Florida Divers! Year End Summary

[CosbySweater]

Florida divers - I thought it would be fun to share some of our diving experiences from 2021. Post up how many dives you did this year, your most memorable dive, your deepest dive, something new you learned, and a new piece (or pieces) or gear you acquired in 2021.

I'll kick it off:

Dives: 181

• 95 in Jupiter
• 50 in Palm Beach
• 4 in Boynton
• 17 in Key Largo
• 15 in Roatan, Honduras

Time underwater: 160 hours = 6.7 days = 20-8 hour work days
Total descent: 13,478 ft = 2.55 miles.
Deepest dive: 109 ft on the Spiegel Grove
Memorable Dives:

• Diving with my girlfriend and sister in law during the Goliath Grouper aggregation. My SOL had never seen a Goliath before and the experience blew her mind.
• A string of late summer hunting trips off Palm Beach with my hunting buddy where we each came back with zoo keepers full of bugs and lion fish. Those we're some of my first encounters with curious sharks while hunting. I learned a lot during those few trips.

Something I learned: How to hunt lobster and spearfish. I'm very much a noob with both but I had some success this year. Bugging has become a priority on many of my dives. Hunting has taught me a lot about gas management and controlling my emotions underwater. I feel that I've learned more about diving while hunting than from any other diving activity. It's def made me a better diver.
New Dive Gear: 2x HP Steel 100's, 2x LP 85's (gifted from a neighbor), Scuba Pro Mk25 and S560 for my pony rig, DiveRite BP/W, Scuba Pro Seawing Nova Gorilla fins, and a pair of free diving fins that I haven't used yet.

 

[Skeptic14]

I'm envious of your diving, both the amount and locations. When I lived on the FL panhandle I still didn't dive that much, but way more than now.

I had 2 mini-trips with a little diving this year, to the FL panhandle and FL Keys.

Dives: 8
418 minutes ( 6.96 hours)
Deepest 90ft

Underwater photography is my thing; I created a collage of my 2021 fav photos here:
Diving Summary 2021

 

[Manatee Diver]

Due to an injury and learning to dive dry, 2021 was pretty quiet for me.

Dives: 47

• 21 in Cave Country (19 of which were cave dives)
• 13 in South Florida (WPB, Jupiter, and Boynton)
• 10 on my West Coast road trip (9 in Catalina, 1 in Lake Mead)

Total Time Underwater: 1 day 22 hours 21 minutes (average dive time 59 minutes 10 seconds)
Cumulative Depth: 3,370ft
Max Depth: 112 ffw (in Hudson Grotto)
Average Depth: 72 ft

Memorable Dive: Probably the Goliath Dives, I finally got to get some descent video of them. But the one that sticks out in my head was my last dive wet. It was a fun dive, did the Bone Line circuit in Ginnie taking a short detour to the Maple Leaf, and then came back and did the bypasses. It was a stage dive that we were down for so long that I racked up 15 minutes of deco. Which was bone chillingly cold. I went to work scrapping up the money to buy a drysuit and a water leg.

Something I learned: Mostly how to dive dry.

New Gear: 3*Mk19Evo + S560; Mk17 + G250HP; Shearwater Swift; drysuit, undergarments, water leg & Jet Fins; 2*HP100 (replacing an Asahi Set that was sold); 2* LP51s; Blacktip Tech; plus other odds and ends

All the regs were an attempt to streamline my reg setup to have the service kits in my save a dive kit and be able to get it serviced just about everywhere. Now that I have done that I am in a fairly happy place with my gear, I just want to get more lights, lots of lights.

Plans for 2021: Return to Mexico and visit Canada for the trip I was invited on for 2020 but well you know... Also get a crap ton of cave dives.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Florida divers - I thought it would be fun to share some of our diving experiences from 2021. Post up how many dives you did this year, your most memorable dive, your deepest dive, something new you learned, and a new piece (or pieces) or gear you acquired in 2021.

