Cheapskate drive&dive in South Florida?

[Texasguy]

My 2 cents. I'd get a stay in Dolphin Harbor Inn - Fort Lauderdale, US as it is really cheap (~$70) and like 2 short blocks from water. This is right on Datura Ave, the famous shore dive site in Ft. Lauderdale. This will allow you to arrive without a need to take a car. Nearby there is a tourist hot spot with many food places, diners, sea food, bars, pharmacy, etc. You can use "go shuttle" (Airport Shuttle | Car Service | GO Airport Shuttle) to arrive and leave ($20 each way + tip). Air and rentals are available in a block walking distance. When I was not a local, I used to do just this. Cheap and almost on the water. You can gear up and walk up and dive. Get out, get more air. Stash gear at the hotel, go eat, rest. Go dive again. Repeat till you are spent. 80cu is good for about 2 hours at 12-16 feet depths, you are unlikely do 3 dives a day, 4 hours under feels enough. Big area to explore. If you want a boat ride, you can uber, I guess. I always rented a car, as in FL it is cheap. But you don't have to.

PS: Hint, you can call in directly to the inn to ask for a lower rate too.

PPS: I'd rent gear, say for a week, from "Golden Coast Scuba", it is like 6 blocks away but their gear is in a much better condition than the shop that is near the inn. I'd use the nearby shop only for air.

 

[aquacat8]

Thanks @Texasguy ! Sounds fun!

 

[Ghetto Diver]

I stayed at the Dolphin Inn, once
I am not a fancy guy, but the place is a sh$% hole and sketchy af
Regretted not taking my g19.
It is cheap, and near the water.

 

[Atom4]

The reviews of the Dolphin Inn are pretty much the same as your post lol.

 

[toddster541]

Many years ago, my brother and I drove down to Key West and stopped at any likely-looking beach or bridge along the way for a bit of free diving. We didn't even take scuba rigs and didn't really miss them in most of those places. Slept in the truck. Bought food at grocery stores. I don't think we spent more than $100 for the week. It was a great time. Ah, youth.

A decade or two later, I went down and split my time between two charter operations (in case one of them was a dud.) Rented a small closet in a guest house in Key West to sleep in, and a conventional motel room further up the keys. IDK how much money I spent - probably $1k-$2k for a week. The wreck and reef dives out of Key West were pretty cool. Good sites, not too many people. Tame wildlife. The other operation was a dud - probably a hundred people on cattle-boats diving in twelve feet of water. It was just stupid and a rip-off. Of course, that was before the internet was really a thing - you had to select from ads in the backs of magazines. Good luck picking the right one.