayed in the Keys for pretty cheap in the past
Since I moved away from Florida, I've discovered it's not cheap to dive when you don't live near the beach
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Ghetto Diver
Contributor
I live in St Lucie, but shore dive Broward a lot. I prefer Palm Beach - Jupiter for boat diving.
Sportxhl has posted a lot of good info. Ocassionally I will stay in a hotel in LBTS, but that gets $$$ quick. I have gotten a deal at the Sky Lord once. Not diver friendly, but in the area. That's the place where the cop punched the valet guy...I felt like punching him too after dealing with him.
A lot of good spots to dive in this area. Anywhere South of the pier on Commercial to Palm Ave, are good entry points to get to the second reef.
Vista Park and Oakland blvd are in the vicinity and are worth doing.
A little further South to Eula Johnson State Park in Dania Beach there is the euro jax. $4 entry and a great dive. There is a cafe in the park that has decent food. Usually I will grab a burger afterwards.
Sea Experience in FLL has a good parking deal, $5 I beleive, plus if you google them they have a printable coupon for a dive discount.
Sportxhl has posted a lot of good info. Ocassionally I will stay in a hotel in LBTS, but that gets $$$ quick. I have gotten a deal at the Sky Lord once. Not diver friendly, but in the area. That's the place where the cop punched the valet guy...I felt like punching him too after dealing with him.
A lot of good spots to dive in this area. Anywhere South of the pier on Commercial to Palm Ave, are good entry points to get to the second reef.
Vista Park and Oakland blvd are in the vicinity and are worth doing.
A little further South to Eula Johnson State Park in Dania Beach there is the euro jax. $4 entry and a great dive. There is a cafe in the park that has decent food. Usually I will grab a burger afterwards.
Sea Experience in FLL has a good parking deal, $5 I beleive, plus if you google them they have a printable coupon for a dive discount.
iamrushman
Contributor
when are you coming down...spring break is almost over...snow birds going home soon....prices will fall then..then it's all yours...
try this to wet your whistle...
Windjammer Web Cam - Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Beach Cam
you might try extended stay America.
try this to wet your whistle...
Windjammer Web Cam - Lauderdale-By-The-Sea Beach Cam
you might try extended stay America.
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I do drive-and-dives now and then. I wasn't impressed with Lauderdale By The Sea (LBTS), but I keep returning to Blue Heron Bridge (BHB) in Riviera Beach. The Keys are just a little beyond what I care to do as a drive-and-dive.
AdivingBel
Diver
Make some SE FL dive buddies and be really really nice to them. 
Mouth Breather
Contributor
There's a ton of beach diving to be done in Broward. You can do Lauderdale By The Sea (LBTS), Datura ave as mentioned or most any street north or south of there that you can find parking (el prado park is a good spot, lots of parking). Then there's Pompano, 4th, 6th, 8th, 12th street are all good. On the south side of the Dania pier parking lot (near Dania Beach Grill yum) you can usually get lobsters a few yards off the pier. There's also a nice ledge about 25 minutes kick out, which is where I'd suggest swimming to any of these spots. There are smaller reefs before, but as someone mentioned they aren't spectacular. You'll be at the mooring buoys so be careful of boat traffic.
If you want to make a spectacle of yourself (I do it all the time) try Hollywood's "yellow brick road". Park near the Margaritaville resort, gear up and go around the middle, but a little north of the resort. Kick for about 10-15 minutes and descend, swimming south. You should start to see a path of cinder blocks and a rock pile. Follow it east. I've missed it a time or two so be patient. This is one of my favorite spots but as it is a popular area there is a fair amount of tourists asking questions as you enter / exit.
Jim
If you want to make a spectacle of yourself (I do it all the time) try Hollywood's "yellow brick road". Park near the Margaritaville resort, gear up and go around the middle, but a little north of the resort. Kick for about 10-15 minutes and descend, swimming south. You should start to see a path of cinder blocks and a rock pile. Follow it east. I've missed it a time or two so be patient. This is one of my favorite spots but as it is a popular area there is a fair amount of tourists asking questions as you enter / exit.
Jim
sportxlh
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From ATL, that's a brutal drive. Not quite as bad from Savannah but still bad enough.
I did a Keys trip with Deep South Divers in Newnan last year and about half the people drove to Key Largo..... Crazy. I flew
OP
aquacat8
Contributor
Wow great responses... hurry warm weather ;-)
Have you considered a liveaboard dive trip? Sometimes you can find great last-minute specials but if the price seems a bit high, consider that it includes lodgings, food, diving, and sometimes beverages - and you usually get a lot of good dives!
The Juliet has trips to the Keys and to the Bahamas that leave from Miami:
http://www.julietsailinganddiving.com/
Or if you can find reasonably-priced airfare to Nassau, the Blackbeards cruise is only $995 per week and you can get up to 19 dives. It is dormitory style berths and no frills, but that's a lot of diving for the price.
https://allstarliveaboards.com/blackbeards/
There are a number of economical, non-stop flights available from Miami to Nassau on BahamasAir, American, and other airlines
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