I'll kick it off:

Dives: 181

• 95 in Jupiter
• 50 in Palm Beach
• 4 in Boynton
• 17 in Key Largo
• 15 in Roatan, Honduras

Time underwater: 160 hours = 6.7 days = 20-8 hour work days
Total descent: 13,478 ft = 2.55 miles.
Deepest dive: 109 ft on the Spiegel Grove
Memorable Dives:

• Diving with my girlfriend and sister in law during the Goliath Grouper aggregation. My SOL had never seen a Goliath before and the experience blew her mind.
• A string of late summer hunting trips off Palm Beach with my hunting buddy where we each came back with zoo keepers full of bugs and lion fish. Those we're some of my first encounters with curious sharks while hunting. I learned a lot during those few trips.

Something I learned: How to hunt lobster and spearfish. I'm very much a noob with both but I had some success this year. Bugging has become a priority on many of my dives. Hunting has taught me a lot about gas management and controlling my emotions underwater. I feel that I've learned more about diving while hunting than from any other diving activity. It's def made me a better diver.
New Dive Gear: 2x HP Steel 100's, 2x LP 85's (gifted from a neighbor), Scuba Pro Mk25 and S560 for my pony rig, DiveRite BP/W, Scuba Pro Seawing Nova Gorilla fins, and a pair of free diving fins that I haven't used yet.

That’s an impressive amount of diving. Well done … and I’m super jealous!

 

[Catito]

Total dives: 78 (Sadly, I am still working full-time and that gets in my way)
Mexico—Cenotes and Cozumel reefs
Spain—Mediterranean (burr!)—Grouper aggregation
Palm Beach—lots with Pura Vida Divers
Blue Heron Bridge—Only 4 times—-too crowded these days (!)
Shore Dives—lots out of Pompano and LBTS
Key Largo—several times. Best dives in Nov with friends on a boat run by Quiescence
Jupiter—two dives
Rescue Dive Certification via NOVA Southeastern University April 2021

 

[RobPNW]

I wanted to ask you folks for some advice about relocating to Florida when I retire. I'd like to dive a couple times a week as long as my body cooperates. I was thinking about trying to get a part time job at a dive shop to supplement my retirement savings, meet a circle of friends, and hopefully be able to fill my tanks for free. I'm hoping I can get at least my dive master done so I have something to offer the shop.

With that said, I have no idea where to start in looking for a location to buy a place. Clearly, I want to be near dive sites. There's a lot of places I doubt I can afford to live on a retirement income. I also don't have any desire to be near typical spring break destinations and the craziness that goes with that.

Any recommendations on locations I can look at based on my goals- decent dive sites, dive shops for possible part time jobs, "relatively" affordable, not a typical tourist insane asylum etc. I have a few years until retirement but would like to start looking for a place now, possibly turn it into an air bnb and then move in when ready.

Thanks so much for any thoughts.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Dives: 59

• 28 in Palm Beach
• 24 in Jupiter
• 2 in Williston FL (Devil's Den and Blue Grotto)
• 2 in Boynton
• 2 in Pompano Beach
• 1 at Blue Heron Bridge

Time underwater: 3,324 minutes = 55 hrs 24 min in total
Average Duration: 56m20s
Deepest dive: 100 ft at Blue Grotto
Memorable Dives:

• Stacked up Goliath Grouper on the MG111.
• A very active turtle nesting season with multiple dives where I saw a dozen+ sea turtles.
• Several dives where I was able to spend significant time observing caribbean reef squid.
• Very few blown out dives in 2021. I can only remember a handful at most. I got lucky on the weekends I planned my dives.

Something I learned: I was able to meet in person and dive with several other local Scubaboarders. @CosbySweater, @Johnoly, @DavidFL, @jeffsky29, @edwants2dive. As well as a few others we discovered after the fact that we were on the same boat, @Catito, @gamon, and probably a few more that I've forgotten. Looking forward to more of that in 2022!
New Dive Gear: Surf-fur parka and a 7mm Bare Reactive wetsuit

 

[Catito]

Dives: 59

• 28 in Palm Beach
• 24 in Jupiter
• 2 in Williston FL (Devil's Den and Blue Grotto)
• 2 in Boynton
• 2 in Pompano Beach
• 1 at Blue Heron Bridge

Time underwater: 3,324 minutes = 55 hrs 24 min in total
Average Duration: 56m20s
Deepest dive: 100 ft at Blue Grotto
Memorable Dives:

• Stacked up Goliath Grouper on the MG111.
• A very active turtle nesting season with multiple dives where I saw a dozen+ sea turtles.
• Several dives where I was able to spend significant time observing caribbean reef squid.
• Very few blown out dives in 2021. I can only remember a handful at most. I got lucky on the weekends I planned my dives.

