Florida in May

[gcarter]

I have just found out that work is sending me to Orlando for the second week in May. I have a possibility to bring my son (dive buddy) down on points and stay an extra week (3rd week).

I don't mind driving somewhere. The question is, where?

Looking for a place with (decent) budget accommodations and good diving. The availability of good shore diving sites would also take some of the bite out of the budget. I am thinking we should take at least 1 day and check out the BHB.

Both of us are AOW, EAN, just over 100 dives. We would be bringing our own gear except tanks and weights. We are happy with both reefs and wrecks, and in fact a mix would not be bad.

Locations? Dive ops? Charters?

Thanks in advance.

 

[hroark2112]

Well worth the drive!

Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures |

Great diving and the folks on the boat were awesome!

 

[gcarter]

Actually, if you could add in the reliability of charters (weather, don't you know LOL) at that time of year that would also be helpful.

Thanks!

 

[TMHeimer]

g, I'm not much help, but I can advise that costs of accomodations vary widely in FL, depending on how far South you are and time of year. Maybe a dive op can help you with that. Shore diving, so I read, is generally better on the gulf side (I assume you're talking Orlando latitude or S. of there) than on the Atlantic, but there are a few good Atlantic spots. What is the BHB?

 

[gcarter]

g, I'm not much help, but I can advise that costs of accomodations vary widely in FL, depending on how far South you are and time of year. Maybe a dive op can help you with that. Shore diving, so I read, is generally better on the gulf side (I assume you're talking Orlando latitude or S. of there) than on the Atlantic, but there are a few good Atlantic spots. What is the BHB?

I actually have no pre-determined preference on where. The BHB = Blue Heron Bridge, near Palm Beach. Hear a lot about it, thinking it should be worth a day. Florida isn't that big, so I would even be OK to move around a bit.

 

[jimw]

g, I'm not much help, but I can advise that costs of accomodations vary widely in FL, depending on how far South you are and time of year. Maybe a dive op can help you with that. Shore diving, so I read, is generally better on the gulf side (I assume you're talking Orlando latitude or S. of there) than on the Atlantic, but there are a few good Atlantic spots. What is the BHB?

Uhh, you may have your coasts mixed up--diving from Vero Beach south to Key West can be great, especially Palm Beach and Broward counties on the east coast with very good shore diving including BHB and Lauderdale By The Sea. On the west coast of FL, diving for shark teeth can be a lot of fun around the Venice area and can be done from shore, viz though will be very short.........We dive Blue Heron Bridge often and it is a world class muck dive, lots of macro critters and stuff one never sees on the reefs offshore. At the same time Manatees are possible in the winter, lots of rays most of the year. I've seen more Eagle Rays at BHB than anyplace else and big schools of fish now and then. Good viz is 15ft or better, it can get to 60ft sometimes. LBTS is weather dependent, so be aware especially of winds. East winds make the entry difficult, west winds make it easier. Gold Coast scuba nearby can advise and runs shoredives at the site.

 

[sheeper]

awesome diving from Jupiter, fl and it is a cheaper hotel market than Palm Beach and further south. Close to BHB and even the shore dives of Vero Beach to the north.
my favorite Jupiter dive op is Capt Sl8r (www.jupiterscubadiving.com). well worth diving as we have wrecks, reefs and big sea life. Just schedule BHB around the high tide schedule...

 

[uncfnp]

gcarter,

We dive Jupiter/WPB several weeks a year. WPB is a little further south then Jupiter and the site of the BHB. From WPB you can easily dive Jupiter, WPB/BHB of course, as well as points south. There are lots of good operators in the area. We like Narcosis out of WPB. No pineapple on the SI but a good dependable crew and captain. The boat is very stable and will often go out days that may keep other boats at dock. Narcosis will often do the southern Jupiter sites as well as northern WPB giving you a good variety of dives. Expect hunters on this boat but they are dropped separately from the reef divers.

Abernethy is also a good boat but less stable and we had a number of weather cancelations with them. We found that they tend to repeat dives so a week of diving with them would put us on the same reefs too often.

Also like Walker's Dive Charter but have not been with him in a few years.

 

[ariels]

Try some of the springs - crystal river, ginnie springs. See manatees etc. try a cavern diving course. Very different.


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[Cave Chick]

Blue heron bridge is well worth it! Then do a chatter in Jupiter or something, as well. The springs are also a great inexpensive option. Check out state parks like Troy spring and peacock ( orange grove), fanning spring, etc they are only $4 a vehicle to get in.