Question Easily accessible shore dives in South Florida

[LI-er]

Cool bro, thanks. I understand the premise of a shore dive. Boat dives are also usually deeper with long rides in the sun to get out to the dive site which are also factors we are considering. How about next time directly answer a question or just don't post?

In your case, as happens fairly often, the wrong question is asked, therefore a different question is answered.
If you don't like it, the tissues are in Aisle #3. Go have a nice cry and then go drag your gear to the nearest shore dive.

You state you know all about the pros and cons of shore vs boat diving.

I don't know where you get your information from but you are grossly misinformed on many levels. Boat dives are not necessarily "deeper" than shore dives. Many boats have an awning or protective roof of sorts to shield divers from the sun, with water freely available at all times. Once you take the plunge on a shore dive you won't be drinking water for a while. The swim out on the surface to the 2nd reef at LBTS will take much longer than a boat, and put a diver at much higher sunlight exposure (plus risk of boat traffic) than a "hot boat ride in the sun".

Do you really need this explained to you? I see in a subsequent post you suggest that you can abort a shore dive easier than a boat dive. If a dive needs to be aborted, it can be safer and faster to either return to a moored or anchored boat, or surface and deploy an SMB so the boat can find and retrieve you.

Ah, there it is.. in a later post you state that you don't want to spend $ on a boat dive. Why didn't you just say that initially?

 

[CT-Rich]

I took my daughter to LDBS last summer for some diving. We dove at the snorkel trail several times, entering just south of the Pier. Most of the time the entry and exit were fine. We did a night dive and there was a ripping long shore current. By the time we called the dive, we had a pretty hard swim in and the surf had picked up considerably. I ended up going in on the surface because the current on the bottom was making progress futile. After getting out, I had a long schlep with my kit to get to the car.

The next day, we went and did a boat dive. The first dive was a drift dive, bottom at about 35-50'. They dropped us off and left us with a flag and while another group did a dive on a deeper wreck than my kiddo was certified for. We drifted for an hour and the boat was their for us when we surfaced. The second dive was on the Tug Okinawa, max depth 70'. We went up and down the anchor line, easy peasy.

If I was with someone who is easily exhausted for medical reasons, I would much rather surface and wave over the boat that has a radio, medical kit and multiple people to help with gear and a tired diver, as opposed to trying to swim them back to shore where we may exit far from the car.

You gave us the parameters of your situation and asked for advise. You got exactly what you asked for, free advise. If you don't want to spend money on a charter, that wasn't anything you mentioned in your OP. Charters aren't cheap down their, but you and your wife will get an easy, safe dive. I hope the expense of time reading what you got for free wasn't too taxing.

 

[soduh]

Look, even if you thought that I was grossly misinformed, which I am sure someone with more time could debate back and forth endlessly for pages and pages to answer someone immediately with "you're doing it wrong." and then disregarding what they asked to jerk yourself off about all your SCUBA knowledge is rude and uncalled for and why this board gets such a bad reputation.

It's not just a matter of being frugal, it's the matter of putting someone in a position where they feel they have to push past their current limits because they are worried about letting their dive partner down. I KNOW BOATS HAVE AWNINGS do you not hear how pedantic and rude you sound? Have you never had to sit at the dock in the heat of a windless marina as everyone loaded thinking "I've never sweat from this part of my body before?" Have you never had to navigate a ship deck in large seas while carrying your gear? These are all things we considered when we decided to ask the question, are there any easy shore dives?

And if the answer was "no, not really." thats ok. that's why I asked the f'ing question in the first place. We haven't been there before and thought there might be a nice spot where the entrance and exit is protected sort of like how Blue Heron Bridge is. Please don't make assumptions.

And CT-Rich, thank you so much for most of your kind reply. Don't know why you felt the need to jab at the end. Seriously why are yall like this?

 

[CT-Rich]

Look, even if you thought that I was grossly misinformed, which I am sure someone with more time could debate back and forth endlessly for pages and pages to answer someone immediately with "you're doing it wrong." and then disregarding what they asked to jerk yourself off about all your SCUBA knowledge is rude and uncalled for and why this board gets such a bad reputation.