Something I learned: I was able to meet in person and dive with several other local Scubaboarders. @CosbySweater, @Johnoly, @DavidFL, @jeffsky29, @edwants2dive. As well as a few others we discovered after the fact that we were on the same boat, @Catito, @gamon, and probably a few more that I've forgotten. Looking forward to more of that in 2022!
New Dive Gear: Surf-fur parka and a 7mm Bare Reactive wetsuit

I, too, bought a surf-fur in 2021…so nice when the air temp is below 70F

 

[Catito]

I wanted to ask you folks for some advice about relocating to Florida when I retire. I'd like to dive a couple times a week as long as my body cooperates. I was thinking about trying to get a part time job at a dive shop to supplement my retirement savings, meet a circle of friends, and hopefully be able to fill my tanks for free. I'm hoping I can get at least my dive master done so I have something to offer the shop.

With that said, I have no idea where to start in looking for a location to buy a place. Clearly, I want to be near dive sites. There's a lot of places I doubt I can afford to live on a retirement income. I also don't have any desire to be near typical spring break destinations and the craziness that goes with that.

Any recommendations on locations I can look at based on my goals- decent dive sites, dive shops for possible part time jobs, "relatively" affordable, not a typical tourist insane asylum etc. I have a few years until retirement but would like to start looking for a place now, possibly turn it into an air bnb and then move in when ready.

Thanks so much for any thoughts.

Palm Beach County is nice with good diving and easy access to the Caribbean dive sites. However, most of South Florida is experiencing a crazy housing market. If you do not already own a house or condo in South Fla…good luck. Bidding war is happening. Taxes are high, too, the closer you get to the shore. I do not think that the diving is very diverse on the West Coast of Florida but that is just hearsay. Maybe some west coasters can let us know their thoughts.

 

[Divin'Papaw]

Palm Beach County is nice with good diving and easy access to the Caribbean dive sites. However, most of South Florida is experiencing a crazy housing market. If you do not already own a house or condo in South Fla…good luck. Bidding war is happening. Taxes are high, too, the closer you get to the shore. I do not think that the diving is very diverse on the West Coast of Florida but that is just hearsay. Maybe some west coasters can let us know their thoughts.

I'd also recommend Palm Beach County. You are close to fantastic diving and Key Largo is a driveable day trip. While it is a tourist destination during the winter, it doesn't tend to get hit with the crazy, drunken spring break crowds like Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. If you look north in the county and inland a bit, you can find some affordable areas that are still close to the beaches and good diving. We used to live in Boca Raton and really like that area, but it is very pricey. Other options are Broward County inland a bit or Martin county just north of Jupiter.

We live in Southwest FL between Naples and Ft. Myers. We love it here but not for the diving. We love it for the slower pace and far lower population density. Local diving is almost nonexistent however. There are a few boats and the diving can be decent at times, but nothing like SEFL. Night and day difference actually. The coastal geography is entirely different between the two coasts.

Almost all of my diving is in SEFL. I drive over to Palm Beach or Broward counties for diving about once a month. I almost never dive in the Gulf off of SWFL. Boats are too hard to come by and the best dive sites are FAR off short (20-35 miles) meaning the conditions need to really be ideal. I do try to get out locally a time or two a year, but easily 75% of those efforts are blown out. In 2021 I tried 3 different times and each time the trip was blown out.

You can also look in other areas and plan day-trips to SEFL when you want to dive. Tampa and Orlando are two areas where a day-trip or weekend trip to the SE coast is very doable. But if you want to be close enough to good diving to dive once or twice a week in retirement, you really need to be in SEFL.