Diving near palm bay

[formernuke]

Are there any dive sites/ shops near palm bay?

I have a friend that lives there so a place to stay and flights into Orlando are usually pretty cheap.

I have the training and experience for deep dives but prefer shallow for longer NDL and air time.

Looking for both shore and boat.

 

[jormar1990]

Hoping someone else will reply since I recently moved to the area and don't know much.

I have been using JND Scuba in Palm Bay for tank fills and trips to south Florida for diving out of Pompano and West Palm Beach. I like them a lot. Ocean shore diving around here is pretty limited. Reef structure doesn't really start until south of Sebastian Inlet. I have "dived" at Sebastian Inlet once, there was a fair bit of surge and only like 10ft depth. Not much to see. I believe there is a wreck off the beach in Vero Beach. Again, depth is pretty limited. I understand there is some springs to dive around Orlando, but haven't checked any of those out yet. And of course there is always Blue Heron Bridge in West Palm Beach.

Otherwise most of the diving is charter boats out of Stuart, Jupiter, West Palm Beach, Pompano, etc.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Jupiter is 1.5 hrs south. If you have a car that is an easy day trip. It's 3+ hrs for me and I do it as a day trip on occasion.

I believe there is OK diving in Stuart and Ft. Pierce but I only know that from seeing other's Facebook posts. I've not dived north of Jupiter myself.

 

[formernuke]

Hoping someone else will reply since I recently moved to the area and don't know much.

I have been using JND Scuba in Palm Bay for tank fills and trips to south Florida for diving out of Pompano and West Palm Beach. I like them a lot. Ocean shore diving around here is pretty limited. Reef structure doesn't really start until south of Sebastian Inlet. I have "dived" at Sebastian Inlet once, there was a fair bit of surge and only like 10ft depth. Not much to see. I believe there is a wreck off the beach in Vero Beach. Again, depth is pretty limited. I understand there is some springs to dive around Orlando, but haven't checked any of those out yet. And of course there is always Blue Heron Bridge in West Palm Beach.

Otherwise most of the diving is charter boats out of Stuart, Jupiter, West Palm Beach, Pompano, etc.

Whats the drive time to the above listed from palm bay.

Part of why I want shore is I haven't worn anything thinner than a 7mm for ocean in over 11 years same for an al80 tank.

 

[jormar1990]

Whats the drive time to the above listed from palm bay.

Part of why I want shore is I haven't worn anything thinner than a 7mm for ocean in over 11 years same for an al80 tank.

Stuart 1.5 hrs
Jupiter 1.5 hrs
West Palm 2.0 hrs
Pompano 2.5 hrs

Sebastian Inlet 30 min
Vero Beach 45 min