Differences in diving - Florida vs. Caribbean

[uncfnp]

There has not been a hurricane in Florida in years.

Well, there goes MY September trip. Lol.

 

[sheeper]

Don't expect concierge service. On most boats you will carry and setup your own gear. And they expect you to be able to take care of yourself. They will help if asked but they definitely don't babysit. The boats I've done do not arrange buddies. You can buddy up on the boat or have the option to just following the guide. Many boats do drop a guide that carries the dive flag for the group but not all.

well, you SHOULD expect concierge service! At Stuart Scuba, the crew will take your gear from the parking lot to the boat. Why should you carry it? After all, you're on vacation! Though we don't arrange buddies, we can if you want. However, we do put a DM in the water ON EVERY DIVE and you can follow them (or not). That's a good idea if you are not local as the DMs know where the cool stuff is.
Depending on your comfort level and experience we can provide as much or as little help as you need/want.

and though i work for Stuart Scuba, by no means are we the only local operator with this level of service.

 

[boulderjohn]

In my experience, the issue of a DM in the water on every dive is an evolving concept in South Florida. I never saw it at all until a couple years ago. Now the operator I use the most does it. The ones I use the next most, however, do not.

 

[mmmbelows]

In my experience, the issue of a DM in the water on every dive is an evolving concept in South Florida. I never saw it at all until a couple years ago. Now the operator I use the most does it. The ones I use the next most, however, do not.

Good point, I always have seen the biggest differentiation between the Caribbean diving and Florida diving is the former is almost always guided by a dive master and the latter rarely. The former is typically follow me don't leave the group, the latter is the pool is open see you back on the boat in an hour.

 

[uncfnp]

well, you SHOULD expect concierge service! At Stuart Scuba, the crew will take your gear from the parking lot to the boat. Why should you carry it? After all, you're on vacation! Though we don't arrange buddies, we can if you want. However, we do put a DM in the water ON EVERY DIVE and you can follow them (or not). That's a good idea if you are not local as the DMs know where the cool stuff is.
Depending on your comfort level and experience we can provide as much or as little help as you need/want.

and though i work for Stuart Scuba, by no means are we the only local operator with this level of service.

I guess your definition of conceirge service may differ a bit from mine. I refer to some dive locations where the ops typically not only help carry gear but set it up, store and often clean and dry it as well. Outside of the Keys I personally have not seen this service provided in Florida.

 

[Steve_C]

Depends greatly on where you are diving. The drift diving is Miami and north. In the Keys there is some drift diving but it is mostly shallow reefs or deeper wrecks.

 

[PatW]

Florida diving varies a fair bit.

Jupiter - has fairly deep dives. The bottom is about 85'. These are drift dives, so you need to get down or you will miss the reef or the wreck. It is famous for big things: sharks, turtles and Goliath grouper. Seeing schooling Goliath grouper is mighty impressive.

Blue Heron Bridge - you dive at high tide. Visibility is about a max of 40'. Max depth is 20'. There are all sorts of things here: morays, bat fish, frog fish, flying gugnards, sea horses, blennies, and so on. It is a shore entry and the dive can go about 90 minutes.

I believe that Key Largo has the best diving in the Keys. The visibility is not great a max of about 80'. The bottom is really fine so it gives a milky cast to the water. Fishing is prohibited at Pennecamp but it still happens. My wife always brings up yards and yards of fishing line and shiny hooks. The fish populations are really good even so. The populations are as good or better than the Caymans or Cozumel. It also has good soft and hard corals. The bottom is about 30' at the reef. Just off the reef are a number of famous deep wrecks. The boat ride is about 40 minutes.

I would think that the Dry Tortugas has the best diving in the keys. It is west of Key West. It just about requires a live aboard.

 

[scubadada]

I guess your definition of conceirge service may differ a bit from mine. I refer to some dive locations where the ops typically not only help carry gear but set it up, store and often clean and dry it as well. Outside of the Keys I personally have not seen this service provided in Florida.

I certainly have not sampled all the dive operators in SE FL, but I have not seen service like this. At the polar end of the spectrum, you're describing Ocean Frontiers at Compass Point on Grand Cayman. The only thing I take is my dive computer. They go so far as to wash and dry your wetsuit for use the next day.

In general, dive operators in SE FL are not the single destination dive resorts that are common in the Caribbean. Offering this type of concierge service is simply not practical. Most do not have the same brick and mortar operations, though some do. None that I know of have an attached, affiliated resort.

Personally, I do not need the help with my gear. You can almost always unload at the boat before parking. Most operators will help load the boat. I carry everything in a mesh backpack and a regular backpack. In a week, I will often use 2, 3, or 4 different operators, depending on conditions, availability, and my goals.

Good diving, Craig

 

[uncfnp]

I certainly have not sampled all the dive operators in SE FL, but I have not seen service like this. At the polar end of the spectrum, you're describing Ocean Frontiers at Compass Point on Grand Cayman. The only thing I take is my dive computer. They go so far as to wash and dry your wetsuit for use the next day.

In general, dive operators in SE FL are not the single destination dive resorts that are common in the Caribbean. Offering this type of concierge service is simply not practical. Most do not have the same brick and mortar operations, though some do. None that I know of have an attached, affiliated resort.

Personally, I do not need the help with my gear. You can almost always unload at the boat before parking. Most operators will help load the boat. I carry everything in a mesh backpack and a regular backpack. In a week, I will often use 2, 3, or 4 different operators, depending on conditions, availability, and my goals.

Good diving, Craig

Yep. Ocean Frontiers in GC is one end of the spectrum and Narcosis in WPB is the other. I have only seen one op in Florida that offered "concierge service" and that is Key Dives in Islamorada and they call it "valet."

Until diving with Ocean Frontiers I didn't think I would care for it but after diving with them and then Aldora in Cozumel I have to admit that it is kinda nice not having to schlep my gear back and forth each day.

 

[boulderjohn]

The main reason you don't get that kind of service in Florida is that by far most of the divers taking the boats are locals. They might be diving a few times a month when they get the time. In the Caribbean, most of the divers are there for a short vacation and will be doing several dives a day for a week or so.