Diving in Florida Keys in February

[krillo]

I was planning to break the winter bore of Sweden to head over to the east cost for some diving. The weather seems agreeable but how is the water? The water temperature seems to be around 70 (5mm should be enough right?). But how are the conditions, does the water get churny, what about visibility? Am I at risk for a dry week? Can the weather turn bad etc.

Does anyone have any first hand experience, does anyone live here to give some first hand advice?

 

[jimw]

Water temps will likely be in the 70's F. A 5 mil should be enough. You're taking your chances with weather as always. But if you are willing to dive on the 4 to 5 ft wave days, you will get some dive days. It could be great, flat seas and mid 70's water temperature. 80 degree sunny days or it could be 3-4 ft seas and 70 degree water, a Norther could come in bringing low air temps into the 50's at night. Visibility can be 20 -80 feet. Bigger waves=less viz.

I would go to Bonaire.

If you do come and are getting blown out in the Keys, drive north 2 hours to the Blue Heron Bridge near West Palm Beach. It's our local muck dive, Google it for lots of info. The bridge is just inside the Lake Worth Inlet, so is not so weather dependent although if the viz is lousy outside the inlet, it will be inside too.

 

[Jupiter31]

Gotta agree w/ jimw

But if I came all the way from Sweden, and got blown out - and my alternative was the BHB (fantastic dive if you live in S. FL - not so fantastic if you trucked all the way from Sweden) - well, I would be disappointed.

And the weather in Feb is just too plain iffy; especially the last year or so - it September, and its been a week and a half and the seas have averaged 4 - 6 - the whole weather pattern is just screwey the last year or so.

That said, agree a 5m is likely OK - temps in F are 72 - 74 - however 66 - 68 is not unheard of - but my advice is go elsewhere; you just stand too great a risk of cold fronts coming through that time of year; they make the seas very rough, mess up the viz, cause surge -

Cozumel is great (would be my #1 choice that time of year), so is Little Cayman - if you want decent diving - and a beautiful island (great shore diving too) St Croix or Bonaire.

PS You may get folks posting "...we went to the Keys in Dec - Jan - Feb - March and had Great conditions" - sure, it can happen - but you stand a better chance of it being rough during Dec - April - and while I'm not a FL native, I am a 31 year S. FL resident!

 

[DeepSeaExplorer]

Feb is definitely hit or miss. The water will be right around 70, plus or minus. While you can plan for that, the seas could go either way. A couple years back, I got in more dives in Feb than I did in June because the weather was so great, but you can't count on it.

 

[Lee Taylor]

In response to your questions about diving the Florida Keys in the winter season, something you should also consider researching is the Gulf Stream. One of the glorious things about the southeastern Florida/Keys area is the Gulf Stream. In that area the GS comes close to shore (within 2 miles or so) and brings with it warm water and a food buffet for the sea life. I dive the Florida Keys and they provide excellent diving, BUT in addition, I would look at Gulf Steam diving in southeastern Florida. The Gulf Stream comes close to shore starting about Miami and then stays close to shore up to Jupiter Florida (then it turns and goes 35 miles out to sea. You will find warm water, huge reef systems, and LOTS of sea life in the Gulf Stream.

Of course no one can predict the weather or surface conditions. The 2010 dive season has produced storms that have blown us out one weekend and then flat glassy water from horizon to horizon the next

Below is a link to coastal year round water temperatures. Please note Miami in comparison to the others. Southeastern Florida towns are bathed by the Gulf Steam and have much higher water temperatures than surrounding areas.

US NODC Coastal Water Temperature Guide

Photos and video clips of diving Boynton Beach Florida: (between Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm. Gulf Stream diving)

ScubaBoard - Photos/Video - Scuba Diving Boynton Beach Florida

Link to a dive operation in Jupiter Florida (Gulf Stream diving)

ScubaBoard - Jupiter Boat

 

[krillo]

Thanks all of you, this has been most helpful. I will look into other locations as well, even though it will definitely cost me more its no fun going and not being able to dive at all. Feel free to give additional advice on other locations too.

 

[Tom Winters]

Krillo, you should actually go dive the White Sea in February. After that, Swedish waters will seem temperate. I guess you'll have to head over there in January to start chopping a hole in the ice, although you could swing by Murmansk and carefully pick up some leftover spent fueling rods that ex-Soviet navy kinda left lying around there. You won't need a light under the ice then either with the Cerenkov radiation glow.
RuDive Group: The Arctic Circle Dive Center, diving at Russain North Seas

 

[krillo]

Thanks, but I prefer warm waters