Diving Florida on a Budget---Need Help

[luscioman]

If you are really really on a budget consider the following. I have not tried it so I cant comment on any experience.

https://www.couchsurfing.com/

 

[danvolker]

I am hoping to make my first trip to Florida this summer. Unfortunately this is an unplanned trip so I didn’t budget for it. I do want to get some more diving in this year but would like to keep costs down. I am driving down from Ohio in August in hopes of catching the Goliath grouper aggregation in Jupiter.

I’ve priced the diving and the rooms and they seem to be a little high but manageable. I am looking at a room for about $95 a night. This is based off of the ratings I am seeing. I would love to go lower all I really want is clean. I don’t need any amenities but plugs to charge my batteries and clean sheets.

So if there are any insider tips on a nice place to stay that’s the first questions.

I spoke to Scuba-world on the phone and was surprised to hear you are charged
a tank rental feel outside of the boat dive fee. I found out this seems to be the norm.

Second question would be best prices on diving in Jupiter along with quality.

I plan three boat dives and the rest Blue Heron.

My biggest budget issue is the Keys. Key West is insane on prices. I have read some threads where they mention other Keys that are as good or better. I can’t seem to find the thread again.

Any insider tips for the keys would be good. Even a two or three day liveaboard would be an option to stay out of the hotels.

Thanks for any help.

While Palm Beach County florida IS the best place in the world for enjoying the huge Goliath Grouper aggregation in the fall....there is more than just Jupiter....
The Mispah ..a wreck in about 80 feet of water, right off the Palm beach Inlet, has pretty amazing Goliath Aggregations on it each year..and you may find better Hotel deals through the Best Western on Palm beach lakes....they are Extremely interested in wooing divers with great prices and huge value...561-683-8810 x 452 or e-mail to Astriddawson1@gmail.com ....and are doing Dive Packages with Jim Abernethy Scuba Adventures with very nice hotel room rates well under $100 per night.... Here is a video of the the Mispah in the Fall...Watch this and the other video in 1080P if possible( the gear icon at bottom right of the video screen)
[video=youtube;a7deOCsAb3Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7deOCsAb3Y&[/video]


And my personal favorite for Goliaths is the Wreck of the Castor in Boynton Beach, Florida. Best hotel choices for you in Boynton are likely to be either the Marriott Courtyard on congress between Boynton Beach blvd and Gateway.... Or the Hampton Inn on Gateway. My preferred boat for Boynton is Splashdown divers....but every single one of the boats here is good. See this video with a story of the whole Goliath Aggregation and how we started this new form of Adventure Dive tourism about 4 years ago....
[video=youtube;ZtibrFkseJI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtibrFkseJI&[/video]

 

[djtimmy77]

You would likely greatly prefer staying in Jupiter than on Palm Beach Lakes.

 

[danvolker]

You would likely greatly prefer staying in Jupiter than on Palm Beach Lakes.

Don't know that I agree. I have never found many good places for eating or drinking in Jupiter....a small handful at best. The Best Western is about 5 minutes from Clematis Street--the Downtown Entertainment District of West Palm beach....and like 4 minutes from City Place....this is a massive selection of things to do when not diving..places to eat and drink of all types, and for all budgets. A very cool place that Jupiter can't touch...In my opinion

Right across the street from the Best Western, is the Palm Beach Mall, which was entirely renovated and is now incredibly popular with about a dozen restaurants and around 125 shops....
10 years ago...even 5 years ago, this was not an area I would have endorsed.....it was completely re-done, and gentrification of the entire area here has been in full swing for years now.

On the other hand...Jupiter is very nice and upscale...Jupiter Island is gorgeous--though not a place the OP has any hope to stay on....
Riding a road bike around Jupiter island is quite awesome.....and there are a couple of good seafood restaurants....the hotels are mostly either extremely nice ( and pricey) like the Jupiter Beach Resort...or if economy oriented, quite decent, but not really near any fun places to hang out.

 

[djtimmy77]

There are plenty of good restaurants in Jupiter, just because you don't know them or over-endorse them doesn't mean there aren't. In fact they are far better than anything Clematis or City Place have to offer. You are clearly in the dark about what Jupiter has to offer.

Why aren't you hard selling the singer island hotels anymore?

Why would someone want to stay 20 minutes away in a rough part of town next to an outlet mall away from the beach when they could stay right near the dive boat, close to the beach for the same price? You can WALK to two different dive boats without crossing a street from the Best Western in Jupiter by the way. Also you can walk to probably 25 different restaurants, including some of the best in the county.

 

[danvolker]

There are plenty of good restaurants in Jupiter, just because you don't know them or over-endorse them doesn't mean there aren't. In fact they are far better than anything Clematis or City Place have to offer. You are clearly in the dark about what Jupiter has to offer.

Why aren't you hard selling the singer island hotels anymore?

Why would someone want to stay 20 minutes away in a rough part of town next to an outlet mall away from the beach when they could stay right near the dive boat, close to the beach for the same price?