It's not just a matter of being frugal, it's the matter of putting someone in a position where they feel they have to push past their current limits because they are worried about letting their dive partner down. I KNOW BOATS HAVE AWNINGS do you not hear how pedantic and rude you sound? Have you never had to sit at the dock in the heat of a windless marina as everyone loaded thinking "I've never sweat from this part of my body before?" Have you never had to navigate a ship deck in large seas while carrying your gear? These are all things we considered when we decided to ask the question, are there any easy shore dives?

And if the answer was "no, not really." thats ok. that's why I asked the f'ing question in the first place. We haven't been there before and thought there might be a nice spot where the entrance and exit is protected sort of like how Blue Heron Bridge is. Please don't make assumptions.

And CT-Rich, thank you so much for most of your kind reply. Don't know why you felt the need to jab at the end. Seriously why are yall like this?

I thought your getting bent out of shape was uncalled for. I had the same reaction, shore diving can be much more taxing than a boat dive. Someone gave you a thoughtful reply and you got on their case about it. You can just say thank you and ignore it. I took a little more time to explain why I thought a boat dive would be a better choice.

Ah, that's the good stuff. Just when I worry that members of Scuba Board aren't going to talk down or ignore the premise of the question to dick measure, a real true believer comes along to make sure everyone knows just how big of a hog they're carrying around.

Cool bro, thanks. I understand the premise of a shore dive. Boat dives are also usually deeper with long rides in the sun to get out to the dive site which are also factors we are considering. How about next time directly answer a question or just don't post?

This response to someone trying to be helpful was uncalled for. He took the time to reply, and you said he was doing a dick measure and then telling him to answer the way you want it or not at all.

You owe him an apology.

 

[soduh]

If someone talked to me that way at a dive shop when I asked for something concrete I would never go back there and I would tell them a few other things as well. Many more respectful ways to interact with someone. It was not a thoughtful reply, it was patronizing at best and outright insulting at worst. I don't even 100% disagree with what was said, in a lot of ways boat dives are easier, but to assume that the concept had never entered my mind and that I would need it explained to me s l o w l y is so unhelpful. PLUS ITS NOT WHAT I ASKED!

 

[CT-Rich]

If someone talked to me that way at a dive shop when I asked for something concrete I would never go back there and I would tell them a few other things as well. Many more respectful ways to interact with someone. It was not a thoughtful reply, it was patronizing at best and outright insulting at worst. I don't even 100% disagree with what was said, in a lot of ways boat dives are easier, but to assume that the concept had never entered my mind and that I would need it explained to me s l o w l y is so unhelpful. PLUS ITS NOT WHAT I ASKED!

This is not a dive shop. He isn't selling charters. Someone read what you WROTE and interpreted it. They WROTE a response which you Interpreted. It wasn't a conversation like in a shop. He doesn't know you from Adam and I have no idea about the writing or reading skills of either person, much less their diving skills or knowledge. It's not like ignoring the posts you don't find helpful is a big ask... When I read his answer, I didn't find it particularly anything, other than an alternative suggestion. Accept responses in spirit with which they are offered.... and assume there were good intentions behind it.

 

[Bladebreaker65]

From what Jenny said I would dive from the hotel. Sounds like a great time to me. Then if you get time get her to guide you at BHB

 

[ShallowSeasGallery]

We are staying at Plunge Beach Resort. Do you know if we would be able to access the reef there or if there is an easier entry/exit point?

LBTS resident and bridge regular here. The Plunge resort is about as far as you can get a hotel in LBTS from the pier and Datura ave while still being in town limits. I would *not* plan on attempting that location by walking. But it is a very nice and trendy hotel with a good coffee shop.

The good news is that the reef line runs the entire length of the county, and if you swim east from any beach entry point, you will hit similar reef structure to what you'll find at any other point, so I would still dive from your hotel. In fact some of the most intact coral in the area is just south of that hotel (far, far away from where most of the other divers go.)

If you have mobility issues, you may find a "closer" point from which to carry your gear by parking at any of the beach entrances. There are guides in the area that will help you carry your gear to and from the water if you're inclined to use them.

 

[LI-er]

Seriously why are yall like this?

You get what you pay for.

 

[chrisjur]

Local here. Your resort is not in an optimal area for entry and is far from the typical entry point. Surf and current can get pretty rough and the swim out to the first reef line is about a field++ from the shore (425 feet). It is not suitable for someone who gets winded easily. That’s my personal opinion from doing 100+ dives in the area over the past 18 months.

I would suggest taking a boat dive, but you seem to not like that idea, so I’ll stop here.