Drift Diving - anything to it? (in FL)

[youngjun]

Hi, my wife and I are taking a trip to Boynton Beach (for work) and Key Largo, FL. I keep hearing about this drift diving in the Boynton area. Is there anything to it? My wife and I are fairly new divers (about 10 dives each in the cold Chicagoland lakes and warm/deep Asian oceans) and am wondering if we should ask for a dive master to come along. I especially don't want her to freak out if she feels like she is being pulled by a strong current. Or am I being overly paranoid and drift diving is a piece of cake? Also, I'm thinking of going with either Starfish (if he can get his boat ready in time) and I keep reading about Loggerhead.

Thanks in advance,
Young

 

[kelpmermaid]

involves carrying the flag float - giving it enough slack while descending, and taking up the slack as you ascend. The drifting along part can actually be kind of relaxing. If there is a strong current running, getting down to the wrecks can be a little stressful. In Boynton Beach, you might also want to check out Splashdown Divers...

 

[Stone]

Here's a link to a page on Mike Halprin's Seahorse site:

Reefs

There is a brief explanation of the reef system, and descriptions of several of the named reefs.

Normally, the boat runs interference for you, and they'll just pick you up when they see you surface.

[edit]If you surface with your flag.[/edit]

 

[aquasport]

I just got back from there dive with splashdown divers. Great dive op.

 

[youngjun]

http://www.splashdowndivers.com is a great website with lots of info. Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[Scuba Duffer]

We are new divers - 25 dives and just came back from WPB and did the drift dives. We went with diving solutions:

http://www.divingsolutions.com/

I would recommend them as they put a DM in the water with you on all dives - included. You just stay within view of the DM and let them worry about the drift marker.

Great operation - really nice boats and lots of free snacks, fresh fruit and soft drinks on board. Check out the web site and you'll get an idea of the great operation they are. The only down side was we didn't like the platform re-entry system.

As for your original question - no - nothing to it. As long as you have decent boyancy control - it's very relaxing just floating along.

 

[youngjun]

Stone once bubbled...
Here's a link to a page on Mike Halprin's Seahorse site:

Reefs

[edit]If you surface with your flag.[/edit]

Are you recommending Diveseahorse? This is a useful site too (and it may be along the way of where I want to eventually go, which is towards Miami and Key Largo). I wonder if they rent equipment. The total cost of Splashdown (including rental) seems a bit pricier than other outfits. Maybe I'm splitting hairs, but the other operations mentioned here and others I've looked into seem to be more in the $80-85 range (including DM) versus $95 for a two tank dive with BCD, regulator, weights, and tanks (w/o DM). Diving Solutions looks good too (although it is less "along the way" of the direction I'm headed).

 

[Stone]

youngjun once bubbled...
Are you recommending Diveseahorse?

I dove with Mike for 6 days last summer, and I can say he has the kind of operation I like. That doesn't mean it's right for everyone. My trip report has some more information, but you can always call him for specifics.

Seahorse Trip Report

 

[Dr. Jay]

youngjun once bubbled...
I keep hearing about this drift diving in the Boynton area. Is there anything to it?

Yes.

I see the main concern was answered first. The current can pose a problem, depending on the conditions. It's quite easy to get washed away by the current on the surface. If you dive Starfish, then your DM will probably do a bounce dive to set the anchor on the wreck (Capt. Tony is the most popular, I think). Trick is to get to the line real quick and hang on! Depending on the amount in your party, the boat may have to make another turn to drop the other divers off.

The reef will be a little different. They'll probably just give you a flag to tow and follow it to pick you up. With either the wreck or the reef (drift), you'll want to get off the surface quick if the current is bad.

The drift part is really cool, and quite easy. I think my max depth was 65ft. You can bring a stick for lobsters if they are still in season, but just make sure you don't get caught up waiting for someone in your party to drag a lobster out from under the rocks and end up doing an "anti-drift" dive. Doesn't make for good air consumption .

Starfish was a cool dive charter, and they don't make you feel too bad if you do something stupid :bonk:.

 

[KeyLargoBrent]

and let him/her know that you want to credit the dives toward your advanced certification. You'll learn how to drift safely, and you'll know what to expect, and how to conduct yourselves, before hitting the water.

As Duffer mentioned, good bouyancy control is critical. You may not have a sandy bottom to bounce off of, and you won't have a line to hang onto to at 15 feet during your safety stop.

As Mermaid points out, drifting along with the current can be relaxing. Working against it may prove stressful. New divers tend to take a little longer to equalize than experienced ones. Loosing sight of your group during descent is another possibility.

Hiring an instructor will cost you a few bucks, but you'll be able to relax and have fun while learning new skills safely. Enjoy!