With the budget the OP suggested, I think City Place and Clematis will have far more to offer than Jupiter.
Why are YOU hard-selling Jupiter so aggressively?
I just added this as an option, because it had been overlooked by you and the other posters. There are many divers that feel that the Best Western and diving out of Lake Park or Riviera Beach Marina is far superior to Jupiter diving. Those that can afford it, may well stay at the Hilton or Marriott Resort on Singer, but in this thread we are supposed to be going for low price and high value. I think there is much more to do within 5 minutes of the Best Western, than anything this OP could afford in Jupiter. I have lived in Palm Beach county for over 25 years, and with the exception of the Jupiter Beach Resort, there is little that would interest me in Jupiter....it just does not measure up to Clematis..or Lake Worth Downtown ( restaurants like Paradiso) ...or the many places that are between Manalapan and Riveria Beach for locals or tourists. It's great that you like it.
Your opinion may differ from mine...but you don't need to get pissy about it

 

[djtimmy77]

The OP specifically asked about Jupiter. The restaurants in Jupiter are the SAME price as the ones in clematis/city place. I am not hard selling Jupiter just illustrating why your advice is not accurate, as much as you consider it to be.

 

[danvolker]

The OP specifically asked about Jupiter. The restaurants in Jupiter are the SAME price as the ones in clematis/city place. I am not hard selling Jupiter just illustrating why your advice is not accurate, as much as you consider it to be.

The OP was planning on visiting for the Goliath aggregation. With this his primary intent, and with local knowledge, I don't think it is fair to withhold that Jupiter is NOT necessarily the best place for the Goliaths, in the Fall. The boats you are friends with in Jupiter will like the withholding....Sorry if it's not working out the way you wanted.

If I was going to do the Goliaths in Jupiter, I would use either Narcosis or Shearwater....both out of Palm beach Inlet.

---------- Post added June 9th, 2015 at 01:18 PM ----------

The OP specifically asked about Jupiter. The restaurants in Jupiter are the SAME price as the ones in clematis/city place. I am not hard selling Jupiter just illustrating why your advice is not accurate, as much as you consider it to be.

There are probably 5 times as many restaurants within 5 minutes of the Best Western, than what will be anywhere near the jupiter hotels. The choices will be better.
....Just illustrating why your advice is not accurate, as much as you consider it to be..

 

[sportxlh]

So, I live off of Donald Ross (just south of Jupiter) and work in downtown WPB, one street over from Clematis. While Clematis has some good restaurants that I like, cheap, they are not. I love Grease located on Clematis, but it is the most expensive burger outside of Miami Beach places, that I think I've ever had. Roco's Tacos is great too, but you can drop a wad there as well. For a cheap burger in Jupiter, you can't beat the Ale House (or a little south of Jupiter at the Brass Ring). For a good burrito or taco or bbq, Burrito Brothers in Jupiter is great. A lot of the restaurants in City Place are chains (why come to Florida to eat at a chain restaurant??). Some have decent food, but most are not cheap. If the OP likes to window shop, then City Place or Clematis might be fun, for good cheap food, it won't be. Now if the OP likes to party at night clubs or hang out a bars, Clematis or City Place might be a good choice.

If I were 'passing through' the area on my way to the Keys or somewhere else, I'd stay at a hotel on 45 street or Palm Beach Lakes, but if I were staying in the area for a few days, I would not. I buy my gasoline on both streets and while they are not terrible areas like they were a few years ago, they sure aren't all that nice. I'd look to stay in Jupiter, Juno Beach or Palm Beach Gardens: or Singer Island if there are any good deals.

I have to agree that the Mizpah can be an epic dive during the GG season: one of my favorite dives was 3 or 4 years ago when we just dropped into the sand and watched those beasts slowly swim around us for 45 minutes. Awesome. I've had equally good dives on the Zion Train in Jupiter/Juno too (and surprisingly on the Bud Barge in WPB).

 

[djtimmy77]

I hardly dive Jupiter anymore since I dont live there anymore. Your argument that I am recommending my friends is null and void. However if coming from out of town I would recommend Jupiter and Boynton for GG aggregation. And why anyone would suggest taking the long assed boat ride from the lake worth inlet to dive Jupiter rather than from the Jupiter boats is beyond me...ignoring your relationship with JA of course.

Calling PB Lakes a vacation destination is frankly delusional. Sure there are a bunch of chain restaurants in that area but none that I would give my money to.

A quick internet query also shows the Jupiter Best Western is actually less expensive (by a whopping $7/night) than the PB Lakes location for a long weekend in August. I am sure you could get a discount at either one by asking but that is a fair comparison as well. If you do decide to dive out of Lake Park or Riviera Beach I would still recommend staying in Jupiter or Juno over PB Lakes in a heartbeat.

I have made my point about Dan's advice, so I won't be continuing an argument with him....

OP if you want inside information on the good restaurants in Jupiter, PM me. Not going to give Dan the pleasure of knowing that information, we want him to stay in his own stomping grounds. haha